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An ongoing fraud ring has been preying on healthcare practitioners for the last year. The fraudulent behavior includes using the Washington Medical Commission (WMC) phone number, email and web URL; pretending to be Drug Enforcement Administration agents; posing as a Department of Health officials in order to make providers think they are in trouble with regulators or the law and may be in danger of discipline or loss of license.
These people are researching specific practitioners and attempting to exploit them with personal information. If they are successful, they will move forward with requests for money or information to help them carry out additional scams. Do not be a victim!
Recent near-victims of this scam were:
- Sent papers with official looking letterhead from the WMC and U.S. Department of Justice - the letters contained forged signatures of WMC officials and fictional investigative staff
- Called by someone claiming to be looking into their “over-prescribing of opioids”
- Told they were under official investigation for drug related charges and that their license was immediately suspended
- Told not to check our website because that would mean they are guilty
- Recipients of emails that had wmc.wa.gov in the address
What is NOT a legitimate communication?
- Real regulatory agencies will not ask you for money
- Real regulatory agencies will not ask you to respond to any action in less than twenty days
- Real regulatory agencies will not advise against speaking with your own lawyer
- Real regulatory agencies will not ask you to confirm personal details, passwords, or social security numbers
How can I protect myself from these attacks?
- Never click on links or download suspicious attachments
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Don't fall prey to a manufactured urgency. A vital component of this fraud is the urgency of request or demand. If you are contacted by a regulatory agency you will have a legally protected amount of time to respond
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Verify requests before you act. Verify with us that paperwork of any kind has been sent to you by calling: (360) 236-2750
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Restrict your personal information online. Scammers leverage personal information from social media accounts or other public forums
Take action! If you have verified that you are being attacked, file a complaint with the State Attorney General or file a complaint with the FBI Internet Crimes Unit and contact your local police department right away!
Please help spread the word about this scam by sharing this information with your friends, family and colleagues.
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The WMC promotes patient safety and enhances the integrity of the medical profession through licensing, rule-making, discipline, and education. Learn more about the commission at WMC.wa.gov. Follow the WMC on Facebook and Twitter.
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