Complete Story
10/28/2020
Medical Board Investigator Scam Warning
Imagine you are sitting in your office and you receive a call from someone identifying themselves as a State Medical Board investigator. They say that they have received a complaint about you and they want to talk with you and members of your staff. How do you know that the person on the phone is really calling from the medical board?
OSMA recently learned that medical board licensees are being targeted by a scam where the scammers claim to work for various governmental agencies (DEA, FBI, Department of Justice, etc.) in an attempt to obtain money from the targets of the scam. The scam involves phone calls purporting to originate from the State Medical Board of Ohio (614-466-3934), as well as faxes, and include allegations of drug trafficking, and threaten suspension of the target’s medical license. Law enforcement officers at the federal and state level and the medical board are aware of this scam and they are taking every step they can to protect physicians from this fraud.
Last week, OSMA heard from a practice that was targeted by this scam. Additionally, over the years, we have heard concerns from our members that reaching the board can sometimes be challenging to quickly verify an investigator’s identity. OSMA recently sent a letter to the medical board asking them to put a system in place that will help practices verify the identity of a caller claiming to work for the board.
OSMA has already received positive feedback from the medical board since sending our letter. The board staff acknowledged that this is a serious problem and they want to do everything they can to help. The board has now put all of their investigators on alert and is taking rapid steps to develop a system where medical practices can quickly identify a board employee.
The medical board posted the following information at www.med.ohio.gov to assist practices that may be in this circumstance:
Please remember, State Medical Board of Ohio investigators will not ask for fine payment or personal/sensitive information over the phone and will never contact licensees via fax. If the Medical Board is truly conducting an investigation and that individual faces action against their license, they will receive an official notice of opportunity for a hearing either via certified mail or by personal service. Information on all suspensions of Medical Board licenses and the payment of all Medical Board fines can be found via the official State of Ohio portal, eLicense.ohio.gov. Further, emails originating from actual Medical Board staff end in @med.ohio.gov.
If you would like to verify the identity of a State Medical Board of Ohio investigator, please email a regional supervisor directly:
Eastern Ohio: Chris Forshey, christopher.forshey@med.ohio.gov
Central Ohio: Shawn McCafferty, david.mccafferty@med.ohio.gov
Western Ohio: Amy Myers, amy.c.myers@med.ohio.gov
If you are contacted by a scammer, please report the incident to your local law enforcement and Ohio's Attorney General by filing a complaint online at ohioprotects.org or by calling 800-282-0515.
OSMA will continue to follow this issue closely. If you have any questions, or need additional information about this topic, please email info@osma.org
No matter the stage of your medical career, you will find value
and professional resources with OSMA. Together, we can
help advance the way you practice medicine.
If you have questions about this information
or OSMA’s services to physicians:
Call 800-766-6762 or email OSMA.
