Would-be fraudsters have called Virgin Islands doctors and other healthcare providers falsely claiming their licenses have been revoked, the Virgin Islands Health Department warned Friday.
Using caller ID trickery, the scammers were able to make the bogus calls appear to have come from the legitimate Health Department phone number, 340-718-1311, Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion said.
The trickery, called spoofing, was reported by several healthcare providers Thursday. In truth, the Health Department has not revoked any licenses and is not making these calls, Encarnacion said.
“We want to be very clear: the Department of Health is not contacting providers by phone to threaten or take immediate action against their licenses,” said Encarnacion in a written statement. “These calls are fraudulent. We urge our healthcare professionals to remain vigilant, protect their personal and professional information, and report any suspicious activity immediately.”
The department advised all licensees and healthcare organizations not to provide personal, professional, or licensure information over the phone; not engage with or respond to suspicious callers; hang up immediately; and report the incident to Renise James, the acting director of Licensure at Renise.James@doh.vi.gov.
Actual, official communications regarding licensure actions are conducted through formal written correspondence and verified Health Department channels, Encarnacion said.
“The VI Department of Health is actively investigating these reports and working with appropriate partners to address the issue. Additional updates will be shared as more information becomes available,” she said in the statement
