The California Dental Association warned of a scam targeting dentists in the state.
Five things to know:
1. The CDA said July 13 that scammers are impersonating California Dental Board officials and contacting dentists, claiming their licenses have been suspended in connection with suspicious drug activity. They then demand dentists provide sensitive personal information or payment to resolve the issue.
2. The scammers can disguise their phone number to look like a number from the dental board.
3. Several members contacted the CDA to report the calls, and the CDA said at least one dentist fell for the scam.
4. The dental board said its staff or investigators will never contact licensees for money or payment without conducting an official investigation or inquiry.
5. CDA Regulatory Compliance Analyst Teresa Pichay advised dentists to contact the board directly to confirm an investigation is being conducted. Dentists can also file a report with the Federal Communications Commission if the caller appears to have a dental board phone number.