The FDA is warning the public about a scam involving individuals impersonating FDA officers who claim to be investigating food poisoning cases at restaurants and food vendors. These scammers try to deceive businesses into providing money or sensitive information.
These impostors are pretending to be real FDA officials, which is illegal, and the FDA wants everyone to be aware of this scheme to prevent them from falling victim. If someone claims to be from the FDA and asks for payment or personal information, it is likely a scam.
The FDA will never contact anyone requesting money or payment over the phone, so it is important to be cautious and verify the identity of anyone claiming to be an FDA officer.
Reports indicate that these scammers contact businesses and request access to their WhatsApp accounts. Once access is granted, they misuse this information to gather sensitive and confidential data, such as client databases, which they may use to compromise the vendors’ systems or extort money from them.
The FDA emphasizes that food poisoning incidents are significant public health concerns; however, they do not conduct investigations or enforcement actions via phone calls. All FDA inspections are carried out in person to ensure due process is followed.
The FDA strongly advises all foodservice operators to be vigilant when receiving unsolicited phone calls from individuals claiming to be FDA staff conducting food poisoning investigations. Any suspicious calls or messages should be reported immediately to the police, the FDA’s Head Office, or any of its regional offices.
Additionally, the FDA reminds the public that, in accordance with their code of practice, field officers are strictly prohibited from accepting any form of payment from clients during inspections or investigations.
Foodservice operators are urged to take all necessary precautions to protect their businesses and sensitive information from these fraudsters.
