Members of the public reported 26,871 alleged telephone scam attempts involving National Health Insurance (NHI) cards or fees from September to December last year, the National Health Insurance Administration said yesterday.
The messages say something like: “Sir [or madam], your NHI card has been illegally used, please press nine to speak with a staff member,” the administration said.
People should not fulfill such requests, or they risk having their personal data stolen, the administration said.
The administration said an average of more than 200 such calls were reported every day from September to December last year.
The total number of reported cases during the period was about 10,000 more than from May to August last year, it said.
Some of the scams involve telling the person that their card has been illegally or improperly used and is to be suspended, while others tell the person that “as they have been treated at a certain hospital or clinic, they must pay an extra medical fee,” the administration said.
Sometimes scammers try to persuade people that they have been the victims of identity theft and must withdraw all the money from their bank accounts and deposit it with a “regulatory authority,” or attempt to convince people to hand over their deposit books and personal seals, it said.
The administration said that NHI cards are not suspended for nonpayment, and that it does not contact people through telephone calls or text messages telling them to transfer money, call back or click on a link, so people should be wary about such calls and not follow the caller’s instructions.
People can call the administration’s toll-free consultation service line on 0800-030-598, or dial 165 for the government’s anti-fraud hotline if they receive a suspect telephone call, it said.
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