10 months ago
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MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Merced County officials are informing the assemblage of fake letters that are telling residents they person affirmative STI results.
This week, the Merced County Public Health Department received a announcement astir a fake missive diagnosing an idiosyncratic with HIV, syphilis, and chlamydia.
The missive urged contiguous aesculapian attraction and warned of terrible wellness complications if untreated.
"We don't cognize precisely however galore letters person gone retired oregon to whom," said Mike North, Public Information Officer for Merced County.
"Our squad has reached retired antecedently to connection guidance connected attraction options, but it appears that nary enactment has been taken astatine this time," a portion of the letter said.
Although lone 1 idiosyncratic has reported receiving specified a letter, the region is taking the substance earnestly owed to the usage of a counterfeit letterhead.
"When idiosyncratic counterfeits region letterhead, we instrumentality that seriously, and we privation to marque definite that the nationalist is alert that this is happening and conscionable truly get up of it," North said.
The letterhead had the existent telephone fig and code of the Merced County Public Health Department.
"We don't cognize the intent of a letter, this is thing that, you know, would apt interest idiosyncratic if they got a letter, you know, of this nature," North said.
The region has not launched an investigation, but Fresno Criminal Defense Attorney Mark King said the counterfeiter could look existent consequences if they do.
"It is simply a national transgression to misuse the mail, it's called message fraud, and the national system, it tin get you arsenic overmuch arsenic 20 years successful prison," King said.
In the State of California, impersonating a nationalist authoritative tin effect successful up to six months down bars.
If the Merced Public Health Department ever did request to scope you, officials accidental they whitethorn nonstop a missive requesting a telephone telephone back.
"We would ne'er disclose immoderate aesculapian accusation successful message letters," North said.
If anybody has besides received a missive of this nature, the nationalist wellness section asks radical to telephone and study it.
