A York County woman is speaking out after being the target of a phone scam. She hopes to warn others so they don’t fall for it.
Genie Wisnom returned home Wednesday afternoon to a message on her answering machine. “Hi this message is for Genie. This is Lieutenant Lynn Taylor calling from the DEA Drug Enforcement. I have a search warrant for your home and an arrest warrant for yourself please return my call immediately.” The caller went on to include a phone number and asked for her prompt response.
“I called 911 and told them I had a threatening phone call on my answering machine,” said Wisnom. “I went into like a total panic attack. And my husband’s like just calm down you know we’ll get all this figured out and you know and we had the officer here and everything. He ran a check on me to make sure there wasn’t any kind of warrant out for my arrest.”
The phone number is a 516 area code, apparently out of New York. Fox43 placed three phone calls to the number given. The first call went straight to a voicemail message, “Thank you for calling the DEA Drug Enforcement Administration. At this time we’re currently unavailable to attend your call. Please leave us a message with your first, your last name, your telephone number, your docket case number and the name of the officer that gave you a call and someone will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you for calling the DEA drug enforcement. Have a great day.”
A woman answered the second time but after identifying myself she hung up. The third call I asked if they are really with the DEA and they woman hung up again.
Stewartstown Police Department investigated the incident with Genie Wisnom. Officer Kory Saylor says it is a scam. “They used her maiden name, the DEA is very organized and wouldn’t make that mistake,” said Saylor. Saylor says they also would not warn you if they planned to search your home or arrest you. “The DEA will be there before you have time to react. The DEA doesn’t leave a message, they are pounding on your door.”
“It was totally unnerving, it really rattled me,” said Wisnom.
The DEA is aware of scammers and have a link set up to warn people. “The Drug Enforcement Administration is warning the public about criminals posing as DEA special agents or other law enforcement personnel as part of an international extortion scheme.”
For more information from the DEA click here