The Dental Board of California (Board) has received new reports of scammers impersonating Board staff or investigators. In these cases, scammers contact licensees and instruct them to download a phone application—such as Signal—to communicate about alleged investigations or disciplinary actions. This tactic matches previous scam attempts involving fraudulent phone calls, letters, and emails.
What You Need to Know
• The Board will NEVER ask you to download or use any phone application, including Signal,
WhatsApp, Telegram, or similar apps) to communicate.
• Official communication will only come through verified Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) or
Board channels.
• Scammers may claim your license is suspended, under investigation, or may threaten arrest or
revocation. These are scare tactics meant to make you act quickly.
• The Board does not demand immediate payment or personal information by phone, email, or
app.
• Official Board emails always come from .gov addresses. Messages from other domains should be
treated as suspicious.
How to Protect Yourself
✓ Do not download or use any app for supposed Board communication.
✓ Do not provide personal, financial, or licensing information in response to unsolicited calls,
emails, or app messages.
✓ Hang up or cease communication immediately if something feels suspicious.
✓ Verify all communications by contacting the Board directly:
https://www.dbc.ca.gov/about_us/contact_us.shtml
Report Suspicious Activity
⮚ Contact the Board: https://www.dbc.ca.gov/about_us/contact_us.shtml
⮚ If the caller claims to be from DEA, report to the FBI via the DEA’s online extortion reporting
form: http://www.ic3.gov/.
⮚ If caller ID shows the Board’s number, file a complaint with the FCC:
https://reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Get the full document here: PDF Detailed Scam Alert