BRUNSWICK — Mid Coast Hospital is warning residents about a phone scam where callers identify themselves as someone affiliated with Mid Coast Hospital to offer bogus vacations, credit cards, emergency alert systems other promotional opportunities.

“The hospital never makes calls offering such things,” said Judith Kelsh, senior director of marketing and communication at Mid Coast–Parkview Health.

“We’ve seen an uptick in these kinds of calls and wanted to make sure the community is aware of this issue,” Kelsh said. “We’ve continued to see this fluctuate for the last few years; at times there’s more calls, sometimes it’s slower.”

According to information posted on the hospital’s website, the scammers use a technique called caller ID spoofing, during which they manipulate the caller ID feature to mask their true identity, making it look like the call is coming from the hospital.

Kelsh said Mid Coast Hospital does call patients for legitimate purposes, including appointment reminders, patient surveys, test results and other official correspondence.

Mid Coast Hospital and MaineHealth are also calling eligible community members who have signed up to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Kelsh asked patients to note that when they receive a call to schedule an appointment for a vaccine it will be from the number 1-877-780-7545. The caller will also ask for verification of the patient’s date of birth and address.

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“We will not ask you for your Social Security number to schedule your appointment,” Kelsh said. “If you are asked for any other information such as your full Social Security number or credit card information, please hang up immediately and alert your local police.”

Those who have never been a patient at Mid Coast Hospital or Mid Coast Medical Group, are not scheduled for a medical procedure or have not signed up to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, will likely not receive a call.

Mid Coast Hospital or Mid Coast Medical Group patients who are unsure why they would receive a call from Mid Coast should ask for the caller’s name, hospital department and a direct phone number to call them back.

Law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission have been alerted, according to Kelsh, and recommend if it is suspected a call is a scam, to write down as many details as possible, not divulge any personal information and report the call to local police. 

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