If someone calls you claiming to work for a regulatory or law enforcement agency and inquiring as to past online pharmacy purchases or demanding you pay a fine because you made such purchases, please be aware that there is a good chance you are being scammed. Do not talk to this person, do not send them money and do not provide them banking information. Immediately hang up the phone and call an attorney.
This scenario recently happened to one of our elderly clients. It seems that older people are more frequently targeted. Our client was smart and got a call back number, which he provided to us. When we called the number and identified ourselves as lawyers, the person called immediately hung up the phone. Subsequent calls to the phone number went directly to hang-up. A final call produced a conversation with a heavily accented man, who could provide no identification or substantial information about the alleged offense, and when pressed, told us to turn in our client (who we had not identified) into the “local P.D.”
Callers often claim to be with the FDA, DEA or other regulatory agency and claim to be located in Washington, D.C. We believe they use the (202) area code to make themselves appear legitimate. Do not be fooled by these scams and under no circumstances allow yourself to be scared into parting with your hard-earned money. Additionally, any time you are contacted by law enforcement about alleged criminal activity, it is always in your best interest to consult with an attorney before you volunteer information.