FDA NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Jan. 7, 2011

Media Inquiries: Christopher Kelly, 301-796-4676 christopher.kelly@fda.hhs.gov

Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

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 a continued  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 Dara Corrigan, the FDA?s associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. ?FDA special agents and other law enforcement officials are not authorized to impose or collect criminal fines. Only a court can take such action.?

In most instances, victims of extortion-related calls have also received telephone solicitations for additional pharmaceutical purchases from other possibly related, illegal entities located overseas. The extortionists use customer lists complete with extensive personal information provided through previous purchase transactions. These include names, addresses, telephone numbers, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, purchase histories and credit card account numbers.

Typically, these criminals use telephone numbers that change constantly and make it appear as though their calls originate in the United States.

No known victim has been approached in person by a law enforcement impersonator associated with this scheme.  

The FDA?s Office of Criminal Investigations, with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, with the support of various U.S. Attorneys, are pursuing multiple national and international criminal investigations.

Arrests have been made and additional prosecutions are pending; however, the scheme is likely to continue. The FDA has issued similar warnings in the past:

§  FDA Warns Public of Extortion Scam by FDA Impersonators1 (11/12/2008)

§  FDA Warns Public of Continued Extortion Scam by FDA Impersonators2 (12/29/2009)

Victims of this scheme who have suffered monetary loss through the payment of funds in response to an extortion call from a person purporting to be an FDA or other law enforcement official regarding illegal pharmaceutical transactions may obtain a victim questionnaire by contacting the FDA?s Office of Criminal Investigations3 and clicking ?Report Suspected Criminal Activity.?

Anyone receiving a purported official document on agency letterhead may verify its authenticity by contacting that organization directly via a publicly available phone number. Additionally, all federal agencies use email addresses with a ?gov? email extension.

The FDA also reminds consumers that pharmaceutical products offered online and by telephone by sources of unknown origin can pose a substantial health risk. Products recovered during this investigation that were purchased from online or telephone sources have been found to contain trace amounts of heroin, other undisclosed and potentially harmful active pharmaceutical ingredients, or no active ingredient at all. Purchases should only be made from licensed pharmacies located in the United States. In addition to the increased risk of purchasing unsafe and ineffective drugs from Web sites operating outside the law, personal data may be compromised.

For more on unlawful drug sales on the Internet, see Protecting Yourself4.

Questions and Answers
How did these people obtain my information?

They likely obtained the victim?s information based on a previous online or telepharmacy transaction, or from a submitted medical questionnaire. These instances could have occurred years ago, with personal information now on customer lists trafficked by these criminal groups.  These customer lists can contain tens of thousands of names and a substantial amount of self-reported data provided by consumers during previous transactions.  Typically, victims are being contacted by multiple unrelated groups, often for different purposes. (extortion, selling illegal pharmaceuticals, etc.)

How do I make the calls stop?

The extorters, just like the majority of telephone solicitors for illegal prescription medication, are based overseas and use voice over internet protocol (VOIP) telephone numbers, most commonly ?Magic Jack?.  These services provide the extorters with the flexibility to constantly change their phone numbers and select ones with U.S. area codes.  If the victims  change whatever number(s) were used to contact them, and do not engage in any additional risky pharmaceutical transactions, the threatening phone calls and associated telephone solicitations for pharmaceuticals should cease.

What proactive steps can victims take?

Individuals who purchase medication online or via tele-pharmacies are frequently victims of credit card fraud, since this is how the medication is often purchased.  Victims may want to consider alerting their applicable financial institutions to ensure that identity theft has not occurred.

Why is FDA only asking victims who have lost money to contact the agency?The most effective way to track these criminals is to investigate the permanent record established when money transfers take place.

Have individuals been arrested?

Yes.  However, this scheme will likely not be eradicated and instead will continue to evolve.  For example, the extorters now occasionally reference other countries, such as Costa Rica, instead of the DR, as means to avoid all of the publicity regarding this scheme.

Am I going to be able to get my money back?

In almost all instances victims will not be able to recoup losses.  Multiple criminal groups employ this scheme, principally from overseas, and large monetary seizures are not anticipated.

Am I in danger?

In terms of physical danger, no victim has ever been approached in person, and the vast majority of these callers, regardless of their intent, are based overseas.  Their use of ?police-type scanners?, law enforcement language and fictitious documents are attempts at a false sense of legitimacy. Extorters also occasionally reference cars parked on a victim?s street -- information that can be obtained online at various Web sites, as a way to frighten individuals into believing the extorters are near their residence.  If an individual feels threatened for his or her personal safety, immediately contact the appropriate local enforcement agency.

Is it possible that these callers are part of some ?secret? investigative group, and FDA is just not aware of it?

No.  Law enforcement officials from both the U.S. and the Dominican Republic are pursuing these criminals.   More information regarding this scheme is available on FDA and DEA Web sites, or through online searches.  Extradition proceedings  between countries require close cooperation and often a formal treaty, and this often takes an extended period of time to complete.

http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/CriminalInvestigations/ucm239309.htm

i received a call on my cell from a 'restricted' number. the message on the phone was from a man stating he was from the customs and border protection agency and that i had a package that was being held. this is a scam. i did not have a package being held  and why did the number show up as being 'restricted'. i am sure he wanted money. these people have too much time on their hands. they should get real jobs!!

Received a voicemail message this morning from a "Special Agent" Howard Valdini with the US Customs Dept. & Border Protection Narcotis Unit Division #78.  He stated that he has a few questions to ask me and this was an open and ongoing federal investigation regarding a delicate matter and he would need my full cooperation......he said for me to reach him directly at the US Customs Headquarters at (210) 374-8093.  I did not return the call but decided to google this telephone number and found out this is a super scam! I have NOT returned the call and he has called me again, but did not leave another message.  WOW...... if anything I will report this/file a complaint with the appropriate authorities. These people are bozo's!!!

Confirmed above info via calling the real DEA (insider), supposedly he is trying to steal prescriptions by scamming people into giving personal info so he can refill and then "bust" the "drug ring" "Pharmacy" etc.... If he calls you, call him back and just keep asking questions until his story falls apart. Detail questions, like attorney in charge of cases?, case number?, his badge number (they don't have numbers they have gov id number), just keep going with the stuff you know for sure, and he will have to make up.   That is all I can say.

I received the same phone call and scam this afternoon.  He informed me that there was a warrant out for my arrest and that agents would be arriving at my home within the next five minutes with a search warrant.   I called the local police department who were outstanding.
I will make the appropriate complaints to the US Border and Customs, DEA and our local Prosecuting Attorney in the morning.

My fiance hopes they show up at the house this evening!

Fake US Customs and Border Protection Agent "Velez" called had my name wrong. Needless I knew it was scam so I played along. He asked several questions such as have i ever received phone calls or internet offers for pharmacy. Then he went into some three year ongoing investigation and shut down of some pharmacy in India and was i aware over two hundred people a year die -then he mentioned over two kilos of cocaine were also seized and the I somehow was in this pharmacies data base for placing order sometime ago. I stopped him there and informed  him that impersonating US Federal Employee is a felony. He stated he was real agent. So I then told him first off you did not even get my name correct on intial contact. I then asked since I supposedly placed some order on what specific date, what did I order, and where was it sent to. He hung up. I called him back several times but now he will not return my calls. I called back and informed him I will be reporting him to DEA hotline number for people possing as fake agents 877-792-2873.

I have received a call from Howard today. I called back once and got a voice mail. He returned the but left a vm again. It didn't sound right from the beginning and I became concerned. I googled the phone number he left and here I am. I am reporting this to our legal counsel because he called my work number.

this special seargent agent howad vladini is a scam , he also goes by seceral alias i called the DEA myself they dont use the words special agent or seargent there's no such title and they are already aware of this guy, he tries to scare you into sending money or be arrested just ask him for a number your attorney can call and he'll go away

Same here...just this morning.  He  sounded  authentic at first and persistant!  I went to the police dept and was told it was a scam.

just got the same scam.  Rcvd a call from a Det. Howard Valdini.  Stated I ordered Rx via the phone 4 years ago.  I hadn't.  Said he was working an investigation on a drug ring from out of the country and my name and phone number was in thier data base.  He also changed to cocaine somewhere in the story.  Not sure what he was accusing me of.  Either way, I knew I hadn't done anything.  When I persisted to say, I knew I wasn't involved & welcomed an investigation.  He became annoyed.  When I asked him if he was the person my lawyer should contact he backed up and said their was no need for an atty at this time as it was just an investigation.  I called him back about 30 minutes later to ask for more information since according to him someone was using my name and phone number to obtain illegal narcotics.  I left a message stating I needed all info because I wanted to start an identity theft investigation.  He never called back.

Just got that phone call ridiculous

Its just another scam using a supposed customs investigation

No response.

I just got a call from them saying he was border patrol and customs needing to talk to me. It's a scam, check the dea site. These people will tell you that you are in trouble and you need to co-operate or you will go to jail, but if you pay us money we can fix it for you. I fell for it at first until my friend looked it up online. This is the new scam. They use DEA, customs, FDA andy government agency to get you and then you need to wire money to porta rico or somewhere. Don't do it.