Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin warn residents of COVID-19 vaccine phone scam | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Matt Martinez
March 19, 2021
Patients of Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin reported calls last week from scammers, who claimed to be representatives of the health network, asking for financial information as a step toward getting the coronavirus vaccine.
Those affected said the calls appeared to come fromthe health system, and that the name “Froedtert Systems” appeared on the callerID. The scammers then asked for credit card information.
Steve Schooff, director of external communications forFroedtert Hospital, said the health system was only aware of a few incidents ofthe scams but wanted to keep people from making the mistake.
“We would not ask for credit card information over thephone related to vaccine appointments,” Schooff said in an email.
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Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin officialsurged anyone who receives such a  phonecall to hang up and not provide any information. They also suggest individuals takedown the telephone numbers and reach out to local law enforcement.
If you have received a call from a scammer, you canalso contact the Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protectionfor information and tips.
The website advises you close any compromisedfinancial accounts, put a fraud alert on your annual credit report, and sign upfor the Wisconsin
Do Not Call Registry.
Lisa Schiller, director of investigations and mediarelations for the Better Business Bureau Serving Wisconsin, urged people to doresearch and be skeptical of anything they receive that might seem too good tobe true.
She also recommended directly contacting your doctor’soffice or health care provider before giving any personal information. Shewarned that scammers can make emails and phone calls look and sound legitimate,like the caller ID details on the Froedtert calls.
“This scam is particularly heinous because so manypeople are in the process of getting vaccines or waiting for more information,”Schiller said.
Schiller recommended bbb.org/coronavirusfor anyone who wanted to learn more about scams related to COVID-19.