The Texas Medical Board (TMB) is warning physicians and pharmacies of a scam involving criminals who sometimes pose as TMB officials.
TMB passed along a report from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that says physicians registered with the DEA are receiving calls and emails from criminals who identify themselves as DEA personnel or other law enforcement agents.
“In some instances callers may claim to be employees with the Texas Medical Board and/or the DEA, and may even attempt to spoof agency phone numbers,” TMB said in its alert. “Please be aware that a DEA employee would not contact a registrant and demand money or threaten to suspend a registrant’s DEA registration.”
A TMB spokesperson says the board has received a few reports involving TMB impersonators.
According to the DEA notice, the criminals mask their telephone number on caller ID by displaying the DEA Registration Support 800 number. A real DEA employee would not contact a registrant and demand money, or threaten to suspend someone’s registration over the phone, the DEA says.
If you receive such a call from someone claiming to be either a DEA or TMB official, report it using the DEA’s online extortion scam reporting form here.
For more information, you can also go here to locate and contact your local DEA field office, or contact the Registration Service Center at (800) 882-9539 or DEA.Registration.Help[at]usdoj[dot]gov.
Last Updated On
July 03, 2019
Joey Berlin
Associate Editor
(512) 370-1393