SCAMS AND CREDIT CARD THEFT CAN HIT YOUR PRACTICE

Dentists, beware of the vultures out there who spend untold time and energy devising ways to cheat and steal from legitimate businesses, dental practices included.  One of the most recent wide spread scams to hit dental offices is a fake Yellow Page company that sends invoices for a bogus Internet phone book listing.  Other offices have had experience with a variety of illegitimate billings for everything from reception room magazine subscriptions to unordered supplies.

Recently a friend’s dental office was contacted about a counterfeit credit card that had been used in a nearby city to purchase consumer goods at a Nordstroms department store.  There were three legitimate cards on that account, all issued in the name of the practice, “Dentist’s Name, PA”.  All three cards were still in the possession of the dentists and an administrator, yet the thief had used a perfectly made copy of the card and was apprehended when he returned to the same Nordstroms to charge more merchandise.  The case is still pending, and the dentist will prosecute.

While there is no sure-fire way to prevent such scams and thefts, there are some safeguards that help prevent damage to your business or personal accounts.  Suggestions:  Discuss such problems with your staff to alert them to potential threats.  As the first line of defense when they answer a call from a scam artist or a thief, they need to be forewarned about potential threats and how the scripts might go.  Educate them about how much information can be provided to a caller and encourage them to decide quickly when a questionable caller should be passed on to the dentist’s or administrator’s attention.  Always inspect all invoices the practice receives and authorize only one or two staff members to approve purchases. Many larger practices have moved to a system of purchase orders in which no supplies are ordered or paid for unless an order has been issued and receipt of the items has been verified by a staff member. Make it a hard and fast rule that an invoice is paid only after receipt of the items has been confirmed.  If you suspect you are receiving bogus invoices, contact the better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org for help investigating the company.  In case of credit card theft or counterfeiting, contact the credit card vendor as quickly as possible.