The California Dental Association is warning dentists statewide about imposter calls that may be part of a payment-demand scam.
A previous scam targeting dentists appears to be making a comeback, according to the CDA. An associate of a California dentist recently received a call from someone posing as a California dental board official. The caller said the associate's dental license had been suspended for suspicious drug activity in Texas and Mexico. The caller ID number was even disguised as a dental board number. The caller's next step may have been to demand payment, according to the CDA.
The scam was first detected in 2019.
"Board staff members or investigators will never contact licensees demanding money or payment of any form without conducting an official investigation or inquiry," a 2019 alert from the dental board states. "If you receive such a call, please refuse the demand for payment."
Dentists should contact the board directly by phone or email to ask if there's an official investigation being conducted, according to the CDA. If the caller appears to have a dental board phone number, dentists should submit a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission.