CHEYENNE (WNE) — The Wyoming Department of Health is alerting residents to a recent phone scam where bad actors are “spoofing” official department phone numbers to solicit personal information.

“Spoofing” is a form of scamming that involves a bad actor who manipulates a caller ID to display a different phone number, often displaying the information of a trusted person, business or official office.

Reports indicate that scammers are using the number 307-777-7656, a primary line for the WDH director’s office, to contact individuals. These callers often claim to be from an “investigative unit” or pharmacy and ask for sensitive personal data.

The WDH reminds the public that official department representatives will never call to ask for sensitive personal information in this manner.  The WDH advises residents to take the following measures to protect themselves from these fraudulent activities:

• • Verify the caller: If you receive a suspicious call from a WDH number, hang up and call the department back using a verified phone number from the official website.
  • Protect personal information: Never provide Social Security numbers, financial details or other sensitive data over the phone to unsolicited callers.
  • The WDH will never ask residents to provide a credit card, debit card or gift card over the phone for payment. 
  • Contact your phone service provider to inquire about call-blocking features or tools to identify potential spam.
  • You may report spoofing and scam calls to the Federal Communications Commission.

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