Henry Ford Health System Warns of Spoof Calls

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (October, 17, 2021)— Henry Ford Health System is alerting the community about “spoof” phone calls that make it seem like they’re coming from Henry Ford Macomb Hospital when they’re not. The fraudulent calls are both a concern and a nuisance for community members and hospital operators.  

Henry Ford Macomb Hospital operators have been fielding up to 200 calls a day from people who believe they’ve received calls from the hospital’s main phone number, which is (586) 263-2300.  Sometimes the name of a former Henry Ford doctor is showing up on their caller ID. Those who answer the calls report they are greeted by someone claiming to owe the call recipient money and requesting personal banking information in order to issue a “refund.”

“We don’t believe callers are identifying themselves as a representative of Henry Ford, but we are very concerned that scammers are using our number in a fraudulent way,” said John Fowler, Interim Chief Information Privacy & Security Officer for Henry Ford Health System.  

“This is extremely concerning.  We want people to trust that when they get a call from Henry Ford, we are reaching out to them with important information about their health,” Fowler continued. “And with hundreds of people calling each day simply because they think we’ve called them, our operators are facing some serious challenges.”

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommends consumers ignore calls from unknown numbers.  

“If you’re not expecting a call from the hospital, you can ignore it,” Fowler said.  “If we need to get in touch, we will leave you a voicemail message.”

Henry Ford is not aware of anyone who has been victimized by fraudsters spoofing the hospital phone number.  It’s believed the fraudsters are using software to “spoof” the hospital phone number.

“Spoofing” is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Scammers often use neighbor spoofing so it appears that an incoming call is coming from a local number or spoof a number from a company or a government agency that you may already know and trust.

Henry Ford has reported the calls to the FCC and the Industry Traceback Group.

Consumers who think they’ve been the victim of a spoofing scam can file a complaint with the FCC.

More Information about how to avoid spoofing can be found at https://www.fcc.gov/.

###

NEWS MEDIA ONLY may contact: Dana Jay / djay2@hfhs.org / 847-530-0320

About Henry Ford Health System

Founded in 1915 by Henry Ford himself, Henry Ford Health System is a non-profit, integrated health system committed to improving people’s lives through excellence in the science and art of healthcare and healing. Henry Ford Health System includes Henry Ford Medical Group, with more than 1,900 physicians and researchers practicing in more than 50 specialties at locations throughout Southeast and Central Michigan. Acute care hospitals include Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI and Henry Ford Allegiance Health in Jackson, MI – both Magnet® hospitals; Henry Ford Macomb Hospital; Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital; and Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital.

The largest of these is Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, a quaternary care research and teaching hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center recognized for clinical excellence in cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, and multi-organ transplants. The health system also provides comprehensive, best-in-class care for cancer at the Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion, and orthopedics and sports medicine at the William Clay Ford Center for Athletic Medicine – both in Detroit.

As one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, Henry Ford Health System annually trains more than 3,000 medical students, residents, and fellows in more than 50 accredited programs, and has trained nearly 40% of the state’s physicians. Our dedication to education and research is supported by nearly $100 million in annual grants from the National Institutes of Health and other public and private foundations.

Henry Ford’s not-for-profit health plan, Health Alliance Plan (HAP), provides health coverage for more than 540,000 people.

Henry Ford Health System employs more than 33,000 people, including more than 1,600 physicians, more than 6,600 nurses and 5,000 allied health professionals.