ALERT

3 Scams Targeting Dental Offices – July 2024


July 9, 2024
Featured image for 3 Scams Targeting Dental Offices – July 2024
Image
Anne Genge

Anne Genge is on a mission to make dentistry safer online. With over two decades of experience, Anne has become a leading expert and trainer in privacy & cybersecurity for dental practices.

The digital dental landscape is constantly evolving, and unfortunately so are the tactics of online scammers.

Recently, dental offices have become prime targets for sophisticated scams that can jeopardize their data, reputation, and financial stability. It’s more crucial than ever for dental teams to have robust security awareness training to identify and safeguard against these types of phishing, impersonation, and diversion tactics.

Watch the video or read below to learn more.

3 Scams Targeting Dental Offices

Phone Spoofing and Impersonation:

Scammers are now posing as officials from dental boards, such as the California Dental Board, contacting dental offices to claim that their licenses have been suspended due to suspicious activities like drug use. These calls are sophisticated, with scammers using technology to mask their phone numbers, making them appear legitimate on caller IDs. They then demand personal information and payment to resolve the issue.

Fraudulent Invoices:

Dental offices have reported receiving fraudulent invoices from a company called Media Pages, which claims that the offices owe money for services never rendered. These invoices typically range from $490 to $600. When contacted, the company simply states they will cancel the account and remove the charges, but the scam persists.

Discounted Dental Equipment Scams:

Another prevalent scam involves selling discounted dental equipment online. Scammers set up fake websites or ads that offer expensive dental equipment at seemingly too-good-to-be-true prices. Once an order is placed, either the product never arrives, or if it does, it is often of poor quality and significantly delayed, making it difficult to dispute the charge in time.

Protecting Your Practice

To safeguard your dental practice from these scams, consider the following tips:

  • Verify Legitimacy: Always verify the legitimacy of any unexpected invoices, calls, or offers by contacting the relevant official agencies directly.
  • Be Cautious with Personal Information: Never provide personal information or payments over the phone unless you are certain of the caller’s identity.
  • Research Online Purchases: For online purchases, research the company thoroughly and use a credit card to provide an added layer of protection against fraud.

How Myla Training Can Help

At Myla Training, we understand the unique cybersecurity challenges faced by dental practices. Our cyber awareness courses are quick, easy, and designed specifically for dental teams.

With our extensive network of experts, we provide the most comprehensive training available in Canada, ensuring that your practice is always one step ahead of cybercriminals.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Learn more about scams and how to defend against cybercrime by checking out our cyber awareness courses at www.myla.training.

Protect your practice, protect your patients, and gain peace of mind with Myla Training – Canada’s best dental cybersecurity and privacy training company.

Program thumbnail
ON-DEMAND TRAINING

Cybersecurity Essentials for Dental Teams

Cybersecurity awareness training that provides dental professionals with the skills needed to prevent breaches, ransomware, and data theft at work (and at home). Get immediate access and complete training in less than 40 minutes.
Learn More