The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is warning all licensed professionals about individuals impersonating DCA staff and investigators as part of an extortion scheme.
The impersonators are contacting licensees by telephone, via a phone number spoofed to appear as if you are receiving a call from your respective licensing board. The impersonators advise that you are under an investigation, and direct you to pick up a faxed letter from a local UPS store. The letter, which is made to appear as if it sent by DCA, falsely advises the licensee that their license has been suspended due to violations of federal drug trafficking laws. The impersonators then demand money to resolve the matter. A copy of the fraudulent letter can be viewed here.
Please be advised that while there may be times that you may be contacted telephonically by your board or DCA’s Enforcement Bureau investigator, DCA staff will never contact you by phone to demand money, advise that your license has been suspended, or ask you to receive or obtain a faxed letter. DCA correspondence is sent out via email, from a DCA email address, or via regular or certified mail.
Anyone receiving a telephone call from a person purporting to be any of the above-mentioned individuals seeking money should refuse the demand and report the call to DCA at askconsumeraffairs@dca.njoag.gov or 973-504-6200. You may also report the call to the Division of Criminal Justice at dcjtipline@njdcj.org or 800-277-2427, or to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.