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Beware - Scam Targeting Private Therapy Providers

1/21/2013

 
Guest Post by Pamela Rowe, MA, CCC-SLP Originally Published on January 20, 2013

Something Sneaky This Way Comes…


Internet scams targeting Physical, Speech, Behavior, and Occupational Therapists are on the rise. 

Last year, I received 3 different scams via email. 

Initially, I was shocked that I, along with other Therapists across the United States and Canada, were being targeted for our specific services. 

After the shock subsided, I realized that it made perfect sense. 

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We, as Therapists, are ideal targets. We have big hearts, want to see people improve, and we can be …well, there is no easy way to put this, a little on the verbose side. We do fit the perfect profile for a viral scamming nightmare. 

Typically these scams tug on our emotional heartstrings and appeal to our sense of altruism.

Shirley Kunkel, M.A., CCC-SLP, a Private Practice Owner in Escondido, CA and Speech Pathologist for 33 years, recalls a recent encounter with a scam artist. 
"I became mildly suspicious when they asked if I worked on receptive and expressive language, reading disorders and fluency disorders.  I felt like their request was not specific enough. So I tried to ferret out what specifically they were trying remediate. Sounded like all the disorders I work on in listed in an Ad.  Also, the person signed off as Mitchell one time and Michelle the next. I  couldn't understand why the mother who had used Dr. in her title would be  coming to my town for 4 months.  It is not a scientific research community at the local hospital where I live. They said they presently lived in London and sometimes visited Egypt. I did not lose any money, but I regret that I invested my time and energies into responding to this thief."

Unfortunately, many Therapists are being targeted and are unknowingly engaging in these traps. As a result, some Therapists are losing their hard-earned money by the thousands.  


Tom Jelen, Director of Online Communication with American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), has also noticed this growing problem within the Private Practice Community. 
 
"ASHA has received several reports from our members about a scam that is being attempted on members in private practice. The scammer is requesting to have his or her child visit a private practitioner while visiting the United States. The scammer requests to pre-pay for an evaluation and then sends a cashier's check that is in an amount well above the evaluation charge. At this point, the scammer requests that the practitioner deposit the money in his or her bank and send back the overage (minus some money for the inconvenience). This scam has been reported to the Federal Trade Commission."

The Federal Trade Commission outlines normal banking activity facts in the article, "Giving the Bounce to Counterfeit Check Scams."

"Under federal law, banks generally must make funds available to you from U.S. Treasury checks, most other governmental checks, and official bank checks (cashier’s checks, certified checks, and teller’s checks), a business day after you deposit the check. For other checks, banks must make the first $200 available the day after you deposit the check, and the remaining funds must be made available on the second business day after the deposit."

"However, just because funds are available on a check you’ve deposited doesn’t mean the check is good. It’s best not to rely on money from any type of check (cashier, business or personal check, or money order) unless you know and trust the person you’re dealing with or, better yet — until the bank confirms that the check has cleared. Forgeries can take weeks to be discovered and untangled. The bottom line is that until the bank confirms that the funds from the check have been deposited into your account, you are responsible for any funds you withdraw against that check."

I got this e-mail just DAYS after this article was originally posted!

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You Can Protect Yourself from Therapist Targeted Scams

  • Know who you’re dealing with, and never wire money to strangers.
  • If you’re selling something, don’t accept a check for more than the selling price, no matter how tempting the offer or how convincing the story. Ask the buyer to write the check for the correct amount. If the buyer refuses to send the correct amount, return the check. Don’t send the merchandise.
  • As a seller, you can suggest an alternative way for the buyer to pay, like an escrow service or online payment service. There may be a charge for an escrow service. If the buyer insists on using a particular escrow or online payment service you’ve never heard of, check it out. Visit its website, and read its terms of agreement and privacy policy. Call the customer service line. If there isn’t one — or if you call and can’t get answers about the service’s reliability — don’t use the service.
  • If you accept payment by check, ask for a check drawn on a local bank, or a bank with a local branch. That way, you can make a personal visit to make sure the check is valid. If that’s not possible, call the bank where the check was purchased, and ask if it is valid. Get the bank’s phone number from directory assistance or an Internet site that you know and trust, not from the check or from the person who gave you the check.
  • If the buyer insists that you wire back funds, end the transaction immediately. Legitimate buyers don’t pressure you to send money by wire transfer services. In addition, you have little recourse if there’s a problem with a wire transaction.
  • Resist any pressure to “act now.” If the buyer’s offer is good now, it should be good after the check clears.


Remember, if you think you’ve been targeted by a counterfeit check scam there is something you can do. Simply report it to the following agencies:

  • The Federal Trade Commission
  • The U.S. Postal Inspection Service
  • Visit www.naag.org for a list of state Attorneys General.


Sources

1. The Nigerian Email Scam, http://www.onguardonline.gov/articles/0002l-nigerian-email-scam

2. Giving the Bounce to Counterfeit Check Scams, http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/articles/naps29.pdf
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Pamela Rowe, MA, CCC-SLP, is the Clinical Director of Pamela Rowe, MA, CCC-SLP, LLC in Longwood, FL. As a Speech Pathologist, Community Partner, Wife, and Mother of 3, Pamela enjoys mentoring the next generation of Speech Pathologists and hosting various community health events within Central Florida.


Website: www.speechorlando.com
Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/speechorlando


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Shawise
1/27/2013 03:31:14 am

Hi Jena,

This is a great topic becaise this happened to me. I was contacted via email by a supposed ENT in Australia. He wrote how he had a client coming to the US who needed speech therapy for voice. The email claimed that his client was a model & even had pictures of this lady attached to the email. There were a few things in the email that really made me read it twice to see if it could have possibly been real. There was verbiage specific to speech medical diagnoses.

I responded back to the email asking typical questions that I woukd ask for any new clients. He emailed me back & even named a hotel down the street from my office location (thanks to google). However he then statyed saying how he meeded my info to make the cashier's check out. So my suspicion was then confirmed that this was a scam. The ENT name he used was in fact the name of an ENT in Australia.I too found this out thanks to google. So my advice is be cautious. If anything seems fishy it probably is. Also look further into anything seeming suspicious & of course don't give any personal info out. Let's be wise!

Jena link
1/27/2013 07:57:43 am

You're not the first person I've talked to who said they used very specific clinical terms! It's crazy the lengths that people go to.

It sounds like you did your research and stayed safe.

Best wishes,
Jena

Lynda Peterson
1/28/2013 01:20:02 am

Thanks Jena! I was just contacted last week with the Nigerian one and was wondering because it sounded a little off. Such good information to share. Thanks again!

Jena Castro-Casbon
1/28/2013 01:23:01 am

Lynda,
I'm glad that you didn't get caught up in it! Many of the attempts are fairly obviously scammy BUT some of them are starting to do a better job about including diagnoses and specific treatment info, which makes them more convincing- until you get to the part about wiring funds and cashiers checks... Stay vigilant!

sandra friedman
1/28/2013 05:56:35 am

Hi Jena,
Thank you for the information you provided. I was targeted in mid December by a foreign individual asking for therapy 3x weekly for his 6 year old son.When he requested information for forwarding payment of my services I declined since I do not accept advance payment for a child I have never evaluated or seen. He stopped emailing me but now I am receiving very strange emails. I thought I was unique and did not report the problem until I received your message. Stay safe and thank you for sharing.

Jena link
1/28/2013 12:45:46 pm

Sandra,
You're quite welcome! I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Pam Rowe for writing the guest post - but I am VERY happy to publicize and share it!
Jena

Frangelica
1/29/2013 11:09:19 am

Has similar emails from someone in Australia more than once and a lawyer. Not sure if the lawyer one was a scam but I treated it as one.

Mustafa Sakerwalla link
2/4/2013 03:10:07 am

Yes, I remember getting an email similar to one of the post, requesting PT services for a model who was coming for a job interview and requesting PT, staying at a hotel nearby and wanted me to clear a cheque and wire a transfer for excess amount, exactly how you described it. Well, I replied that I needed a presription to see her before evaluating and the email stopped coming. But Thanks a lot for the report.

http://www.scholarshipland.org/axa-scholarship/ link
7/11/2013 11:46:27 pm

I know that you explain it very well. And I hope that other readers will also experience how I feel after reading your article. I feel very grateful that I read this. It is very helpful and very informative and I really learned a lot from it.

best dissertations link
7/13/2013 01:00:43 am

Excellent tips. Really useful stuff. Never had an idea about this will look for more of such informative posts from your side. Good job Keep it up.

professional essay writing link
7/25/2013 12:56:25 am

I hope you’ll keep up the good work and maintain the standard.

Christine McDonald link
9/30/2015 05:23:55 pm

I received a strange email asking for services for 2 times a week for 4 weeks for this guys daughter. He asked for my rates, specialities. I offered a free consultation to identify issues, no response to questions. I asked what his concerns were, no response to this. He said he could pay up front for sessions and wanted my info to send check. I asked why just 4 weeks he didn't respond to this either. Its scary to know these scams exist.

Heather
12/10/2015 09:54:44 pm

I'm thankful I found this post on Google so easily! I had the same exact scenario as Christine - down to each detail she outlined. I was alter to it's scamm-i-ness pretty quickly as I've had similar propositions on Craigslist when selling furniture. I'll be making a report! Thank you again for being proactive and helping us all be aware of each other's scenarios.


Comments are closed.

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