LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — What would you do if someone called you saying you owed nearly $1,000 for medical services and your choices were to pay up or go to court?
That recently happened to a Las Vegas local who reached out to ask, "Darcy, what's the deal?"
The deal is that it was a scam, but there was just enough legitimacy to scare our viewer into sending money. Scam artists thrive on creating confusion and fear while trying to make themselves look as legitimate as possible.
The more we looked into this case, the more we found things didn't add up.
Las Vegas local Gracie emailed me to ask about a phone call she got from a woman who said she worked for Consumer Debt Collections. The caller told Gracie she owed $960.10 for lab tests performed in September 2023, and that if Gracie didn't pay that bill, the company would sue her in Small Claims Court.
Gracie told the caller she had the wrong person — it wasn't her or her bill — and she'd never had any such lab tests done.
But the scammer persisted, telling Gracie that National Diagnostic Imaging did the tests, and Gracie owed the money.
To Gracie's credit, she did some checking on her own, confirming with her health insurance company that no claims had been filed on her account since January 2023, and no claims had ever been filed by National Diagnostic Imaging.
Gracie called the alleged debt collector back to tell her all of that, but the woman kept pushing and intimidating Gracie, telling her she could make the $960.10 bill go away for $596.10.
Gracie eventually agreed to send a check for $100 because she was scared that her credit would be ruined and that she'd be taken to court.
When she reached out to me to ask what's the deal, I told her when something like this happens, don't be scared, be skeptical — like she initially was — and don't back down.
I helped her dissect what happened to show her how it was a medical debt scam sprinkled with a few tiny grains of truth.
Red flag number 1
I found the website for National Diagnostic Imaging. They are a legitimate company that provides teleradiology services in all 50 states, but they don't have any physical offices where patients can walk in and have imaging done.
Red flag number 2
The scammer had Gracie send her check to Florida, but the company's website shows they're based in Ohio.
Red flag number 3
The phone number given to Gracie had a different area code than National Diagnostic Imaging.
I spoke to National Diagnostic Imaging and they're well aware that scammers are using their name. They say it's been going on for about a month and they notified their local police but were told there's nothing cops can do to stop it.
So how can you protect yourself against scams like this?
Before you pay anything, confirm directly with the medical entity that the debt is real and valid.
Demand the debt collector's full name, company name, address, phone number, website, and e-mail. Cross-check all that online, then send the agency a letter by mail asking them to confirm the debt in writing.
Real debt collectors will often try to get payment quickly, but if your collector is being very pushy, be suspicious. Scammers survive by getting people to pay fake debts before they have a chance to realize they're being scammed.
You can also protect yourself against future issues by contacting a major credit reporting agency. Tell them you've been targeted by fake debt collectors, and ask them to place a fraud alert on your credit report.
- Click here for more information about debt collection scams.
- Click here to report a scam to the Nevada Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
- Click here to learn about Nevada Collections Law.
