Rogue Pharmacy Spam Exposed by Image Hosting Service

Pharmaceutical spammers have been using image hosting services to promote their products and one service has responded by giving its patrons a strong warning. Reports Brian Krebs, Image Shack has replaced the rogue pharmacy images with warning signs, including universal symbols for caution, poison and health hazards. In addition, they’ve replaced the spammers’ catch phrases…

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European Businessman Testifies in London’s Fake Cancer Drug Case

Testifying before the Croydon Crown Court in south London, Peter Gillespie, 64, admitted to aiding in the defrauding of pharmaceutical wholesalers, pharmacists and patients by selling counterfeit cancer drugs, heart disease medication and schizophrenia medication. However, Gillespie denies knowing the false origin of the medication supplied by a business associate he had known for 15…

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Five More Indicted in Extortion Conspiracy that Targeted U.S. Consumers of Offshore Medicine

A federal grand jury has indicted five more people for conspiring to commit extortion under the pretense of being U.S. Food & Drug Administration agents. The false FDA agents allegedly threatened Americans, who had purchased drugs from offshore online pharmacies, with incarceration to extort up to $100,000.

The USFDA announced on February 7th that Jose Miguel Mercado Garcia, 29, of the Dominican Republic, Zulai Morales, 25, of the Dominican Republic, Ramona Pichardo, 51, of New York, New York, Maria Curet, 33, of Providence, Rhode Island, and Milton Goris, 32, of Miami, Florida were indicted. Ramon Pichard was arrested on February 10th, while the remaining defendants are at large.

According to the one count indictment, beginning on December 1, 2007, people claiming to represent pharmaceutical distributors located in the Dominican Republic called and emailed US residents offering to sell pharmaceutical drugs. Purchasers of those pharmaceutical drugs from the Dominican Republic distributors were then instructed to pay via either a money wire service or by credit card.

The indictment alleges that after paying, customers would then receive telephone calls from purported United States FDA agents, who in fact were not FDA agents. The false FDA agents allegedly falsely stated that the customers’ orders from the Dominican Republic had been interdicted, and that the customers now owed fines.

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Veronin M. Packaging and Labeling of Pharmaceutical Products Obtained from the Internet. J Med Internet Res. 2011 Feb 15;13(1):e22.

Abstract BACKGROUND: For patients, the prescription container label may be the only source of instructions on how to take their medicines. In the United States, the legal requirements for a prescription label are set by federal law and state statutes. The container should be comparable to that which manufacturers use to package drug products and…

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Canadians Sentenced for Selling Counterfeit Drugs in the U.S.

U.S. Canadian Border in Blaine, WA scazon via Flickr.   Two Canadians investigated by the United States Food and Drug Administration for selling counterfeit medications were sentenced on February 14th, 2011, after plea bargaining with investigators to avoid trial. Jim and Gregory James Armstrong, father and son, admitted they were smuggling counterfeit erectile dysfunction medication…

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German Companies Develop New Technology to Prevent Fakes

German companies are responding to the risk of counterfeit medicine distribution in Europe with the development of new technologies used to authenticate German products with seals and security codes. One manufacturer, Bionorica, is using three-dimensional, optically variable embossed marks created by a Munich company which specializes in printing bank notes. In order to use these…

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