California Health Department Warns of Impersonation Scams

The California Department of Public Health is alerting residents to phone scams in which callers pose as department employees and police officers.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in COVID-19

Abstract editorial illustration of a deep red smartphone silhouette on cream, with fractured lines radiating outward, evoking phone impersonation scams. — The California Department of Public Health warned residents that callers posing as department employees and police officers are using spoofed numbers and badge details to pressure victims into sharing personal information. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The California Department of Public Health warned residents about phone scams in which callers impersonate department employees. Some scammers transferred victims to video calls with people posing as police officers.

Why it matters

The scams use official department names, badge numbers, and spoofed phone numbers to gain trust and pressure victims into sharing personal information. Residents across California are being urged to verify any such contact before responding.

The California Department of Public Health's main line for reporting suspicious calls is 916-558-1784. The source provides no count of reported incidents, so the scale of the scam campaign is not yet known.

The players

California Department of Public Health

The state agency responsible for public health programs in California, which issued the warning and says its employees do contact the public about health investigations but never ask for financial or Social Security information over the phone.

The details

Callers claimed a prescription had been filled in victims' names and urged them to verify personal information to clear their records. CDPH employees never request Social Security numbers, credit card information, or payment over the phone, but some callers requested birth dates or driver's license numbers and directed victims to download encrypted apps for video calls. Some victims were directed to meet at a Sacramento address.

November 2, 2026: CDPH publicly warned residents about the impersonation phone scams.

Public Health Context

Impersonation of public health officials has become a recurring tactic in government-agency scams, following the pattern of fraudsters borrowing official identities to extract personal data. The California warning extends this approach by adding staged video calls with fake police officers.

Residents who receive a call claiming to be from CDPH should hang up and call the department directly at 916-558-1784 before sharing any information. Never provide Social Security numbers, credit card details, or payment over the phone to an unsolicited caller claiming to be a public health official or police officer.

The takeaway

Government agencies do not request payment or sensitive identifiers by phone, so any urgent demand for such information should be treated as a warning sign. Verifying a caller through the agency's publicly listed number is the simplest safeguard.