Phone Scams
Phone scams are becoming much more common and sophisticated. TSBP has received numerous reports of scams where the scammer "spoofs" TSBP's number, making it appear that the call is originating directly from TSBP even though it's not.
Phone scams often seek to frighten the recipient into action, such as sending sensitive personal information and/or account information, and/or demand the licensee send money.
Phone Scam Examples
Here are some scenario examples of recent phone scams. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of scams and that there may be other ways scammers seek to gain money and/or information via phone.
Example #1 — Scammer wants you to immediately leave the pharmacy
A pharmacist receives a call at the pharmacy from an individual identifying themselves as an agent/officer with TSBP. The pharmacist is told their license is was going to be suspended because drugs with the pharmacist's name on them were found in a car and confiscated at the border.
The scammer then tells the pharmacist to immediately leave the pharmacy so they could be sent a notification about the alleged incident. The scammer usually tells the pharmacist to go to a location that can receive faxes.
In one instance, the pharmacist was told to go to a UPS store to receive a fax (the same example letter found on the TSBP website). The scammers kept RPH on the phone for about 45 minutes while transferring them to various “agents”.
After the faxed letter was received, the scammers then started to demand money from the pharmacist, who identified the activity as suspicious and ended the call immediately.
Example #2 — Scammer wants your wholesaler information
A pharmacist receives a phone call with caller ID identified as the TSBP office (known as "spoofing"). The pharmacist is told there's a power outage in Austin, and therefore they needed to verify information. The scammer asks for the pharmacy's wholesaler customer ID.
The scammers then place an order for several high-dollar drugs, which are shipped to the pharmacy. After the delivery is received, the scammers call back and claim there is an error with the order, and they will send a courier to pick up the delivered drugs.
Luckily, in one such instance, when the courier arrived, the pharmacist became suspicious and did not give the order to them, as they normally process returns through their usual wholesaler driver. The pharmacist in this instance believes the scammers planned to sell the brand name drugs on a drug-resale site.
Example #3 — Scammer claims they need to update your information
A pharmacist receives a call from a number appearing to be TSBP. The scammer, pretending to be a TSBP staff member, says they're calling "to update information in the database". They ask the pharmacist for their address, their wholesalers, and their customer ID for each wholesaler.
