This happen to me today at work. I have never been in trouble before in my life and I now take care of my Aunt who isnt well. So I recieve this call and they said the same as everyone else on her has put. I had a client and I thought I was really going to jail. I was crying and the man said I needed to calm down and not to tell anyone. I was so scared and upset! Im sure the lady that I was going to get her hair done has gone somewhere else to get her hair done. I tried to call her and tell her it was a scam but at the time it was so real and I was so scared and upset. These people really need to be stopped!

I had the same call this morning! The guy gave be badge number 98712. He got angry with me because I kept asking him questions about who he was -he then proceeded to tell me that he was putting out a warrant for my arrest.

yes i found people complainin about this number i called today and first time he answered he said he was dea and i was lookin at 3 and half to 7 years in jail, unless i paid a fine, little did he kno he never called me yeah i was pranking him, so ive called him all day long now hes a chop shop and he told me he was gonna report me to the police, what a loser, he will be indicting himself , his number is all over the internet for extortion such a fool, hes a grease ball hes stole thousands from people, the dea is on to him for impersonating a federal agent which is a felony, EVERYONE DIAL STAR 67 FIRST AND PRANK THE HELL OUTTA HIM ITS SO MUCH FUN

i have investigated them a few months ago and what they are doing is using magic jack, because they can pick any phone number they want, they are from and located in the domican republic using united states phone numbers, magic jack doesnt recognize where they are from so its there own free will to pick any phone number, again the dea will never call you they will come arrest you, also dea doesnt have any district numbers i.e. district 97 also dea does not identify their agents by detective or sargent etc they are called field agents or special agents go along with the prank, they are trying to get you to wire money to them in the domican republic, its a scam, somewhere you ordered or tried to order rx drugs over internet then they buy your phone number and info then try to bully you into paying, its complete fugazi. best advice is to call them from a private number and prank the hell out of them, they are low life scum bags trying to rip people off its a ring of scam artists. i am pranking them as i speak its great they are gettin so annoyed... just keep pranking them its priceless because they are getting so upset

completely phoney dea will never call you they will come and get you, best thing to do is go along with it and keep prankin them, they did same thing to me few months ago... damn spics tryin to hustle you out of money

they are at again. same thing called twice, told hi, i'd call dea and call him back, sounds like a guy from india
total scam

Called me a few minutes ago.  My husband called him back and gave him what for! Scamming losers!

Got the call this morning 562-472-0253. Saying he was Officer Castillo investigating past cases ( 4+ years ago) about buying drugs from online pharm's. Told him I had no idea what he was talking about, he said he was located in Long Beach, which is where the # is listed, also stated the online pharm. was involved w/ drug trafficking at the border! Told him to contact my local authorities, and that I refused to speak further, hung up and blocked his #. Looked up info, and found this blog!

This guy is a real tool. He said DEA, I hung up. He called back, said:It is rude to hang up on DEA agent.
I said: WHO IS THIS??
He said: I am DEA agent...
I said: Really? I can hear your dog barking in the background!
He said: That is K9 unit.
I said: YOU are K9 unit?
He said: No, that is K9 unit... OK then I will just arrest you. CLICK.
Hispanic sounding accent
. . . but also an imbecile, slightly above the range of idiocy yet not quite reaching the goal of moron.
Who falls for this???

12/2/2011 - Call received from 562-472-0253 - caller said he was Officer Pena with DEA, heavy accent saying I would be arrested because they had evidence I had ordered diet pills over the internet and that he didn't want to ruin my life but he would if I didn't just tell him the truth, blah, blah.  I told him that I would call my attorney and call him back (call back number 877-569-5514) and he said that he was the only one that could help me and that no attorney in the world could help me and that he was issuing a warrant for my arrest.

I called the FDA and reported him.  They are only taking complaints from those people who have lost money.  Do not send money to these people.  The FDA said they are scammers and are trying to scare people into sending money.

The guy told my wife he needed to wire her some money. She hung up on him. He kept trying to call. SCAM-SCAM-

called 562-472-0253 last night after reading posts what a coincedence i get call about bogus case cpr-432-2011. of course the agent tried telling me DEA was lead in charge of FDA investagation. along with many other of the usual proposters bs. i informed i had reported his number to real DEA investgating fruads  odddly i know these clowns are reading this because this this time imposter  got DEA (drug enforcement adminisration right- usually they refer to themselfs as drug enforcment agency.) I then informed him just because the DEA is very busy i will place tracer on his number to get his ipo address and if need be i will personally track him down myself. of course he continued to insist he was dea and they were in charge of US customs, FDA, and homeland security. I laughed and reminded him that while these agencies may some times work jointly togther the DEA only has jurisdication and is run under US Justice Dept. He then hung up on me so i called back - staight to voice mail. called a  few more times same result oh well my fun for the day was over doubt I'll be hearing from him again but i am sure there will be others later on- they are usually good for calling about once every six months.
.

key clue DEA stands for Drug Enforcement Administration not "Agency"  These imposters can not even fet that part right.

SOOOO glad I found all of you!  "Javier Pena" has been harrassing ME today too.  I just blocked his number. (same one you gave Cricket)  I'll sleep better tonight!

He is using the name Officer Pina and I just got a call from him saying he was DEA and wanted money from purchasing a diet drug over the internet this was a total scam because I did a phone number search and found many people he has called. He needs to be reported

Nov 28, 2011 Officer Pena just called me demanding money for purchasing a diet drug over the internet
he said he was from the DEA, caused me alot of stress, but went to internet and found number he used
and it was a scam, and I almost paid it. Same number 562-472-0253 and he lives in California somewhere.
He needs to be stopped and reported.
Thanks for this number or I would have been out alot of money
But he really scared the crap out of me, thinking an officer was coming to my home.

I just rec'd a call from from the above number. He said he was a DEA agent and that an arrest warrent was just issued in my name for buying drugs over the internet. He told me that I would be arrested and could face up to 7 yrs in jail. I told him I did not order drugs over the internet and he told me he had recordings of me ordering them. H e told me to hold on & he would put his supervisor on the line. I told him I was going to hang up and he said ok, they will e there shortly. His supervisors name was Javier Pama @ 877-569-5514. I told him I would call him back.

I was sleeping and a recorded message clicked on.  He said he was Officer ----- from DEA.  My son callled them back and he wanted to speak to me.  He said I bought drug illegally over the internet.  I denied it.  He said I bought phentermine and illegal drug not prescribed by a doctor.  I said I did about (4) years ago but have not since.  I also said I keep getting call from pharmacies for reorders and I said I wasn't interested.  I told the officer that they keep calling.  He was very angry stating that this investigation has been going on for (5) yrs.  I told him I had breast cancer and was diagnosed with liver problem.  He was not interested and started to cite all the the laws I broke.  I started to cry because he said I would be extredicted to another country to serve a prison term and also be fined.  The fines could be from 25,000 to 100,000.  I started to cry asking GOD to help me.  He told me not to get emotional and that he would see if charges would be dropped if I paid a fine.  He aslo told me to hire an attorney.  I told him I couldn't afford an attorney and continued to cry.  He told me to hold the line, which I did and came back saying if I paid a fine of $750 charges would be dropped if I promised I would never purchase illegal drugs again.  I was still crying and I asked if he could send me paperwork so that I could have familty members look over it.  I told him since I have no money I would have to borrow money from my family and they would want to see some paperwork.  He said all charges would be dropped and I cried GOD BLESS YOU and he hung up.  Iwas was still in tears and thanked GOD.  My son looked up the number on the internet and found this blog.  I realized I was being scammed and was being extorted.  I am 62 yrs. old and have never commited any crime.

Thank heaven for blogs.  I can now have a good day without thinking of this call.  

Helen

I also got the same message except they used the name Javier Pena so be aware of that name also. Thank goodness for the internet!!!

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

Phone call from 562-472-0253, caller identifying as James Capra, DEA.  Same guy with the heavy accent.  Fortunately, I was asleep and the answering machine got it.  Gave me enough time to clear my head and check the internet for more info ....

I received a call earlier this morning from a "Larry Jackson" who sounded more like a Loco Poco.  Thank God for internet!

I just received a phone call for a guy named Javier F. Pena saying the some information and asking for 2800.00 to make it go away.  All he did was threaten me over the phone. He gave me a 866-974-9338 but the caller ID showed the number as 562-472-0253. I am glad I went to this website.

JoAnee Johnson
almost asammed

I received calls from both numbers as well once as Thomas Harrigan and now as Eric Williams.  When I confronted him he blaimed it on his grandson!  What a looser!

Today I called number back......and a man ans.....a total Hispanic older man...I think....but not with that Big Mean Voice that we all got ( Mr Williams)......I played a game with him, as if I  was getting back to him over money arrangements...WHAT A FOOL!........he said he got 2 people today.....I told him he was going to be caught!  Dont under estimate the power of some people here and what they can do ....He said he did not care, just the ramblings of a old man, a group of scammerss.......So I called my Local Police and gave them the number, which I found to be a Long Beach Number backed by a CO. that only lists certain numbers in a row that matches up with these one, so I assume its a pay as u go phone and that they picked up phone.......FYI for all!

Big bad Eric Williams called me this morning and gave me the same crap that is stated from above. I guess I should feel lucky he only wanted $500.00. The only problem for him is that I am a Private Investigator and all my incoming and outgoing calls are recored for the benefit of my clients. I have access to a lot more information concerning a phone number than the average joe. I will tell you this much, he is in the northern L.A area.
Here is where it gets good though. I asked him if I could please call him back so I could make some arrangements for getting funds together. I called him back, left a message stating I was ready to pay my fine and get this "taken Care Of" and that I very relieved that he was helping me out. He called me back 20 minutes later and I gave him the phone # to my local DEA office in Atlanta, Ga. I explained to him it was my bank and gave him a persons name to ask for and that I have authorized for him to get a wire transfer in the amount of $500.00. I hung up and never heard a word back. I wonder if he called the #. I bet he got a either a load in his pants or was really pissed at me!

got a call today 4-18-2011  fake DEA agent eric williams..saying i have a warrent out for my arrest from buying drugs from a online pharmacy..they get your info from legal online..any way says there is a warrent out for my arrest and a man is on his way to my house...says if i send him 1,200.00 it will go away..trust me its a scam..there is a real eric williams..but this guy is not him...
i hope your reading the web (fake eric) you will get yours one day for scamming people
DO NOT SEND HIM MONEY the real DEA would not do this..plus there after the big guys not the ones buying call the number he he gives you 866-570-4445  it has a crappy voice message he set up..its a scam...

I got the same phone call today from "eric Williams" I was told that there was an arrest warrent out for me from some medication I purchases legally about 6 years ago. I was told that agents were on their way to arrest me, I would spend the night in prison and then exdritied to the DR for drug smuggling. I was told the "pharmacy owner was being sent to prison for 80-100 years and i could get up to 10 years myself" I told him I would cooperate but needed more info about him and the warrent. I asked when this deal took place ( he at first told me it was within the past 2 years which is IMPOSSABLE b/c I am on disability and can barely afford my rent let alone 200-300 for online meds) when I told him this his story changed to he only had the warrent number. I told him to look it up b/c he should have access to this information if he was really FDA/DEA. He gave me the run around and I finally told him I would see what I could do. I then looked up the FDA website and found the release about this scam, I did a reverse phone number search which lead me here. This guy seems to up and running Again.

this loser is just making his rounds. I hope he gets his @ss kicked...

Got this same call today....he said he was Eric Williams and that I was going to be arrested any minute, but I could pay a fine and it would go away. He wanted 2600......I actually went to Western Union (I did buy from US Meds about 6 years ago but it was legit at the time) and the nice lady at Western Union told me it was a scam. His call ruined my day and has me  stressed out to the point of sobbing! Thankfully the Western Union lady helped me avoid sending any money.

This is a crazy crazy world........I called the local PD and they did not file any report...I called the DEA and left a message incase I can help them track the guy down.

What a day! Complete B$!!!!