Attention: Internet scam targets diplomates

The American Board of Medical Specialties issued an alert on April 7 to warn member boards of an internet marketing campaign and practice that targets diplomates of ABMS. The false certification Web site, BoardCertified.com, sends fax messages to physicians with ABMS identifiers claiming to be “renewal notices.” The messages state that physicians failing to complete the faxed form and pay the renewal fee to BoardCertified.com by a certain date will face an expired “membership” and a deactivated “online listing.”

In an issued alert, ABMS states that BoardCertified.com is not a legitimate user of ABMS’ name, acronyms, trademarks, logos, intellectual property or certification data. A failure to return the form or fee to BoardCertified.com will not result in any penalty, expiration of certification or removal from ABMS’ official online directory, BoardCertifiedDocs.com, published by Elsevier. ABMS and the American Medical Association, whose trademarked name and acronym also appear on the site without permission, are evaluating the activities of BoardCertified.com and pursuing aggressive legal action. The ABMS staff assures members that the legitimate online database remains secure and protected.

If you have received a message from BoardCertified.com or if you have additional questions about BoardCertified.com’s apparent misues of ABMS’ intellectual property, contact Rob Nelson at ABMS by phone at (847) 491-9091, ext. 3005, or by email at rnelson@abms.org.