Beware: Scam Targeting Social Workers Who Have a Presence on Marketing Sites

A cautionary tale for social workers who have a presence on Psychology Today or other marketing sites

In an era when it is easy to access licensure and telephone information, NASW-NC wants you to be aware of a number of scams targeting social workers and other behavioral health professions.

Social workers across the country have fallen prey to very convincing and seemingly legitimate scammers. The scam involves someone calling you, representing themselves as a law enforcement officer, saying you missed a court date or your license has been stolen and that you will be arrested if you don’t pay.

Any person can be susceptible to one of these scams. Victims aren’t necessarily gullible, ignorant or uneducated; often it is the exact opposite.

Warrant Scam

Social workers have reported getting phone calls from an individual who identifies themselves as a sergeant or other high-ranking person in the local police department or sheriff’s office. In some cases, the scammer has even taken the time to look up and use a real officer’s identity. One social worker says she Googled the name of the officer while she was on the phone with him and when she found him, it seemed legitimate.

They tell you they have an active warrant for your arrest, usually for a failure to appear in court in response to a summons, subpoena or jury duty. However, you would have received no such document. They tell you that prosecutors are preparing criminal charges against you, and that if those charges go forward, you’ll be arrested and jailed.

Once they determine you’re sufficiently scared of that possibility, they offer you an alternative: You can buy your way out of the impending arrest. Typically, this involves driving to a store to purchase gift cards, and then providing the caller with the activated card numbers. In most cases, the caller has demanded that the victim remain on the phone with them through the entire purchase process.

Stolen License Scam

The North Carolina Attorney General’s office has received reports about scam phone calls and letters going to health care professionals with various licenses. Scammers contact people with licenses and may claim that their license has been stolen and used in criminal activities that are being investigated by the FBI or other law enforcement agencies. Scammers will claim that the license will be suspended unless the person can pay a bond to have their license reinstated. Sometimes, these calls may be accompanied by letters on what appears to be legitimate letterhead and signed by phony licensing board representatives.

How do I know it’s a scam?

It’s unusual for many health care professionals to have any contact with law enforcement, and the scammer takes advantage of this lack of familiarity with real criminal processes. You can’t be arrested over failure to appear for a court date you were never notified about. No legitimate police or court officer can have you buy your way out of a warrant simply by staying on the phone with them. 

• The victims are women, many of whom list their work cell phone numbers on a website seeking therapists like Psychology Today.
• Perpetrator is a man with a confident tone of authority and tells the victim they are in legal trouble but he can help them avoid jail time if they pay a fine or bail. He coaches them to buy gift cards or go withdraw money from an ATM.
• You are not allowed to get off the phone or you will be arrested.
• They are using information on Psychology Today and other online sources as a way of targeting social workers, particularly those who list that they work with minors.

What should I do?

• If you receive such a call (usually it will be from a local number), demand specific information—the caller’s identity and badge number, a case file, and specifically who the case is regarding—and then hang up and call your local police to let them know that this scam is happening in your area.
• Don’t trust a call or letter from someone you don’t know. License information can often be easily found online, and scammers will use it to make it seem like they are legitimate authorities.
• Never give out personal or financial information unless you’ve verified you are speaking to the right person.

If you think you or someone you know has been the victim of one of these fraudulent calls or letters, hang up and don’t respond. You should report the incident to your local police and the licensing board if it involves so they are aware of the fraudulent activity and report it to the North Carolina Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.