The FDA issued a warning July 13 to notify consumers who purchase medications online or by phone about a recent scam in which criminals pose as agency officials.
Acting as FDA employees, the criminals are reportedly sending out fake warning letters linked to an "international extortion scam," the agency's official notification reads. The FDA said it doesn't generally send letters to individuals regarding online medication purchasing, and consumers who receive any letter purportedly from the FDA should exercise caution.
The scam was brought to light after FDA surveillance efforts revealed that some consumers who purchase medications online and by phone had received "official-looking, but fake," warning letters, instead of the drugs they were attempting to purchase, according to the FDA. The fake letters claimed the regulatory agency had identified drug violations based on a review of their parcel and their social media accounts, and stated "we are still investigating the root of this delivery & necessary legal steps will be taken if we found [sic] out any suspicious activity on your end."
In the agency's official notification, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, said, "Consumers who aren't involved in manufacturing or distributing FDA regulated products should be on alert that if you get an FDA warning letter, it's probably fake, and probably a scam."
The FDA's official notification also emphasized the dangers of illegal online pharmacies.
"As a public health agency, we must remind consumers of the dangers of purchasing medicines from illegal online pharmacies," Dr. Gottlieb said. "These risks range from receiving unapproved and potentially counterfeit medicines to unknowingly making themselves targets to scams like these ... We understand the temptation to buy online, and there are ways to do it safely, including only buying from U.S.-licensed pharmacies that require a prescription."