Police Say Woman Texted Dentist a $40K Lawsuit Threat, Then Walked Into a Sting

Edited by Dentaltown staff

The texts claimed to come from a former patient threatening to sue over a past procedure, with an offer to make it all go away for $40,000. By the time police stepped in, the upstate New York dentist on the receiving end had paid more than $15,000, according to police.

Kayla M. Phillips, 28, of Rome, New York, was arrested by New Hartford police Nov. 3 and charged with third-degree grand larceny, a Class D felony. The dentist has not been publicly identified.

Police say the texts offered to settle the supposed dispute for $40,000. Believing the claim was legitimate, the dentist sent about $7,000 through Cash App and handed over $5,000 in cash at an earlier in-person meeting in New Hartford. The dentist then talked it over with family members, who became suspicious and called police.

According to police, Phillips had arranged another meeting with the dentist for about 2 p.m. Nov. 3 outside Beacon Bank on Seneca Turnpike to collect more money. This time, officers and Criminal Investigation Division investigators were positioned around the area. Phillips allegedly collected several thousand more dollars in cash from the dentist moments before she was taken into custody.

The department’s patrol division and K9 unit were part of the operation, with help from investigators with the Utica Police Department and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office warrants units.

Investigators say Phillips used text messages to convince the dentist they were negotiating a real financial settlement, with total losses topping $15,000 across multiple transactions. The police account does not say whether Phillips was ever actually a patient of the dentist.

Phillips was processed and released on an appearance ticket to appear in Town of New Hartford Court later in November. The charge is an accusation, and she has not been convicted. No attorney for Phillips has been named.

What stands out in the police account is how the money moved: a settlement worked out over text, paid through Cash App and in cash handed over in person. Nothing in that account mentions an attorney, a written release or the dentist’s malpractice carrier.

That’s the gray area for any dentist who gets a similar message. Many professional liability policies require prompt notice of a potential claim and limit what a dentist can agree to alone. A carrier or attorney would typically start by confirming the person is who they claim to be and that the treatment in question exists in the chart.

A vague reference to “a past procedure” can sound plausible to almost any dentist with a long patient list. In this case, police say it was family members who raised the red flag.

Has a patient, or someone claiming to be one, ever pushed you to settle a complaint directly, and did you loop in your carrier or handle it yourself?

Sources:
WKTV NewsChannel 2, “Rome Resident Charged with Grand Larceny Following ‘Scam Targeting Local Dentist,’ Police Say,” Nov. 4, 2026: wktv.com/rome-resident-charged-with-grand-larceny
Utica Observer-Dispatch, “Police say Rome resident scammed dentist for more than $15K,” Nov. 5, 2026: uticaod.com/new-hartford-police-charge-rome-resident-dentist-scam