Across the country, we are seeing warnings from the FBI and regulatory agencies about scams successfully targeting physicians and other medical providers. Though some variations in the scam exist, the essential story is the same: criminals use the authentic names, phone numbers, and credentials of government officials and/or law enforcement. They tell the target they are the subject of an investigation or have violated a subpoena, resulting in arrest warrants, fines associated with contempt of court, and disciplinary actions against their licenses. The target is told they need to avoid arrest or disciplinary action by paying a fee.
Scammers are sophisticated and use urgency and persistence to get what they want. Calls often come on the weekend, making their legitimacy harder to verify. They may say additional information is part of an ongoing investigation or it is sealed, asking you to provide personal information to verify for purposes of identity theft.
Additionally, COPIC has become aware of websites listing inaccurate disciplinary information. The websites are designed to mimic a government agency while asking for large sums of money to remove the inaccuracies.
How to Protect Yourself
It’s understandable that any action taken toward your license and ability to practice can cause a lot of fear, especially if you’re able to “verify” a scammer’s “identity” through a quick Google search. It’s important to understand how you could be contacted if action were taken against your license.
- Legitimate investigations and legal action will always be conducted in person or by an official letter. Law enforcement and government officials do not contact the public via telephone requesting money to pay a fine or fee.
- Law enforcement and government entities will not request payment via prepaid cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.
- The FBI does not request payment from a victim or alleged subject during an investigation.
- Actions taken against your license are public information and are available on state regulatory agency websites. This information cannot be removed and agencies will not offer removal for payment of a fee.
- Some medical boards, for example the Colorado Medical Board, specifically use email for correspondence related to licensing actions, especially the important complaints that require a timely response.
Should you be targeted, remember:
- Do not respond to a subpoena request without obtaining guidance from legal counsel, your facility's risk management department, or COPIC.
- If you receive a suspicious call, email, or text, do not provide personal identifying information, such as date of birth, social security number, medical license number, NPI number, DEA license number, etc.
- Physicians should remind office staff that scammers are targeting health care professionals and to be wary of such calls and requests.
Should you be a victim of a scam, protect yourself by:
- Safeguarding financial information by contacting your financial institutions.
- Filing a police report with local law enforcement.
- Submit a complaint to the FBI through their website at IC3.gov.
Information in this article is for general educational purposes and is not intended to establish practice guidelines or provide legal advice.
Article originally published in 4Q23 Copiscope.
