Feds Warn of Scammers Impersonating DEA Agents

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is once again warning doctors, pharmacists and the public about criminals posing as DEA agents or other law enforcement officers and attempting to extort money from them.

The scammers call the victims, often using caller ID to appear as a legitimate DEA phone number, and threaten arrest and prosecution for violations of federal drug laws unless the victim pays a “fine” over the phone or by wire transfer. Doctors and pharmacists are usually threatened with revocation of their DEA registrations, which allow them to prescribe or dispense opioids and other controlled substances.

A DEA spokesperson told PNN the scam has been going on for years, but the agency has recently seen an uptick in complaints, sometimes hundreds per week.  

“We at headquarters have gotten to the point where we are just inundated with reports of scam calls,” said DEA spokesperson Katherine Pfaff. "And scammers calling us.”

The scammers are now also targeting the general public, according to Pfaff, sometimes claiming that a vehicle intercepted at the border with illegal drugs had been traced back to them.

“No DEA agent would ever contact someone directly like that and insist on payment over the phone or use scare tactics like that. That’s not how we operate,” Pfaff said. “Unfortunately, we have received many reports of people who have actually paid these scammers and lost a lot of money to them.”

The scam tactics continually change, but often share many of the same characteristics. Callers typically use an urgent and aggressive tone, and refuse to speak to anyone other than the intended victim. They demand thousands of dollars via wire transfer or in the form of untraceable gift cards taken over the phone.

Scammers ‘Well Informed’ of DEA Tactics

When calls are made to doctors or pharmacists, the scammers will reference their DEA registration numbers and state license numbers. They also might claim that patients have made accusations against them.

The scammers appear to be aware that many practitioners are already under scrutiny by the DEA for their opioid prescribing practices. In recent years, the DEA has raided and prosecuted hundreds of doctors for alleged infractions. The cases often end with doctors paying a fine rather than face hefty legal bills defending themselves in court.

“The scammers are well enough informed of the tactics DEA is employing against controlled-medication prescribers to be able to replicate them,” says attorney Michael Barnes, who has called for an end to “indiscriminate raids” on doctors.  

“Like the DEA, the impersonators are claiming to have evidence of wrongdoing against licensed health care providers, threatening to revoke DEA registrations, and demanding enormous settlements to make the nightmare go away. The only thing that is missing is the office raid.”

Impersonating a federal agent is a violation of federal law. The DEA urges anyone receiving a  call from a scammer claiming to be with the DEA to report it online to the agency’s Diversion Control Division or by calling 877-792-2873.

DEA Warns Doctors About Extortion Scam

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

It’s no secret that doctors are under increased scrutiny from the Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement agencies for their opioid prescribing practices.

Last month a North Carolina physician was told to surrender his DEA license by investigators with the state medical board. “They called me on the phone and said they were coming by in two hours to get you to surrender your license,” Dr. Thomas Kline told PNN.

In southern California, a doctor who recently paid a $125,000 fine to settle allegations of illegal opioid prescribing says federal prosecutors threatened to ruin his practice and reputation if he didn’t pay up.

“They could care less if I was innocent or guilty. They wanted to see how much they could gouge out of me,” said Dr. Roger Kasendorf, an osteopathic physician in La Jolla. “It was extortion and there’s nothing I was able to do about it. It’s sad and pathetic.”

It didn’t take long for criminals to realize that other doctors could be vulnerable to extortion. And with no small amount of irony, the DEA’s San Diego Field Division recently issued an unusual alert warning doctors about scam telephone calls from con artists posing as DEA agents, who threaten physicians with arrest and prosecution for violations of federal drug laws.

“DEA continues to receive reports of calls threatening legal action if an exorbitant fine is not paid immediately over the phone. The callers identify themselves as DEA personnel and instruct their victims to pay the ‘fine’ via wire transfer to avoid arrest, prosecution and imprisonment,” the DEA alert warns.

The scam artists – who use fake names, DEA badge numbers or even the actual names of senior DEA officials – threaten to revoke DEA licenses if thousands of dollars are not paid by wire or in untraceable gift cards.

The threat is not an idle one, because doctors cannot prescribe opioid medication and other controlled substances without an active DEA license.

“DEA employees do not contact practitioners or members of the public by telephone to demand money or any other form of payment,” the DEA said. “Notification of a legitimate DEA investigation or legal action is made via official letter or in person.”

The alert urges anyone receiving a telephone call from a person claiming to be a DEA employee demanding money to report the threat using DEA’s online form or by calling 877-792-2873.