October 22, 2026

NR26-032​

CDPH urges the public to report scam calls and reminds Californians that the department will never contact individuals by phone to request payment or personal information.

What You Need to Know: Scammers have been impersonating California Department of Public Health (CDPH) personnel and asking people to verify personal information related to pharmacy visits or prescription requests. ​

SACRAMENTO - The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning Californians to be vigilant following multiple reports of scammers impersonating department employees to obtain sensitive personal and financial information. These scams mirror similar attempts at fraud across the country. While CDPH may reach out to individuals for legitimate public health purposes, such as disease contact tracing, these calls will never involve requests for Social Security numbers, credit card information, or non-health-related data. ​

"We are aware of ongoing scam efforts impersonating CDPH staff to pressure Californians into divulging personal information," said CDPH Director Dr. Erica Pan. "We urge Californians to remain vigilant about phone and online scams. While CDPH staff do contact members of the public regarding public health investigations, they would never ask for personal financial information of any kind over the phone."

How to Protect Yourself

CDPH reminds Californians that while department staff may contact individualsfor legitimate public health purposes, including disease investigations and contact tracing, CDPH will never request Social Security numbers, credit card information or payment over the phone.

If you receive a suspicious call

• Contact CDPH's main line at (916) 558-1784.

• Notify your local law enforcement agency.

Nature of the Scam

Recent reports include scammers claiming a prescription was filled in the victim's name and urging immediate verification to "clear their record" by providing or "verifying" personal information. In some cases, scammers have escalated the ruse by transferring victims to a video call with an individual impersonating a police officer or other authority figure in a fake uniform and fabricated recording room.

These schemes often involve coordinated callers who reference CDPH names, badge numbers, or phone lines to appear legitimate. They may request personal details such as dates of birth or driver's license numbers, direct victims to download encrypted apps for video calls, or attempt to access personal devices.

The callers rely on urgency and threats-such as legal consequences or canceled prescriptions-and sometimes direct people to meet at a Sacramento address. To bolster the ruse, they spoof CDPH phone numbers and use fabricated credentials. In some cases, the behavior escalates into repeated calls or threatening text messages. ​​