Fake membership invoices target dentists, pharmacists

Bogus membership renewal invoices from fictitious organizations have put some Canadian health organizations on the defensive. The mailings, which began in mid-January, are from fake organizations with names similar to those of legitimate associations. For instance, the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) became the Dental Association of Canada, while the Canadian Pharmacists Association became the Pharmacists Association of Canada. The CMA was not targeted in the scam.

“They were definitely bogus,” says Phil Newton, communications director at the Canadian Pharmacists Association. “Our investigator, along with the RCMP, managed to track down the individual involved, who readily agreed to give back the money.”

It is an offence under the Competition Act to promote knowingly a business interest or product that is false or misleading. Andrew McAlpine of the Canadian Competition Bureau, whose Web site (www.competition.ic.gc.ca/) posted a warning, described the mailings as “highly suspicious.” The bogus invoices also included Web sites for the “organizations” involved, but they are no longer active. The 7 pharmacists who sent money were all reimbursed.

The official-looking mailings asked for names, street and email addresses, and more than $400. The text on the phony renewal forms was virtually identical, and their Web sites featured material pirated from official sites, such as the CDA's.

“We learned that the ‘Dental Association of Canada’ had mailed membership forms to dentists in Ontario and Quebec, and later found out that these forms were mailed to all dentists in Canada,” says Bernadette Dacey of the CDA. “We immediately warned them not to send money or credit card information.”

Suzanne Lavictoire says the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association took similar action after being alerted by a sharp-eyed recipient. “A member who had some concerns brought them to our attention,” she says, and no members lost money because of the scam.

However, McAlpine says it's impossible to know how many people paid the invoices because some will not be aware of the scam. “This technique has been used by different groups for years,” he says. “Read the thing over very carefully and make sure you know what you're paying for. If no one pays them, then by definition these organizations are going to go away.” — Jim Donnelly, CMAJ