Who called from 8653320167

FDA Warns Public of Continued Extortion Scam by FDA Impersonators

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.

"Impersonating an FDA official is a violation of federal law," said Michael Chappell, the FDA's acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "The public should note that no FDA official will ever contact a consumer by phone demanding money or any other form of payment.”

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.

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.

In addition to posing as FDA officials, criminals have posed as special agents of the DEA, FBI, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Customs Service, as well as U.S. and Dominican prosecutors and judges. In response, the FDA, in conjunction with various federal, state, and local agencies, is actively pursing criminal charges.

The FDA also reminds consumers to use caution when purchasing prescription drugs over the telephone or the Internet. In addition to the increased risk of purchasing unsafe and ineffective drugs from Web sites operating outside the law, there is the danger that personal data can be compromised. For more on FDA’s concerns about unlawful drug sales on the Internet, see http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ProtectYourself/default.htm1.

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm195814.htm

I received a call from someone stating to be from the DEA.  They threatened to put me in jail for ordering drugs on line 3 years ago.  I was told that if I contacted an Attorney, they would go ahead and set a court date and  I would be incarcerated for 3-12 months.  I was told that I I had to send a Western Union Money Gram to an Edison Joseph, 1600 Washington Avenue Suite #107, Mocca Dominican Republic.  After I purchased the money gram, I was to contact Director Richard King at extension #119 at the 865-332-0167 number and give him the reference number so that they could fax me over a waiver and removed any charges.  If I cooperated, they would not press charges, however if I contacted my Attorney, it would be too late and they would pursue legal action against me.  I asked for some kind of paperwork, or to go to a DEA office to pay my $950.00 (so called) fine, and they said that would not be a possibility.  They were supposedly calling from the DEA office in Knoxville Tennessee.  I hung up, called the DEA office number that I found by looking it up myself, and they told me it was a scam, not to worry about it.  I received another call, and told them that I had contacted the DEA office myself and not to contact me anymore.  They asked me what number I call, I told them.  They then had someone call me, and the caller ID came up t he ACTUAL DEA phone number and he identified himself, I told him that I would be calling back to verify that he was an actual Agent.  Upon calling the ACTUAL DEA office, I asked the person that I had been talking to if they had a person by that name there.  She informed me that they did, but he had retired.  What bothered me, was that the incoming call said it was from the legitimate DEA office, and that upon doing a reverse lookup of this phone number, the name that they gave me was actually listed.  They are therefore impersonating and actual DEA Officer with a phone number that is listed under the government website as the Knoxville DEA office.

I am being threatned by someone from the DEA also.

Recieved same call as Karen K. It is a scam and the calls are still coming

I was threatened by two men from this number claiming to be DEA.  They demanded that I send $950 immediately to the Dominican Republic to avoid being sent to U.S. Federal Prison tomorrow.  WTF????