Therapist Phone Scams Therapist Phone Scams
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Phone Scammers Targeting Therapists Getting More Creative

Since August, CAMFT has kept members informed about a state-wide phone scam targeting therapists in which the caller claims to be a law enforcement officer threatening that the therapist has a warrant out for their arrest due to failure to appear in court. These calls often come from caller IDs that read Fresno PD, LA PD, County Sheriff, or similar local law enforcement departments.

Therapists have alerted CAMFT and the BBS that similar scammers are now calling and demanding that the therapist, in order to avoid being arrested, must wire money to them immediately or put money on pre-loaded cards and send them via mail. The scammers can be intimidating and often claim that they are tracking the therapist. They also claim that the therapist is under a ‘gag order’ and will be in even more legal trouble if they talk about the interaction with anyone. In another twist, the BBS has received calls that scammers are now calling LMFTs and LCSWs claiming that a client has lodged a complaint with their licensing board. These fraudulent callers insist that the therapist provide their license number and personal identifying information.

If you receive any calls similar to those described above, even if the caller ID appears to be valid, do not engage further with the caller, and contact your local police department immediately. It is also important to know that the BBS will never ask for personal information over the phone in regard to a complaint.

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