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 account or credit card details
• Passwords or 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
HBI@boston.gov Inbox	Used only to respond to messages you send to us	Replies will be tied to your original inquiry	We do not initiate 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 not make 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 not request 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 give personal information unless you initiate contact.
3. Hang up and call HBI directly at 617-635-4570.
4. Forward suspicious emails or calls to HBI@boston.gov.
5. Report scams to the FCC at fcc.gov/complaints.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SHARED YOUR INFO:

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