Scammers are impersonating DEA employees to defraud and extort DEA license holders through fake narratives of abusing controlled substances. People should be on their guard as the tactics are convincing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains constant oversight over the supply and usage of scheduled drugs in the country. They enforce the DEA controlled substance regulations while keeping track of registered healthcare practitioners and pharmacists who prescribe, administer and dispense these drugs.
Unscrupulous scamsters are using these regulations in innovative ways to swindle unsuspecting physicians and other DEA registrants. The scams have been taking place on and off since years and follow a similar format to a large extent.
The fraudster usually calls the victim impersonating as a DEA agent. They may provide the name of a well-known DEA agent or use fake names and badge numbers. They may even quote the target’s Social Security Number or state license number while stating that patients are making accusations against the practitioner.
Unscrupulous scamsters are using these regulations in innovative ways to swindle unsuspecting physicians and other DEA registrants. The scams have been taking place on and off since years and follow a similar format to a large extent.
The fraudster usually calls the victim impersonating as a DEA agent. They may provide the name of a well-known DEA agent or use fake names and badge numbers. They may even quote the target’s Social Security Number or state license number while stating that patients are making accusations against the practitioner.
The story is usually about how the medical practitioner has either inadvertently violated the federal drug laws pertaining to controlled substances or been involved in drug trafficking/money laundering. The impersonator uses a hostile and intimidating tone to create fear while threatening arrest, prosecution and imprisonment apart from revoking the DEA registration.
The final demand remains the same – the victim should immediately transfer money through wire transfer, gift card or even cryptocurrency over the phone as a ‘fine’ to avoid the investigation or as proof of cooperation. Some even ask for personal information like social security number or date of birth.
The con applies sophisticated tactics like spoofing legitimate DEA phone numbers to falsify the caller ID or texting pictures of legitimate law enforcement credentials to establish credibility.
It is easy to fall for the scam and tempting to pay the money to get out of the false allegations. The DEA, on its part, is attempting to caution people about the defrauding and extortionist tactics by stating that they never make phone calls to notify people of a legitimate investigation or legal action, let alone to threaten arrest. Nor do they demand payment or sensitive information over the phone.
The best approach is to hang up such calls immediately and report the threat at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov or by calling 877-792-2873. DEA registrants can submit such information through the link for Extortion Scam Online Reporting on www.dea.gov. This will help the DEA in investigating and stopping this criminal activity.
Help is at hand
Despite repeated warnings, many DEA license holders continue to fall prey to the scammers. Employing the services of DEA compliance professionals – like the Titan Group - can prove to be very useful here. The experts are well-versed with the DEA controlled substance regulations and related activities. They will be able to identify the fraudulent tactics at once and advise on the appropriate approach.
This kind of backup will give peace of mind apart from ensuring that the practitioners do not lose their hard-earned money!
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