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The Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO) is warning the dental community about written and oral communications from individuals fraudulently representing themselves as state / federal employees and threatening your license.
Victims of this scam are contacted over the phone by someone misrepresenting themselves as a state employee, member of Dental Board staff, or a Board “unit”, and told that their license has been suspended. The fraudulent caller, when connected in person to the licensee, then explains the licensee can extricate themselves from the situation, or “clear their name,” by submitting a large-sum payment and responding immediately to requests for faxed information.
The phone number used by the scammers closely resembles a Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) phone extension or is an exact “spoof” of an actual employee number. Statutory citations that may be unrelated to the individual’s license are used in justifying the alleged suspension. Public information available on the licensees may be used to verify data on the licensee or consumer. Victims also may be told that their social security number has been compromised and that they need to provide that information.
Licensees and the general public should be aware that:
- written documentation may have multiple misspellings and/or a large watermark that resembles the state seal;
- the scammer may not have full command of English or Spanish (languages DPO uses to communicate with licensees);
- references could be made to unrelated Boards with no authority over licensure;
- references may be made to federal cases allegedly underway.
The public should be diligent in their vetting process. DPO employees will not call in reference to unrelated federal and state agency inquiries. Be careful of descriptions of “time sensitive” opportunities that require you to take immediate action, or wary of people requesting personal identification information. DPO does not accept payment by phone or wire transfers - only online transactions and check or money orders sent by mail.
The Division may call requesting a response to a complaint and/or to ensure receipt of an email related to Board correspondence. It is not unusual for Board or Division staff to request a timely response to an inquiry via email. Should a licensee be unresponsive to communication attempts through email, a follow-up letter or call may occur as a next step.
If consumers or licensees have doubts about the legitimacy of a call, they should take extensive notes, including confirming the employee’s name, email address, phone number, and details of the alleged violation. Ask if you can call back, and then dial 303-894-7855 or 1-800-886-7675 and request to speak with that employee. Licensees may cross-check that the caller is legitimate by asking them to provide details on previous correspondence.
If fraudulent activity is confirmed, contact local law enforcement and/or the Colorado Office of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section at https://coag.gov/file-complaint/ to report the information.
Do not reply to this email – this is not a monitored inbox
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