New York.– The US Food and Drug Administration reported that scammers posing as FDA employees have called consumers and threatened them with an arrest or physical harm for buying drugs over the Internet or by telephone unless they immediately wire a money transfer to the Dominican Republic.

According to FDA spokesman Thomas Gasparoli, some people have paid up after panicking. “We are aware of nearly 100 separate instances of the shakedown. The typical payment has been between $1,500 and $5,000. No FDA official will ever call someone and demand money to avoid an arrest”.

The criminals always request that the money be sent by a wire transfer to a specific location, usually in the Dominican Republic.