DEA Registrants: Be on Alert for Increased Scamming Attempts
In the past few weeks, several Michigan Medicine physicians and faculty members have received phone calls from individuals pretending to be Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents.
Using publicly available data such as an individual’s name, National Provider Identifier numbers, and state license numbers, these telephone scammers have targeted U-M faculty with active DEA registrations and attempted to coerce them into disclosing personal and/or financial information.
Although scam tactics may change and evolve over time, many share a few key identifying characteristics:
- Using an urgent, aggressive, or hostile tone
- Demanding payment in the form of wire transfers or gift cards
- Threatening arrest, prosecution, or revocation of a DEA license for refusal to provide information
Sophisticated scammers may also try to spoof legitimate DEA phone numbers or provide fake law enforcement credentials, including badge numbers.
Remember, the DEA will NEVER contact you to ask for ANY kind of payment or other sensitive information over the phone.
What to Do if You are Contacted
If you receive a call from anyone claiming to be with the DEA, please contact the U-M Division of Public Safety & Security (DPSS) immediately at (734) 763-1131 and do not provide any information to the caller.
Additional information about how to protect yourself from phone scams and voice phishing can be found on the ITS website.