| Dear licensees,
The Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) has received reports of licensees and other stakeholders being targeted by phone calls from people claiming to be MED staff. Fraudulent targeting attempts also include email “spoofing,” where the sender forges email headers, disguises email addresses or sender names so that the email appears to be sent from an MED staff member.
The MED urges licensees to beware of scammers posing as MED staff.
The Division will not under any circumstances:
- Send licensees unsolicited text messages.
- Leave messages to provide notice of your license being suspended or revoked, when you did not receive any official written notice or opportunity for hearing.
- Leave threatening messages regarding your license status or demand money transfers or other actions you must immediately take before your license will be revoked or suspended. Any disciplinary action on a license requires written notice and opportunity for a hearing.
How to spot a scam:
- Check the sender’s email address. Legitimate emails will come only from official domains (e.g., @state.co.us or @coag.gov, if the communication is from the Division’s legal representatives).
- Be cautious with links and attachments. Hover over links to verify URLs before clicking. Don’t click if you aren’t sure, without first verifying the communication.
- Watch for threatening language. Scammers often pressure recipients to act quickly. If you are unsure about whether a request is legitimate, see below for information on how to verify communication.
Protect yourself by verifying communications
- Verify communication. If you receive an unexpected email or call, contact the sender or caller directly through an official phone number or address found on the MED website. Ensure any email to MED staff is to an email address ending with “@state.co.us”
- If you want to confirm an individual is a state employee you may verify the status as a state employee by using this search tool created by the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration.
- To confirm accurate contact information for an employee you may reach out to an Agent in Charge listed on the “Contact Us” page.
- Please review this previously issued bulletin regarding previous fraud attempts.
Report suspicious activity
If you suspect a scam, report it immediately to MED Supervisory Criminal Investigator John Cohen at:.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 720-361-7068
Stay informed and stay safe!
Sincerely,
The Marijuana Enforcement Division |
