A Free Public Service

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is an inactive attorney in San Mateo County, California.

September 18, 2021

PROFSSIONAL LICENSE SUSPENSION SCAM

It’s troublesome stuff.

Scammers have put together an elaborate scheme to target professionals — people in the medical, teaching, counseling, and business sectors who need a license to practice.

The crooks use a three-pronged attack, first pretending to be an investigator from the licensing authority for their profession, then a higher-level chief investigator, and finally the fake FBI. In other cases, the crooks claim to belong to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

They often bombard their targets with a series of phone calls and text messages, sometimes all joining in on a telephone conference call.

The scammers warn that the victim’s license is at risk of being suspended. The warning is followed by what seems to be an official notification that arrives by special delivery.

A faked letter looks as though it comes from the state licensing department. It may tell the recipient that their bank account has been linked to a money-laundering operation — the proceeds of an international drug smuggling gang — and that several other accounts have been opened in their name.

To make it more convincing, the letter usually includes key information about the victim, including their license number.

Then, the victim is offered the choice of either going to jail to await trial or to pay for and sign a Department of Justice Treasury bond.

As with so many scams, targets are told they must wire money, supposedly to pay for the bond, and then apply to have their license reinstated. They’re also told not to discuss the situation with anybody.

Wired money is usually untraceable, and the request for secrecy is intended to keep better informed people from spotting the scam.

Licenses are also the focus of a much simpler scam targeting professionals across the nation. The crooks simply phone their victims and demand a fee to activate their license.

Key Defensive Actions:

*If you’re a licensed professional, here are five key actions you can take to avoid being scammed:

*First, if you receive this type of threat, immediately contact your state licensing board to check if the warning was genuine.

*Don’t take the use of personal information, including your license details, as evidence of authenticity. Scammers have no problem getting hold of this sort of data.

*Never wire money to someone you don’t know or who hasn’t proved they are genuine.

*Do not respond to anyone who threatens jail if you don’t pay up immediately. Neither the police nor licensing bureaus behave in this way.

The crooks may also ask for confidential information, including Social Security numbers. Don’t give any such detail to someone you don’t know.

Most importantly, don’t let fear drive you into behaving impulsively and irrationally. Scammers know that professionals can only legally do their job if they have a license and that the fear of suspension can spark a panic. Stay calm.

Courtesy: Scambusters.org

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