Toronto Public Health warns of fraudulent text messages to residents about COVID-19 testing

Toronto Public Health (TPH) published a series of tweets Tuesday notifying residents about reports of fraudulent text messages about COVID-19 test results.

Online job scams on the rise during pandemic year, fraud prevention expert says

“These messages are falsely claiming to be from TPH staff and include threatening language that may be upsetting to the recipients,” the agency said in one of the tweets.

On its website, TPH says it corresponds with residents through text messages, emails and phone calls. When it does, it asks residents to confirm their identity before providing support and information to make sure people are following public health guidelines and restrictions.

Most often, TPH will contact residents if they’ve tested positive for COVID-19. When it does, it will confirm the positive test results before asking about symptoms, determining the period of self-isolation, and help identify close contacts to notify them to get tested.

Text messages from TPH will be from 77000 and include a secure link to complete a personal assessment form.

TPH urges residents not to share any personal information with anyone fraudulently claiming to be from the public health agency.

If residents have any questions about any correspondence that appears to be from TPH, the agency is asking them to contact its hotline at 416-338-7600.