City of Boston, MA

10/07/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/07/2025 12:24

Scam Alert: Imposters Posing as Health Benefits and Insurance (HBI)

Scam Alert: Imposters Posing as Health Benefits and Insurance (HBI)

We've received reports of scammers posing as Health Benefits and Insurance staff to steal personal information. Read on to learn more.

The City is aware of fraudulent phone calls targeting employees from scammers pretending to be Health Benefits and Insurance (HBI) staff. These callers try to collect sensitive information such as Social Security and Medicare numbers. They often use caller ID spoofing to make it look like the call is coming from HBI or a City of Boston number and may pressure you to respond right away. These calls are not legitimate.

HBI will never ask for this over the phone:

  • Full Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Bank accountor credit card details
  • Passwordsor login credentials
We will never call you unexpectedly to request personal information, nor threaten your benefits if you don't respond.

HOW HBI MAY LEGITIMATELY CONTACT YOU:

METHOD PURPOSE WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT WHAT HBI WILL NEVER DO
Mail Enrollment notices, plan changes, official documentation Letters on official City of Boston Health Benefits Office letterhead with clear instructions Ask you to call a random number or provide full SSN, banking information, passwords or login information, over the phone
Email Automated messages from email addresses using @boston.gov(e.g., Open Enrollment, plan updates) General benefit announcements, Information about annual enrollment periods, links to official City portals Ask you to reply with personal info or send attachments requesting data
[email protected] Inbox Used onlyto respond to messages you send to us Replies will be tied to your original inquiry We do notinitiate outreach from this inbox
Phone Calls Only in response to an inquiry you initiated. Or, to follow up on an inquiry that you're aware of Staff may verify limited info (e.g., name, Employee ID, last 4 digits of SSN.) We only ask for a full social security number as an absolute last resort We do notmake unsolicited calls asking for personal identifiers
In-Person At City Hall or scheduled sessions Meetings will be held inside the Health Benefits and Insurance Office or at an on-site location such as City Hall We do notrequest sensitive info over the phone prior to visit

How to protect Yourself:

  1. Don't rely on caller ID- scammers can "spoof" legitimate City numbers.
  2. Never givepersonal information unless youinitiate contact.
  3. Hang upand call HBIdirectly at 617-635-4570.
  4. Forward suspicious emailsor calls to [email protected].
  5. Report scamsto the FCCat fcc.gov/complaints.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SHARED YOUR INFO:

  • Report to the FCC at (fcc.gov/complaints)
  • Monitor your credit or place a fraud alert

Your privacy is our priority. When in doubt - pause, verify, and report.

  • Last updated: October 7, 2025
  • Published by: Human Resources
City of Boston, MA published this content on October 07, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 07, 2025 at 18:24 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]