The Dental Board of California is warning dentists to be cautious of scammers posing as board members to obtain information or demand money from them, according to an announcement from the California Dental Association.
The scam was first reported in September 2019, with a new wave of fraudulent calls recorded in this year. Officials say that scammers are pretending to be board members and telling dentists they are under investigation for drug trafficking by either the board, local police, the Drug Enforcement Agency or FBI. They are they demanding money from dentists.
Board members are reminding dentists that they will never be contacted for money or payment. If dentists are contacted by the scammers, they should contact the Dental Board of California to inquire whether there is an investigation pending. If they are contacted by a scammer posing as the DEA, dentists should file a report on the DEA's Diversion Control Division website.