Action 9 Investigates online pharmacy scam

[Wayne]

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/act ... cam/nPQ6m/

ORLANDO,Fla. —

It's a frightening scam for victims: Several Central Florida families who bought prescription drugs online were being threatened with jail unless they paid fines, but it was all a scam, Action 9 learned.

The first phone call left Linda Muhn panicked.

"At first, I didn't know if it was real or not," Muhn said.

On her voice mail, a man claiming to be with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency left a message claiming to be Special Agent Anthony Costello. The man said an online prescription drug order had been seized with Muhn’s name on it.

Muhn said she and her husband called back, and the so-called agent said the purchase was illegal and Muhn had to pay a $1,800 fine through Western Union.

"If I didn't come up with the money, there was going to be a warrant out for my arrest, and there would be DEA agents at my front door," said Muhn.

The first call to their home came a year ago, and the calls have never stopped, she said.

Action 9 found at least five other Central Florida families who were also threatened. One woman even hired an attorney.

"She absolutely thought she was going to be arrested," said attorney Chalon Young.

Young told her client it was a scam and to call police. She said she thinks the threatening call was terrifying, because her client actually had bought online prescriptions.

"Somehow, they had a record of her purchases four years ago, so I'm sure it made that more believable," said Young.

Investigators think scammers use phony pharmacy websites to find new victims, or they buy the sales information from other online pharmacies that went out of business.

Muhn said she was going to pay the alleged fine before her husband stopped her.

"I did believe him and thought maybe I did do something wrong,” said Muhn.

The real DEA has issued arrest warrants for 11 people they think ran the scam in the Dominican Republic. The DEA said legitimate online pharmacies are registered with the agency.