Why did track and trace ask DH these questions?

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 2021-12-10T17:07:12+00:00

We are in Ireland (not UK) and DH has Covid. As expected he was phoned to tell him what he needs to do and check things like his GP name and whether he's travelled recently. But they were also asking all sorts of weird questions, his mother's maiden name, his country of birth, his ethnicity and when asked they couldn't say why they were asking (I know that they just work from a script but he can't be the first person to ask why). So, does anyone know why they would ask?

nordica · 10/12/2021 17:10

Are you sure it was test and trace and not some scam call? Being asked mother's maiden name would be a red flag for me as that's so often used as a security question for banks and stuff!

Hidingattheback · 10/12/2021 17:12

I think some of these are ID questions to make sure they've got the right person, or the right person of that name. Others are about seeing who is more vulnerable to Covid e.g. are certain ethnic groups becoming infected a lot more than others.I think I was asked similar.

ChristmasCovid · 10/12/2021 17:14

They ask for ethnicity so they can track how different ethnic groups are affected by Covid.
I’ve not known them to ask the other questions you have posted - they would ask his mothers name if she was being listed as a contact, but wouldn’t need the maiden name - that’s really strange.

FindingMeno · 10/12/2021 17:14

I wasn't asked this.
I would be very perturbed.

BHX3000 · 10/12/2021 17:19

Ethnicity and country of birth wouldn't surprise me, they might be checking records and confirming identity that way. Place of birth is a common question after your address and phone number where I live (EU country).

Mother's maiden name... that's a bit strange and I'd also be asking myself why they needed that.

Can you google the number they called from to see if it's a well-known scam or not?

Original poster

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 10/12/2021 17:23

He didn't give any info that would be 'useful' to scammers, he just refused to answer and obviously they couldn't make him. The thing is he only had one call, it was from an Indian call centre (which I think is normal). If he'd had this call and then the real call, it would be extremely suspicious but there was only this call.

The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) was hacked in the early summer and the personal data was sold, so we have all been having scam calls fairly frequently which has made every one suspicious.

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Loudestcat14 · 10/12/2021 17:24

It sounds like a scam – 'what's your mother's maiden name' is often used a security question for banking and other secure platforms. Check the number they called from.

nordica · 10/12/2021 17:27

I don't think T&T uses Indian call centres - although not sure if it's different in Ireland where you are of course. All the UK T&T call handlers were recruited here though.

OhPleaseJustLast · 10/12/2021 17:36

@Nordica not anymore. Close friend tested positive last week and said the T&T call was very obviously an Indian call centre. Couldn’t deviate from the script because their English wasn’t good enough. Absolutely mangled the spelling of her very normal English name.

Original poster

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 10/12/2021 18:04

He didn't Google it and can't be arsed now, but it was a Dublin number.

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QueenofLouisiana · 10/12/2021 18:18

I had some lovely Geordies as my T&T callers in September/ October, but DS had a problem as he had an in-depth interview with a person who had poor English speaking skills. The whole thing took over an hour as so many questions had to be repeated- and a mistake on their part meant that one of DS's close contacts was hounded for days (his name didn't match the incorrect name taken down by T&T).

No questions about mother's maiden name though.

Cam2020 · 10/12/2021 18:26

I didn't get a call at all, however I'd had a positive PCR test and had been informed by work about a close contact. I got a text message with a link (which was genuine). I don't know what the process is if it were a call about a close contact, but I doubt they'd want that information unless you'd tested positive?

Georgy12 · 10/12/2021 18:38

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar

He didn't give any info that would be 'useful' to scammers, he just refused to answer and obviously they couldn't make him. The thing is he only had one call, it was from an Indian call centre (which I think is normal). If he'd had this call and then the real call, it would be extremely suspicious but there was only this call.

The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) was hacked in the early summer and the personal data was sold, so we have all been having scam calls fairly frequently which has made every one suspicious.

It's a scam, the test and trace callers are in the UK, not India and they would have no reason to ask for mothers maiden name.

junebirthdaygirl · 10/12/2021 18:40

I had Irish Contact tracers on to me nd didn't get asked any of those questions. Just a regular number and a person who seemed to know lreland well so not from a foreign call centre. Seems strange

s1h2o3na · 10/12/2021 18:48

I agree its a scam on the basis of the mothers maiden name but my test and trace in the summer was def a call centre based abroad - was very annoying as got multiple calls from the number that just went silent ( as per many foreign call centres!) then got a man with poor english skills who i asked to ring back as couldn't understand him then finally got a lady with good english ....but was legit if rather frustrating after receiving about 10 calls within 2 hours!

frazzledasarock · 10/12/2021 18:50

I’ve had a positive PCR & T&T we’re definitely not an Indian call centre. They didn’t ask me my mothers maiden name. Asked me to verify my address and occupants. Then they wanted to know where I’d been and whether I knew where I’d caught it from.

Lady was really nice and said I could fill the details in online. I felt like crap and lost stamina on the phone.

NovemberNovemberDarkNights · 10/12/2021 18:50

If neither of you can be arsed to Google it, why do you expect people to reply to you?

DogInATent · 10/12/2021 19:04

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar

He didn't Google it and can't be arsed now, but it was a Dublin number.

He's been targeted by scammers.

If you don't care about that, that's cool. We can wait for the follow-up thread.

ChristmasCovid · 10/12/2021 19:11

@s1h2o3na

I agree its a scam on the basis of the mothers maiden name but my test and trace in the summer was def a call centre based abroad - was very annoying as got multiple calls from the number that just went silent ( as per many foreign call centres!) then got a man with poor english skills who i asked to ring back as couldn't understand him then finally got a lady with good english ....but was legit if rather frustrating after receiving about 10 calls within 2 hours!

They definitely don’t use foreign call centres. All the staff work from home and the quality of the calls depend on the individuals internet connection.

They do however recruit ‘foreign people’ that live in the UK.

Original poster

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 10/12/2021 19:12

The one thing that I can be sure of is that the T and T callers are NOT in the UK because we are not in the UK Georgy12.

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Original poster

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 10/12/2021 19:15

OK, so I made him give me the number and it is the HSE tracing one. Plus they knew where and when he had done the PCR test.

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Original poster

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 10/12/2021 19:24

I should stop calling it Track and Trace, I think that's confusing people about which country I'm in (not the UK). It's the Contact Tracing Centre (CTC).

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ProfessionalWeirdo · 11/12/2021 17:48

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar

He didn't Google it and can't be arsed now, but it was a Dublin number.

I haven't RTFT so apologies if this has already been said, but scammers are very crafty - they can "spoof" numbers to make it look as though they're calling from a genuine number.