Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cautioned that fake warning letters sent to consumers may be part of an international extortion scam.
- Consumers who tried to buy drugs by phone or online have received the fake letters, rather than the drugs they ordered. The FDA has received more than three dozen reports of threatening fake warning letters over the past few weeks.
- The letters tell consumers not to contact the retail drug sellers, and warn of possible legal action. They are designed to look legitimate, and often include the correct address of the agency as well as its logo, but contain poor grammar and odd word choices, according to the FDA.
Dive Insight:
While the FDA has long-advised consumers of the health risks of buying drugs through online pharmacies, this is the first scam they’ve uncovered that targets consumers who tried to buy medicines by phone or on the Web. The fake letters — purportedly from the FDA or Federal Trade Commission — inform consumers that they have violated several sections of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
In the past, criminals have posed as FDA employees, and based on investigations of these incidents, the FDA is warning that the fake letters may be a sign of international criminal activity. The letters are most likely the work of scammers who aim to extort money from unknowing consumers who buy drugs online and via phone. The FDA does not issue warning letters to consumers, although they may address warning letters to individuals involved in manufacturing or distributing FDA-approved drugs to consumers, the agency noted.
"We know the confusion and concern that these fake warning letters may cause, and want to assure consumers that that we generally don’t take action against individuals for purchasing a medicine online, though we regularly take action against the owners and operators of illegal websites," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.
By buying drug products from illegal online pharmacies, patients may make themselves a target for scams, or for the misuse of their personal and financial information. The health risks for patronizing such pharmacies also include receiving counterfeit, contaminated, expired or unsafe drugs, Gottlieb said. Since it can be difficult to distinguish legal online pharmacies and illegal ones, its best for consumers to purchase drugs only from U.S.-licensed pharmacies that require a doctor’s prescription.
The FDA is asking any consumer that has received a fake warning letter to contact the agency via email. Consumers should provide as much detailed information as possible about the letters via photos or scans of documents, the FDA said.