The Texas Medical Association is warning pulmonary physicians to be aware of a scam involving a letter from a phony medical board that seeks $500 “for Pulmonary Disease Certification Status Verification.”
Two Texas pulmonologists contacted TMA to report a letter from the “American Board of Pulmonary Disease” notifying them of a “very important requirement to continue certification in pulmonary disease at this time. You are on record having failed to previously register, and must comply.”
The letter included a “certification confirmation required form” that asked the physician to provide data such as name, listing of states where the physician is licensed, and statements that the physician will not discriminate against homosexuals, patients’ religious beliefs, ethnicity, nation of origin, and disability.
The letter also says physicians are required to send $500 to an address in Philadelphia that is listed as a UPS office on Google.
The actual organization responsible for certifying pulmonology specialists is the Pulmonary Disease Board. A spokesperson for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), whose subspecialties include pulmonology, told Texas Medicine Today, “For those who are ABIM certified, please know that this letter was not generated by ABIM, nor is it related to any required payments to ABIM.”
TMA recommends that physicians who receive such a letter, or any type of communication that could be fraudulent, to contact the TMA Knowledge Center at knowledge[at]texmed[dot]org or by calling (800) 880-7955.
You can also report mail fraud on the United States Postal Inspection Service website, or to the Texas Attorney General Office’s Consumer Protection Department.
Last Updated On
June 19, 2019
Originally Published On
June 19, 2019