Contact tracing flagged as spam

Some phone carriers flagging Fla. numbers working to stop virus

The scam call you ignored or sent to voicemail might just be a contact tracer.

The call will come from 833-917-2880. The person on the other end will identify themselves as a representative with the Florida Department of Health calling with important medical information. They’ll ask to confirm a last name and date of birth, then continue with the call.

While some phone companies are automatically flagging the number as potential spam, the calls coming from 833-917-2880 is legitimate. They are from Maximus, a vendor hired by the state for contact tracing.

Maximus spokeswoman Lisa Miles wrote in an emailed statement that caller ID should identify the call as FL DOH (833)-917-2880, but acknowledged that some carriers have flagged the phone number.

“Maximus staff will call consumers directly if the consumer has been in contact with an individual who tests positive for COVID,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, we have confirmed instances when the Caller ID identifies the caller as spam.”

Maximus encourages people to pick up calls from the number and speak with the contact tracers.

The Florida Department of Health originally contracted Maximus on May 28 for “case investigation and contact tracing services” for $6 million. On July 1, the state extended that contract, paying the company more than $27 million for its services.

Part of the confusion comes from actual COVID-19 scams that the Florida Attorney General’s office has been warning the public about since the beginning of the pandemic.

In a consumer advisory on

June 22, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody warned against fake contact tracing calls that sound very similar to the Maximus calls: People calling as representatives with the Department of Health. A key difference is that the fake calls were seeking personal information, like social security numbers or credit card information.

“Unfortunately, we can’t trust the voice on the other end of the phone to always be truthful — even in the face of a deadly pandemic,” Moody said in the advisory. “I want to encourage all Floridians to engage with legitimate health professionals working to contain the spread of COVID-19, but to be cautious before providing information.”

When Matt Bizer’s phone rang on July 1 it displayed the 833 number. He picked up, confirmed his last name and birth date. The person on the other end who identified themselves as a Florida Department of Health representative delivered his results. His test was negative.

Bizer thought the call was odd. He’d had his test results for almost a month at this point. The next day he received a companywide email saying that someone had the information of when his workplace was tested, and multiple other people reported getting calls they thought to be a scam.

Bizer wasn’t sure what to think. He called the Department of Health, which confirmed it was a legitimate number, but Bizer remains skeptical.

“I can’t tell who’s being scammed and who just thinks they’re being scammed,” Bizer said. “I can’t tell if I’m being scammed or just think I’m being scammed.”

Sarah Barker, staff attorney, Senior Citizen Law Project for Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida, said Bizer took the right steps in the situation.

“Hopefully they’re just giving the information and not asking for personal information,” Barker said. “If they do ask for personal information, just stop, ask for a callback number or do a little research about the agency that’s calling you.”

Barker said during a crisis like a hurricane — or in this case a pandemic — there’s an increase in scams preying on people’s sense of urgency, especially for the older populations.

“And we find that when people, especially seniors, are isolated from normal interaction with family members, friends, caregivers, they tend to be preyed on more by scammers,” Barker said.

Barker encourages people to be very cautious and selective about who to give information to. She said people should not be asking for a social security number or financial information, like a credit card number. She also urges people to avoid clicking links.

“The most important thing people can do is be aware and be wary. Unfortunately, you have to be suspicious of those types of calls,” Barker said. “There’s a lot of scammers out there that are looking to get their hands on any money they can and information they can.”

As for the calls coming from 833-917-2880, Miles wrote that Maximus was working with phone companies to alleviate the confusion. Maximus will attempt to call three times and leave a voicemail in case people are hesitant to answer the call.