Information Security and IT Compliance News

Beware of Coloradowide Scam Targeting License Holders

Apr 30, 2024

Infographic with key bullet points pulled from the text of the article.

The Division of Professions and Occupations has identified a statewide scam that is targeting licensed professionals. The scammer will call from a number that caller ID has identified as belonging to DORA/Department of Regulatory Agencies. The scammer will then inform that the individual’s professional license has been suspended for drug trafficking and money laundering. The scammer tells the individual that they have been immediately suspended from practicing due to an ongoing FBI investigation into these supposed charges. The caller will then transfer the individual to a “secure line” to speak with a presumed FBI agent. The individual will also receive a letter with a forged staff signature to verify that their license was suspended.

This is an elaborate scam, and the malicious actors have a lot of details to make it seem convincing in order to instill panic in the individual. Luckily, there are some ways to identify that this is a scam, so you do not disclose any personal or confidential information.

How to identify the scam:

A phone call is never the first notice of suspension. Initial communication will come via a certified letter from DORA if an actual suspension is the case.
Caller ID will not come from Division of Professions and Occupations/DORA as any suspension or license inquiry will instead come from a specific board that oversees the license.
The Division of Professions and Occupations will never connect you to the FBI or transfer you to a “secure line.”
The letter provided by the scammer will include grammatical and spelling errors.

What to do if you receive this scam:

If you believe you receive a call tied to this scam, contact your local police department and file a police report. Do NOT contact CU police as they are not able to properly assist with this.

After filing a police report, you may also contact the Colorado Office of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section at https://coag.gov/file-complaint/.