Scammers have perpetuated a telephone fraud scheme attempting to extort money and personal identifiable information from healthcare providers by impersonating Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) agents across the country. The nationwide scheme has been in existence for several years — with recently increased frequency — and the DEA has alerted the public with tips to avoid scams and how to report complaints if necessary. Schemes may be as sophisticated as impersonating legitimate DEA phone numbers and texting photos of seemingly legitimate credentials of actual DEA officials, or pretending to call as state Medical Board staff involved in a DEA investigation. Other tactics may include using an urgent tone, insisting on speaking only with the target, demanding wire transfers or personal information including a social security number or date of birth, and threatening arrest, prosecution, or the revocation of medical practitioner and pharmacist DEA registration. Some schemes may involve calls asking for cash to avoid arrest or announcing a practitioner is under investigation.
However, practitioners should be aware that DEA personnel will never contact them to demand payment or personal sensitive information over the phone or by e-mail. Notification of legitimate investigations or legal action is made via official letter or in-person only. The DEA may call providers, but only to schedule an in-person meeting. Incidents of such fraudulent calls may be reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation at www.ic3.gov and to the Federal Trade Commission at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov. Practitioners may also consider contacting a local Sherriff’s office to file a complaint, changing passwords, especially for financial institutions, using two-factor authentication methods, and seeking advice from a licensed attorney.