The Louisiana State Medical Society (LSMS) is urging physicians to use caution when responding to calls from individuals claiming to work for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and seeking personal information.
LSMS Executive Vice President and CEO, Jeff Williams says, “Louisiana physicians are absolutely being targeted. We’ve received calls in our office reporting the contact. More upsetting to our physicians is that the fraudsters are also calling spouses and home numbers with threats of investigation and loss of the physician’s medical license.”
The DEA issued an alert on Wednesday notifying their registrants that the scam was in process, according to LSMS. It further directed registrants to file reports with the FBI at www.ic3.gov and the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
“The DEA alert did not mention family members receiving these calls,” says Williams. “Physicians need to make their family members and their staffs aware of what’s happening.”
Steen Trawick, MD, of Shreveport shares, “They thoroughly panicked my wife. She is not accustomed to receiving calls from the DEA insisting on speaking with me. Luckily, she had the forethought to call me instead of answering any questions. The call came from a Houston number (832-271-0238) and was answered when I returned the call. The individual I spoke with identified herself as DEA Agent Debra Watts working in Narcotics and Drug Trafficking and gave me a badge number of DVK108. She gave me my full name, my NPI number and a medical license number that while I didn’t recognize immediately may be mine from a neighboring state that I don’t use regularly. She asked some questions then requested I hold to speak with the agent in charge, Daniel Comeaux. While waiting, I took the time to Google his name. He’s a real law enforcement agent who grew up in New Orleans and recently left the DEA to become Dallas Chief of Police. When he got on the call, his accent was very heavy and clearly foreign. While I suspected this was a scam based on a LSMS Member Alert earlier, I knew it was one after hearing him speak. I told him I needed some proof of who he was before I gave any information to him. He did threaten me. When I responded I would take my chances, he hung up.”
The DEA has reiterated that it is not their practice to contact individuals by phone regarding investigative matters, and that they will never request personal or sensitive information over the phone. Notification of legitimate investigations or legal action will be in person or by official letter.
“Physicians attempting to report the calls through the websites provided have shared frustrations in using the forms. The published tip line for the FBI in Louisiana is (504) 816-3000,” says Williams. “I would urge you to use that number if the other available options don’t work.”
