PRUNEDALE, Calif. - A scam spreading across the country has now hit the Central Coast. It could cost you thousands of dollars and people are falling for it, because they're scared the scam is real and could send them to prison.
An elderly widow lives by herself in Prunedale and she tries to protect her privacy. She was shocked, when she got a suspicious phone call Friday afternoon. The woman is so terrified, she doesn't want to show her face on camera.
"They said this is officer whatever her name is from the DEA, she said, we are calling about a package you received not too long ago. I said a wait minute, and I don't do drugs," says the victim.
The person on the other line said she was from the Drug Enforcement Administration. She went on to say, the Prunedale woman was in trouble.
"I said I've never been in court, or in trouble with the law," says the victim.
The DEA's office in San Francisco said the woman did the right thing by refusing the impersonator's demands, but not everyone does. The DEA said, this is an extortion scam happening across the country. People who fall for it, lose thousands of dollars!
Central Coast News checked caller ID. It was a recording that said, "Thank you for calling the drug enforcement administration agency at this time. We are currently unavailable to accept your call."
It turns out, it's a cell phone number out of the Bay Area. But, the DEA said it could be someone calling from a different country. The DEA said the investigation is run out of St. Louis, Missouri.
"I don't like it, the man today said it happens all the time," says the victim.
You may wonder how the person claiming to be a federal agent got this woman's number. The DEA said, criminals often find phone numbers of people who buy prescription drugs online. If you get a call like this one, you're asked to call 1-877-792-2873.
Submitted by Azenith Smith, Central Coast News
