OK, this really sounds like common sense, but as my Aunt Petunia used to say, “Common Sense Ain’t So Common!”

If someone calls you on the phone and says they’re with the FDA and that you need to send money to the Dominican Republic, the answer should be something along the lines of “hell” and “no”.

Apparently there are some ballsy criminals that are posing as FDA special agents as part of an “international extortion scam.”

What happens is “…the criminals call the victims — who in most cases previously purchased drugs over the Internet or via “telepharmacies” — and identify themselves as FDA special agents or other law enforcement officials. The criminals inform the victims that purchasing drugs over the Internet or the telephone is illegal, and that law enforcement action will be pursued unless a fine or fee ranging from $100 to $250,000 is paid…. The criminals always request the money be sent by wire transfer to a designated location, usually in the Dominican Republic. If victims refuse to send money, they are often threatened with a search of their property, arrest, deportation, physical harm, and or incarceration.”

Unreal.

And the really sad thing is that this scam works!

These poozers are also pretending to be with the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Customs Service, and some kind of U.S. or Dominican prosecutors and judges.

If you get a call like this…. first of all, take a moment and reflect on why  you are buying meds off the internet. And quit that foolishness.

Second, tell the caller you need a minute to get the money together and you need their number to call them back in 10 minutes. Then take that number and call the local police department (or FBI or even the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations at (800) 521-5783) to report the crime.

Here’s the link to the FDA warning article.

The following is a textbook example of why you don’t want to cross the FDA. Not only are they the most underrated heavyweights around, they’re also best buddies with The Justice Department. And together, they can bring the pain. Big time.

Spectranetics Corporation, a Colorado Springs medical device manufacturer, allegedly “…illegally imported unapproved medical devices and provided them to physicians for use in patients, conducted a clinical study in a manner that failed to comply with federal regulations and promoted certain products for procedures for which the company had not received Food and Drug Administration approval or clearance.”

It apparently wasn’t small level stuff like gauze or bandages that were illegally brought over, either.

“The company manufactures, distributes and sells certain medical lasers and peripheral devices for those lasers, such as lead wires that guide the lasers through vascular tissue and catheters that carry and contain the lasers inside the veins, including, specifically, the CVX-300 Medical Laser and the CliRpath Turbo Laser Catheter, the TURBO Elite Laser Ablation Catheter, and the TURBO-Booster Laser Guide Catheter.”

Whoops!

So now after a quick tag-team match with the DOJ and FDA, Spectranetics now “…has agreed to pay the United States $4.9 million in civil damages plus a $100,000 forfeiture to resolve claims against the company.”

There were no criminal charges filed against Spectranetics, even though they “caused false claims to be submitted to the Medicare Program during portions of the time period from 2003 to 2008.”

And as part of the no criminal charges deal, “Spectranetics has accepted responsibility for its conduct, has instituted remedial measures to prevent this conduct in the future, and will continue to cooperate in the ongoing criminal investigation.”

Here’s the link to the DOJ article.