Caller posing as a DEA or CMS agent threatens to revoke your medical license unless you pay
A caller impersonating a DEA or CMS investigator claims the victim's medical license is linked to a drug investigation or is about to expire, then demands payment to resolve the case or prevent arrest. Real federal agencies never collect fees over the phone.
Also known as: fake DEA agent medical license scam, CMS license revocation extortion, DEA investigation phone scam targeting doctors, healthcare professional government impersonation
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Hang up immediately — the DEA and CMS never demand payment by phone to resolve an investigation
- 2 Call the DEA's official number (1-800-882-9539) or your state medical board to verify whether any real action is pending
- 3 Do not call back any number the caller gave you — it will connect to more scammers
- 4 Report the call to the DEA Diversion Control Division at 1-877-792-2873 and to the FTC
- 5 Your DEA registration can only be suspended through a formal written administrative process — never by phone
- 6 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Red flags
- ⚠ Caller claims to be a DEA, CMS, FBI, or state board investigator — real investigators do not cold-call to demand payment
- ⚠ They say your controlled substance license, DEA registration number, or medical license will be revoked unless you pay immediately
- ⚠ They may know your DEA registration number, NPI number, or other professional details found in public registries
- ⚠ They use the name of a real DEA agent (found online) or provide a fake badge number
- ⚠ They claim an 'arrest warrant' has been issued and you can avoid it by paying right now
- ⚠ They demand payment by wire transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency, or cash courier — real government agencies never do this
Sources
- FBI IC3 — PSA260917: Scammers impersonating law enforcement and government officials in fraud schemes, 61,000+ complaints and $1.6B losses including DEA medical-license targeting (Sep 17, 2026)
- Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure — Scam alert: fraudulent calls impersonating DEA agents targeting physicians (2026)
- DEA — Scam Alert (ongoing)
- American Medical Association — DEA and CMS warn physicians that they are being targeted by scams