Scammers are targeting healthcare professionals by impersonating sheriff's deputies in a phone scam.
The fraudster will claim that the healthcare professional has missed a court date to testify as a witness or that their prescription number is being used to traffic drugs, according to a Sept. 14 news release from the ADA.
The scammer will offer the option of paying with gift cards to avoid fines or arrest.
The call often sounds real because the scammer provides details about the professional's employer and background, or they pretend to be law enforcement by faking their caller ID.
The Federal Trade Commission said that real law enforcement officers will never call licensed healthcare professionals to threaten arrest or fine payments, the release said.