Healthcare scams are an ongoing problem that can negatively impact patients and healthcare organizations. A common scenario is when a patient receives a call at home that appears to be from their doctor or clinic, based on what is displayed in caller ID. In reality, the caller has fraudulently “spoofed” the phone number to trick patients into thinking it is legitimate.
These calls typically involve an attempt to sell the patient unnecessary medications or medical equipment. Callers may also try to get patients to share or confirm personal information.
Unfortunately, FCN is not able to prevent scamming attempts against our patients. These examples highlight the importance of staying vigilant and using caution when responding to unexpected calls, emails or texts.
Remember, if it doesn’t feel right – it probably isn’t. You can always end suspicious calls and contact your clinic directly to confirm the call is legitimate.
These tips can also help manage questionable calls:
- Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers
- If a caller inquires about your name, do not confirm and instead ask who is calling
- Hang up on scammers or other questionable callers
- Report suspicious calls to local law enforcement, state consumer protection agencies, or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Add phone number(s) to the FTC’s Do Not Call registry.