I got the same call on 11/23/10 from "Special Agent William Rice". He was very threatening on the phone and caught me off guard. Told me i had 2 warrants for my arrest and that i would be taken into federal custody until my hearing on 12/8/10. I should get a lawyer or pay a fine to have this "taken care of" I was in a panic and didn't even think to call anyone to see if this was real. This jerk even told me the name of the judge who signed off on my court date (Peter Franco). Like a nut i got 4500.00 from the bank and had it sent to Edison Joseph, which in turn lead to another phone call from "Lt william Givens" about how "Rice is nothing but trouble and he has to document the incident,blah blah blah. This jerk proceeded to tell me that the 2nd warrant would need to be dealt with to the tune of 3500.00 to be sent to Franklin Hernandez and someone named Guzman. While all this nonsense went on, an "Eric Morales" from internal affairs kept calling me for weeks telling me that they were doing an evestigation on this Givens character. This guy is relentless, and also goes by the name Frank Diaz from Homeland Security. By the time all this was over they managed to extort 11,000.00 outta me!! My father who is a former cop called the local DEA office and we spoke to a real DEA agent. I have lost just about all of my money to these loosers and they still call posing as US Customs agents, Homeland Security, ect. Last week, Morales called and started to threaten me when i said that he is a real [***]. I always thought i was smart to stuff like this coming from a family of cops, but the scare tactic and the keywords tossed me. I reported the entire situation and saved my voice mails on my cell phone to the real DEA and am now working with them by telling my story. As for my financial situation, i am on disability but will now have to return to work so i do not lose everything that i have worked so hard for. Take it from me; if the DEA wants you, the won't call you to let you know, they just show up. Report these jerks for what they are to the real DEA and maybe one of them may actually be caught.
FDA Warn Consumers About Phone Scam to Collect Fake Fines
7 Jan 2010
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning the public about criminals posing as FDA special agents and other law enforcement personnel as part of an international extortion scam.
The criminals call the victims -- who in most cases previously purchased drugs over the Internet or via "telepharmacies" -- and identify themselves as FDA special agents or other law enforcement officials.
The criminals inform the victims that purchasing drugs over the Internet or the telephone is illegal, and that law enforcement action will be pursued unless a fine or fee ranging from $100 to $250,000 is paid. Victims often also have fraudulent transactions placed against their credit cards.
The criminals always request the money be sent by wire transfer to a designated location, usually in the Dominican Republic. If victims refuse to send money, they are often threatened with a search of their property, arrest, deportation, physical harm, and or incarceration.
Anyone receiving a telephone call from a person purporting to be an FDA or other law enforcement official who is seeking money to settle a law enforcement action for the illegal purchase of drugs over the Internet should refuse the demand and call the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office at (800) 521-5783 to report the crime.
FDA special agents and other law enforcement officials are not authorized to impose or collect criminal fines. Only a court can take such action, with fines payable to the U.S. Treasury.
As of today, they're still at it. They still have the same answering machine message up. It's unbelievable. I contacted a friend of a friend who has contacts with the DEA office in Nashville and DEA agents called and listened to the message. They were quite amused. I was told that they are investigating them. They have to go through lots of red tape to be able put them in jail. The wheels of justice turn slowly. But they have gotten enough complaints that they are seriously pursuing these scumbags. Western Union is also aware. Their agents have been instructed not to let any money go through to the DR and they advise the people to go to their local police department and file a report. In the meantime, I think we all should wear that 202 number out so at least while we're keeping them busy they won't be able to scam another person! I was also told if I could get them to file harrassing communications charges against me for all my calls to them, they could get them in court at least a little quicker in front of a judge!
Looking for cheap alternatives to prescription drugs, people are lured -- by phone or online -- into wiring money to the Dominican Republic.
The pills never arrive but the victims then get calls from people claiming to be special agents of the FDA (the US Food and Drugs Administration). They're told they have broken the law and are being fined -- again via money wired to the Caribbean. If they don't pay up, they'll go to jail.
The solution: Scammed twice! That's not such a cheap solution to the problem of expensive drugs. The money-wire is the real giveaway here. The FDA says the scheme most likely began with the theft of personal information from consumers who previously purchased drugs via the Internet or telephone or who were victims of credit card fraud
I got the same message yesterday, It is my daughter's wedding tomorrow and all I could think of was i could not spend her wedding in jail.so he got me good. over $3000,000 dollars via moneygram. I knew it must have been a scam, but when he said that there were people coming to arrest me and that I needed a lawyer, I thought, I cannot deal with this now, I cannot NOT be at my daughters wedding even though I had no idea what the guy was talking about, telling me I ordered something on line from the Dominican Republic in 2004 and they had been watching me!!! I was scared out of my mind. I went to. the bank and paid the money, then he had the nerve to call me back and tell me that I was supposed to pay in US money not pesos, which previously on the phone, I had asked him how to pay and he told me pesos. So now he is asking me for my address so he can send the 'money back to me'!!! ha ,what a joke, that is when I finally realized I was taken, for allot of money. I started screaming at the guy. He hung up on me. He had the nerve to call me today to tell me I had a court date in room B (what the heck? what state and what courtroom?) If I had just googled his name sooner, I would not be out of all this money that I really did not have to begin with. I was frantic. Any other time, without a wedding in two days, I would have questioned him further, but all I could think of was I don't need this now, I cannot be in jail or be talking to lawyers. I feel like such an idiot.
If there was some way I could get this guy, believe me I would. I just cannot believe that he is still doingthis after all this time. What is taking so long to get him? .....
And if they know that people are getting scammed, why doesn't the real DEA doing anything about it...
I am totally bummed,but thankful that I know he was all bs...
So, now after seeing this website, which after I told my daughter the story, I feel like a total idiot that he got me.
Don't feel stupid, I was sitting in the parking lot getting ready to walk in and make the money transfer. It was the end of the day and "my case was already at the courthouse being processed, had to wire money within the hour." I finally got in touch with my brother who called them (brother in law enforcement) and said this was a scam. But the thing is, I have a minor in CJ and I KNOW THAT YOU CANNOT BE THROWN IN JAIL INDEFINITELY AND I KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T PAY A FINE OVER THE PHONE, YOU HAVE TO GO IN FRONT OF A JUDGE TO PLEAD GUILTY! But with all that knowledge, the initial shock and fear is what blinds all logic. So don't feel bad. My daughter and my brother have ribbed me to death about my stupidity! These guys are good. No one who hasn't actually been the victim can understand the initial fear of being told you're going to jail tonight, agents are on their way. You just get a visual of a swat team breaking down the door!
But these guys are the lowest of the low. I have been told since they are from another country, the authorities here have to go through the authorities there to bring them to justice and it's a slow process. But it is in the process. Feel confident these [***] will pay.