Phone scammers targeting health care providers, Attorney General’s Office warns
Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued a warning Monday that scammers posing as members of the Washington Medical Commission are calling medical providers to claim their medical licenses have been suspended.
“Do not fall victim to this Medical Commission scam,” Ferguson said in a statement. “If you receive a call from somebody claiming to be from the Medical Commission, notifying you of a suspended license, hang up, contact the Commission directly, and file a complaint with my office.”
Reports had been coming to the Medical Commission regarding scammers using technology to make it appear they are using the commission’s number. The caller then falsely claims the Commission has suspended the medical provider’s license, and provides the practitioner’s actual medical license number. The scammer then directs the provider to a nearby business with a fax machine to receive paperwork that notifies them of a “suspension.”
The Medical Commission does not make calls regarding suspensions. Any medical license holder facing suspension receives several letters from the WMC, which include legal documents and timelines for responding.
Here are suggestions from the Attorney General’s Office for Washingtonians who may be contacted by potential scammers:
If you or a family member receives one of these calls, hang up immediately.
Do not trust callers who use threats. Legitimate investigators will not demand payment over the phone, text or email.
Any demand that you pay in gift cards, via an online payment app, to UPS stores, in parking lots or other non-traditional means signals a scam.
Spread the word about this scam by sharing this information with your friends, family and colleagues.
More information is available on the Attorney General’s website.
This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 5:45 AM with the headline "Phone scammers targeting health care providers, Attorney General’s Office warns."
