The B.C. Centre for Disease Control and regional health authorities issued an alert Wednesday about scam automated calls about monkeypox test results or exposures.
“Please be alert for cybercriminals sending fake phishing emails, texts and robocalls to steal your personal and financial details,” the provincial health services authority said in a statement.
Public health authorities do not use automated messages to notify individuals they are infectious or may have been exposed to a disease, and no one would ever be asked to provide financial information during case and contact tracing, the health services authority says.
After an individual has a positive test for a communicable disease such as monkeypox, a public health worker would contact the individual for follow up and conduct contact tracing. The infected person would be asked to identify anyone who may have been exposed to the communicable disease.
The majority of contact tracing in B.C. is done by public health staff in the regional health authorities and not the Health Ministry.
There were 167 confirmed cases of monkeypox in B.C. as of Oct. 14, including six in the Island Health region.
Those who meet eligibility criteria for the monkeypox vaccine are encouraged to get vaccinated with first and second doses.
Appointments for vaccination against monkeypox are available through regional health authorities.
More information on monkeypox is available through the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
