Almost 70% of Americans take at least one prescription drug and nearly half of all Americans take two or more prescription drugs. Scammers know this and take advantage of this fact in order to threaten and solicit money from their victims. Posing as DEA agents, phone scammers will call individuals and accuse them of buying prescription drugs illegally and needing to pay a fine or face jail time.
This scam especially targets the elderly who are often on several different prescriptions and order some of their prescriptions online.
A Call From a Familiar Number
The scammer will call from an toll-free 800 number or a local number using caller ID spoofing, this makes the call seem more legitimate. The caller then informs you that they have intercepted a package with your name and address on it, inside the package were a number of prescription drugs that they believe were bought illegally. The caller will say that you have two options:
- You do nothing and they continue their investigation into the package.
- You pay a fine which will signify that you refuse the package and the investigation will stop.
The fake DEA agent will inform you that if you choose option 1 and they continue with the investigation it will ultimately result in your arrest. If you agree to pay the fine, they will inform you that it is $1,200 dollars or more to refuse the package.
Hang Up Immediately
It's important to keep calm even if you are being threatened by the caller and it seems like their claims could be legitimate. The first thing to remember is that a law enforcement agencies will never call you about a legal matter like this.
If there is a drug package with your name and address on it, the DEA or local police would show up at your home with a search warrant. Also, there is no way to pay a fee to make a serious charge like this go away. By knowing and understanding this information, you will be able to avoid falling victim to this scam. It's best to just hang up and block the number whenever anyone calls and claims that you've broken the law.
Report the DEA Call Phone Scam Quickly
This scam, like the warrant phone scam and grandparent phone scam, is very successful because it makes the victim panic and react quickly. If you receive a call like this you should contact your nearest DEA division to report it as well as your local law enforcement. It's likely that scammers are targeting others in your community with this same scam.
You can also help warn others about this scam by reporting it in our community phone book. You can leave your feedback on a number in our online phone book or in our reverse phone lookup app for iPhone.