Travel Nurse Alert: Scammers Targeting Nurses
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- •January 29, 2021
Whether you're a travel nurse or staff nurse, you have to be vigilant when it comes to being able to identify if someone is trying to scam you. FlexCare has received information from several states indicating that there are various scam campaigns attempting to target nurses.
Recently, a nurse received a phone call from a person claiming to be from the state where she had an active license. The phone call was from a number identified as the official phone number of the Board of Nursing. The caller stated there was an investigation that involved the nurse's license and that she was at risk for having her license suspended and that she could be arrested. The nurse terminated the call and immediately contacted the Board of Nursing who confirmed that the call was indeed a scam.
The caller had the nurse’s license number.
Similar calls are occurring in other states. The scammer typically calls several times and eventually demands payment in the form of a bond to keep the license active while the case is under investigation.
In other states, nurses are also being contacted by mail. In these instances, the nurses receive fake but official looking documents that appear to be sent by the Board of Nursing. These phony letters indicate the nurse is under investigation for allegedly trafficking illegal drugs, and that they will not be allowed to continue practicing past a certain date. The letter then states that the nurse should contact the officer in charge of the investigation and lists a state phone number. The letters are mailed to the nurse’s home address and both reference the nurse’s actual state license number.
Take Action
If you receive a call or communication regarding the status of your license, you can search for your record using Licensure QuickConfirm at www.nursys.com. After the record is accessed, you can print a report that will show your license number, original issue date, whether you have a multistate or single state license, and discipline status. Current or future employers can also verify licenses at www.nursys.com.
If you have not already done so, we urge you to enroll in Nursys® e‐Notify at www.nursys.com/EN/ENDefault.aspx. Once enrolled, you will receive license renewal reminders, notification when a license is actually renewed and notification of any changes to your license or discipline status. When enrolling in e‐Notify, you can opt in to receive automated electronic reminders.
If you have questions about the status of your license or any communication that you have received that claims to be from any state Board of Nursing, please contact that state directly.