Most doctors won’t fall for a run-of-the-mill scam. But criminals ARE targeting doctors, and the FBI is acting. The FBI New York Office recently published a special notice detailing several scams targeting doctors. And these scams share a theme.  

Criminals contact doctors and claim that their medical licenses are at risk. The scam artists sometimes insist that, confidentially, they believe the doctor is innocent and that they will fight to see the phony investigation dissolved – but they need the help of the accused. 

What magic salve will save their license? Money, of course.  

Most of this cash lands in purses overseas – Thailand, Poland, Singapore, etc. We’ve summarized a few examples below. They all describe healthcare professionals hoodwinked by these criminals. 

JANUARY 2021  

• Scam artists contacted a New York dentist and produced “evidence” her license was at risk of suspension. “Ongoing criminal investigations” led federal authorities to her practice – or so the fraudsters claimed. The scammers produced documents that intimidated the dentist into wiring them around $500,000.   

AUGUST 2021  

• Scammers contacted a Texas nurse claiming they represented a team of federal investigators. According to the mysterious men on the phone, the Texas Board of Nursing hired them to investigate the nurse’s “suspected criminal activities”, which included money laundering and drug interdiction. The men insisted that the nurse was the primary suspect. They extracted over $50,000 from the nurse before the “investigation” mysteriously evaporated.   

SEPTEMBER 2021  

• A mysterious entity contacted a doctor’s office in Texas, claiming he represented the Texas Medical Board. The entity identified himself as a representative of the Investigations Department. He mentioned a specific doctor and insisted that a professional speak with him. The scammer told the doctor unless he tendered a “refundable government security bond” ($22,400), his license would be suspended. The scam artist claimed a non-existent DEA drug trafficking investigation led him to the doctor’s practice. After the doctor paid the “security bond” in full, the entity stopped calling the practice, and the “investigation” dissolved.   

The trend is obvious. The fraudsters induce panic by targeting either a doctor’s medical license or masquerading as a Board representative. These threats make doctors sweat. Our licenses are our lifelines. Low blows for sure, but don’t expect career fraudsters to play fair.   

We echo the FBI’s guidelines below…  

• Be aware the FBI will never solicit payment, a “refundable government security bond,” or any money from a victim or alleged subject during an investigation.  
• Take caution with all requests for payments related to alleged criminal investigations from any purported law enforcement officers, especially law enforcement officers allegedly based in the United States who request money to be sent overseas.  
• Do not provide personal identifying information, such as social security number, date of birth, financial information, or professional information (medical license numbers, NPI number, or DEA license numbers, etc.) in response to suspicious calls, emails, or text messages.  
• Independently verify personnel purporting to be from medical boards or law enforcement agencies. Use official means like finding contact information on official websites or physical office locations and calling and/or visiting the locations in person to confirm the alleged personnel are employed there.  
• Discuss this fraud scheme with colleagues to help prevent other healthcare practitioners from becoming victims.  

If you believe your organization or members have been a victim of similar schemes, report it to your local FBI Field Office and the FBI’s Internet Crimes Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov. 

What do you think? Have you (or your colleagues) ever been targeted by one of these scams? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 

Jeffrey Segal, MD, JD

Chief Executive Officer and Founder

Dr. Jeffrey Segal, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Medical Justice, is a board-certified neurosurgeon. Dr. Segal is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons; the American College of Legal Medicine; and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. He is also a member of the North American Spine Society. In the process of conceiving, funding, developing, and growing Medical Justice, Dr. Segal has established himself as one of the country’s leading authorities on medical malpractice issues, counterclaims, and internet-based assaults on reputation.

Dr. Segal was a practicing neurosurgeon for approximately ten years, during which time he also played an active role as a participant on various state-sanctioned medical review panels designed to decrease the incidence of meritless medical malpractice cases.

Dr. Segal holds a M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine, where he also completed a neurosurgical residency. Dr. Segal served as a Spinal Surgery Fellow at The University of South Florida Medical School. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa as well as the AOA Medical Honor Society. Dr. Segal received his B.A. from the University of Texas and graduated with a J.D. from Concord Law School with highest honors.

In 2000, he co-founded and served as CEO of DarPharma, Inc, a biotechnology company in Chapel Hill, NC, focused on the discovery and development of first-of-class pharmaceuticals for neuropsychiatric disorders.

Dr. Segal is also a partner at Byrd Adatto, a national business and health care law firm. Byrd Adatto was selected as a Best Law Firm in the 2021 edition of the “Best Law Firms” list by U.S. News – Best Lawyers. With over 50 combined years of experience in serving doctors, dentists, and other providers, Byrd Adatto has a national pedigree to address most legal issues that arise in the business and practice of medicine.