Physicians and other health care providers are increasingly at risk of being targeted by scams, including impersonation scams where criminals pose as law enforcement or government officials to extort money or steal medical or personal information.  The Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) recently learned of a new attempt to defraud physicians by scammers claiming to need information as part of a Medicare audit. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services posted the following alert on its Crushing Fraud, Waste, & Abuse website:

CMS has identified a fraud scheme targeting Medicare providers and suppliers. Scammers are impersonating CMS and sending phishing fax requests for medical records and documentation, on CMS letterhead, falsely claiming to be part of a Medicare audit.

Important: CMS does not initiate audits by requesting medical records via fax.

Protect your information: If you receive a suspicious request, do not respond. If you think you got a fraudulent or questionable request, work with your Medical Review Contractor to confirm if it is real.