SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is a volunteer attorney who provides free legal services for low income seniors in San Mateo County, California.

June 23, 2020

ONLINE PHARMACY SCAMS

Cost and convenience make online pharmacy purchases tempting. But placing an order can be hazardous to both your physical and financial health.

Buying prescription drugs online is not in itself illegal. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautions to distinguish legitimate internet pharmacies from those posted by fraudsters and black marketers. There are many such fraudulent sites according to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). An estimated 95 percent do not comply with U.S. pharmacy laws or professional standards.

Rogue pharmacies often represent themselves as Canadian, exploiting its reputation as a haven of low-cost medications. They may traffic in products that are misbranded, expired, ineffective, toxic and laced with opioids and other dangerous substances. Some are tied to organized crime as reported by the nonprofit Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP).

Threats:

In a new twist on prescription drug frauds, crooks posing as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, contact people who purchased medications online or by phone and threaten them with arrest unless they pay “fines” immediately.

Warning Signs:

*You receive unsolicited emails or social media posts promising deep discounts on well known drugs.

*A pharmacy site allows you to buy medications without a prescription.

*The site offers to ship internationally.

*The supposed pharmacy is located outside the United States, or its website does not list a location.

Do:

*Do get your prescriptions from a licensed brick-and-mortar drugstore whenever possible.

*Do make sure an online seller is licensed. The FDA, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) and the Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP) offer tools for   finding safe and legal online pharmacies.

*Do check that the site has a U.S. address and phone number.

*Do look for sites with a “pharmacy” domain or a VIPPS (Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites) logo.

*Do know your meds. If you notice anything different or unusual in the packaging, appearance, smell, taste or texture of drugs you bought online, consult your pharmacist.

Do not:

*Do not judge a pharmacy website as credible just because it looks slick and professional. Pharmaceutical scammers are adept at creating convincing online storefronts.

*Do not buy unless the pharmacy requires a prescription from your own doctor and has a licensed pharmacist you can consult.

*Do not give credit card or other payment information unless you are sure the pharmacy site is secure.

*Do not give money or financial information in response to a letter or phone call purportedly from the FDA or DEA. It is almost certainly an extortion scam. Those agencies do not send warnings to or demand money from individual consumers.

ATTRIBUTION: AARP