New Phone Scam Uses GPs’ Numbers to Demand Fake Medical Fees

A new type of telephone scam has emerged, involving the use of general practitioners’ phone numbers to contact patients and demand payment of non-existent medical fees.

The first report of the new scam came from the village of Skutare near Plovdiv, where, over the weekend, a mother of two received a phone call that appeared to come from her children’s GP. A male caller claimed that unpaid consultation fees were outstanding and that payment had to be made immediately. He also provided the children’s full names, making the call appear credible.

Vanya Krasteva, mother of the children: “I explained to him that I would not make an online payment that day. I categorically refused until I understood what the issue was. I told him I would contact the doctor on a working day if necessary. He then became quite aggressive. He started making threats. The absurd part was that he spoke about lethal injections for the children and then hung up. After that, I began calling our GP. She was very surprised. When I finally reached her, she said her phone had been with her the whole time and that she had not given it to anyone.”

Other patients in Plovdiv also received calls purporting to be from their GPs. Another woman in the city reported receiving a similar call that appeared to come from her child’s nursery school. The caller once again had access to names and other personal details.

According to cybersecurity experts, the scam appears to be the work of an organised criminal group that has gained access to a large database of personal information. The perpetrators are targeting victims through a technique known as spoofing — making a call appear to come from another telephone number without the knowledge of its owner.

Yavor Kolev, cybersecurity expert:

“Through internet telephony, the displayed number is altered so that it appears to belong to an official institution, in this case doctors. It is likely that personal doctors’ computers have been compromised and infected, allowing databases to be stolen. Phishing techniques may also be used, including AI-generated voice cloning that imitates a doctor’s speech.”

Further information about the new phone scam is expected later today from the Plovdiv police.