DEA fake calls.... told me an arrest warrent was issued for me.  Freaked me out. FAKE FAKE FAKE.  I am going to call him back and F#ck with him... for a LONG TIME!!  443-982-0572

I received a call from a man named David Scheller claiming to be a DEA officer. He went on to explain how thay had proof that I had purchased drugs that contained cocaine over the internet and I was going to be indicted. Then he puts his supervisor on the line and he tells me that in order to avoid jail or probation I can pay the fine of 5,000 dollars.. I told him that I didn't have that kind of money, so he says , pay half of it, I tell him that I don't have that kind of money. He wanted me to go buy a greendot card and put the money on it.. He got really nasty when I kept on saying that I didn't have any money. He told me to call my attorney then hung up. the number that they called from is 720-544-7340.

My message was a little different, they actually called my brother on his work cell phone.
They knew his name and asked if his sister and repeated my name, still lived at my correct
Address. That I needed to contact them immediately.  That it was a Russo & Russo company,
I called back from a private number, no one answered the first 2 calls, then I tried calling again,
And a man answered, wanting to know my name, and needed the number where they left me a
Message in order to help me, I asked where I was calling and he said it was a financial institution.
I told him, it must be a mistake I will disregard your message and phone call, because I never applied
For any loan, he insisted I give him my social security number, full name, date of birth, address,
To better help me. I looked up the name and number on google, and I that's how I got this page.
I live in Denver, CO.

the same message was sent to my gfriends phone....marcus anderson....dea...warrants....district 97....call back immediately....etc....knew it was bs from the start....yet, this site did help confirm....these guys are such loosers....what goes around comes around...and theirs is on the way!!!

DEA Special Agent David Brown left message advising me to return call as I am part of an ongoing investigation.  These people are scumbags and use threats to intimidate people and try to extort money.  Be careful.

I have received numerous calls from "Special Agent" David Brown, with the DEA, District 97, regarding an Open Criminal Investigation against me. I was told I was under investigation and they had search warrants and I was to be immediately arrested. Phone Number 949-800-7449. This led me to this web site. I called the number back and got an answering machine. I have notified our local DEA office.

I received this same call, very threatening and intimidating.  When I questioned him and asked for his badge number and call back, he said he was sending agents to my work right now to arrest me.  I will be humilated. Then hung up.  They need stopped.

I also received a call from this number, from someone falsely representing himself to be "Special Agent David Brown of Distict 97 of the Drug Enforcement Atmitastration (could at least take the time to learn how to pronounce it!)  Saying he had a warrant for my arrest and a warrant to search my property, so I had better call him back immediately or else! I haven't bought anything online that I didn't have a prescription from my Dr in Texas. And, I haven't bought anything online in over 4 years. So that was my first clue this was a scam, because no one is going to come to my house with a search warrant to look for a bottle of pills,(which I had a legitimate RX for) that was purchased 4 years ago! I also recieved a voicemail months ago (as did a previous post on here) with the same basic message and it was a Washington DC number too. I'm going to report this to the DEA. I hope these b*****ds burn in hell for terrorizing people!

David Brown informed me that he was with the ?Drug Enforcement Act and Administration? instead of the ?Drug Enforcement Agency?.  In this scam, they state that they have an arrest warrant and want you to send money to pay for the lack of an arrest.  This is illegal as you cannot buy your way out of a crime.
I called back and asked if it was standard procedure for law enforcement to call regarding a warrant (which it is not!).  I then asked where the person received their POST certification, the training that law enforcement go through to be a peace officer.  The person on the other line called me a "bi***" and then hanged up.  

A number to report this fraud to is (877) 792-2873.  This is the DEA line to report extortion and blackmail.

Oh yea got the call yesterday!! This guy is so retarded he can even speak clearly! Did report to my local police and DEA. I have been prank calling him!!!!

've rec'd several of these calls.  I gave the number to local  FBI agent. He said first of all, if there is a warrant they are NOT going to call and warn you, they just show up. Duh?!  He said it could be a scam as to try to get you out of your house. While  you are  "interviewing with Det. Dave" they come in and clean out your house.  He said they are SO many things people do to lure you out of your home.

I just got the same message.  Same name and number.  Said he had an arrest warrant for purchasing ïllegal drugs".  Anyone know anything?

Call number back and told them I was going to report them.  They only answer the phone based on the numbers they see on caller ID.  He tried to tell me that he was the DEA and I listed all of the names that they have tried to use.  I told him the jig was up and never to call again and he said he would look into....when I told him I saved the message he left he hung up. They need to be stopped!!!!!!!
THEY NEED TO FIND A JOB INSTEAD OF TRYING TO BEAT PEOPLE OUT OF MONEY...WHATS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD.

I have gotten a call from 949-800-7449 stating that I am under arrest and that I need to get $1950 together in cash or I will be picked up by federal agents that are around the corner.
This is unreal Iv could vhave had a vheart attack getting information like this. This has to be stopped!
He is saying he is a federal DEA Agent David Brown.

They are trying to sell medicine...and they just keep calling

Just received a call from this # and they identified themselves as a DEA Agent and wanted to talk to me about purchasing drugs over the internet and I asked him to send me something in writing and he immediately became I-rate with me and threatened to send an agent to my house and arrest me.  Glad i found this website!

Also got a call from "agent" David Brown, when I returned the call, a male "receptionist" answered, pretended to transfer me and then the same guy picked up!  I told him I wasn't aware the DEA was being so thoughtful as to notify people in advance they were going to be arrested.  Furthermore, the DEA doesn't have an office in Irvine, which is where he was calling from.  But I have to admit, this scammer did go above and beyond....  I also reported him to via the link on the real DEA's website.

Same story only I got a call from Special (yea right) Agent David Brown.  I'm going to call him back and get him going thinking I'll pay the fee and beg forgiveness....then laugh in his ear

Same story but this was SPECIAL Agent David Brown on my call.  I had to go to the courthouse within 1 hour and pay a fine of $1800 or risk being arrested.  I can just see the look on the face of the courthouse receptionist when I walk in an go I have to pay $1800 to someone.  Hahaha.  JERKS

left a message that he was special agent david brown with the dea and that they had a warrant to search my home and arrest me for purchasing xanax over the internet.  I don't know what kind of scam this is. anyone else know?

3/13/12 He is now posing as David Brown DEA same line of BS as others have posted second time they've called me.  First time I googled phone number while I was talking to him and called him on it, he hung on me, left message this time will ignore.
Crazy how they've been using same phone number but the real law enforcement agency cannot catch them.
Real law enforcement agency will send you notice by certified mail or show up at your door, total Scam don't waste your time talking to them or tell them your reporting them and your lawyer contact them they hang up every time.

I recvd a call from a man identifying himself as DEA Mark Thomas.  He said he had a warrant for my arrest and a warrant to search my home.  He said I am being charged with 3 counts of purchasing drugs over the internet in 2007.  After several calls he said this would all go away if I paid $1800 at the court house by the end of the day.  I ultimately reported this to the local SAPD.

ANGRY IN TEXAS, i have reported them to the real DEA and now they are looking into it. they state they are NOT real and dont deal with them. Hopefully the real DEA gets to the bottom of this and shuts them down and finds them also. they need to be shut down that is for sure.

I also had a message left from a special agent Mark Taylor with DEA district 97 at 949-800-7449, regarding open ongoing criminal investigation. Said they have a search warrant for my property and an arrest warrant for myself.  

The real DEA needs to catch these creeps who are posing a federal agents to scare and intimidate people !

called and said he was mike taylor. he said he was a dective with DEA. please check into

Got same call from DEA Mike Taylor, told me I could pay $1500 and charges would be dropped.  Told him I would call my lawyer and he hung up.

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

received call today on my cell phone DEA special agent Mike Taylor, stating that I've bot illegal drugs online  from overseas and that he has a search warrant for my property and an arrest warrant for me. the thing that bothers me most is he knows my name...

Same story as everyone else.  Since there is no threat of violence, this is at best a misdemeanor.  Irvine PD was really rude and uncooperative.  Basically, filing charges is a waste of time.  Noone seems to be bothered that these guys are impersonating feds.

Looks like this Sgt Russo has quite a busy case load.... got a call today (voicemail) and heard the same as others... search warrant--arrest warrant yada yada yada....sure wish Apple would get moving on a good call blocker... had one on my blackberry and calls like this never got through!