Across the country, many states are reporting that scammers are targeting pharmacies, pretending to be Board of Pharmacy (BOP) inspectors, DEA agents, the FBI, or other false identities.

These fraudsters use several techniques to access sensitive information or extort money from unsuspecting pharmacies, which may include phone calls, letters, faxes, or other forms of communication.

What does a scam look like?

Scammers typically do one or more of the following:

• Claim a licensee is under investigation by the State Board, the DEA, the FBI, or another government agency. In some cases, the caller threatens disciplinary action unless a “fine” is paid

• Warn a licensee not to report the call to anyone “or else you will jeopardize the investigation”

• Give a fake call-back number

• Spoof the agency’s phone number. This happens when your caller ID screen falsely shows an incoming call is from the Board of Pharmacy, DEA, FBI, or another agency

• Use an urgent and aggressive tone, refusing to speak to or leave a message with anyone other than their targeted victim

• Threaten arrest, prosecution, imprisonment, and, in the case of pharmacies and pharmacists, revocation of their DEA registration

• Demand money via wire transfer or in the form of untraceable gift card numbers the victim is told to provide over the phone

• Send a fax or letter that appears to be on official letterhead with phony information

• Ask for personal information, such as social security number, date of birth, cell phone number, etc.

• Reference National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers and/or state license numbers when calling a pharmacy. They also may claim that patients are making accusations against the pharmacy/pharmacist.

How to protect yourself and your pharmacy

• Be alert!

• Educate your team to be on the lookout for scams

• Don’t trust requests for information or money from someone you don’t know

• Verify the identity of suspicious communications through the state board of pharmacy or government agency website/phone number.

• Never give out personal or financial information over the phone

• Don’t click on links or open attachments from unknown senders or suspicious emails

• Report fake/suspicious calls to the appropriate agency

  • If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, contact your local or state police department

  • If the caller claims to be from the FBI or DEA, report the incident at ic3.gov

  • The Federal Trade Commission reportfraud.ftc.gov provides recovery steps and shares information with thousands of law enforcement agencies

  • Learn more about preventing identity theft at identitytheft.gov

Spread the word. By recognizing and reporting fraudulent activity, you can help protect your pharmacy, yourself, and your personal information from scams.