PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. (July 14, 2010)—A new scam is being directed at local residents, according to Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans. Evans says individuals posing as special agents from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), specifically, Special Agent Barbara Riggs, ID No. 2177, are attempting to extort money from citizens.
The caller tells the victim that they are under investigation by the FDA for
various crimes and they need to provide a credit card number to pay for pre-trial fees. When victims refuse to provide their credit card information, the caller threatens to contact local law enforcement and have the victim extradited to the Dominican Republic. In some instances the callers have threatened to have the victim's children placed in foster care until the matter is resolved.
The originating telephone number for the scam is 209-207-6099. Area code 209,
exchange 207 is in Tracy, California—near Stockton.
Sheriff’s Office staff has contacted the FDA and verified that this is a scam that they are currently investigating. Anyone receiving these types of phone calls should contact the Food and Drug Administration Investigations Section at 1-800-521-5783.