News & Updates
The Latest on Internet Pharmacies, Supplements, Designer Drugs,
and Other High-Risk Merchants
While Many Industries Are Suffering, 2020 May Be the Year of the Supplement
The supplement industry grew by $345 million in 2019, which added to steady growth for the $32 billion industry. But that’s small potatoes compared to the first few months of 2020, in which supplement sales surged a whopping $586 million by mid-May alone, according to healthcare executive Kristin Hornberger of IRI Worldwide in a recent…
Are Your Merchants Selling Extremism?
On May 29, a few blocks from a racial justice protest in Oakland, California, a security officer guarding a federal building was gunned down under mysterious circumstances. After an eight-day search and a shootout at an isolated home that left a sheriff’s deputy dead, the man suspected of the murder was captured: an Air Force…
High Unemployment is a Golden Opportunity for Work-from-home Scammers
With unemployment at near-record levels and many people looking for opportunities that will allow them to earn income without having to leave the house, work-from-home scammers have an unprecedented amount of potential victims. LegitScript has observed and reported merchants that appear to be engaged in work-from-home scams, and as unemployment across the country persists, this…
Interest in Online Sports Betting Is Rising. But Is It Legal?
The pandemic prompted the closure of casinos across the United States, and gaming venues that are now reopening are generally required to follow strict protocols around physical distancing and sanitation. These changes may prompt more gamblers, including sports betters, to turn to online betting options. But is online sports betting legal in the US? Before…
New Certification Pricing for Individual Practitioners of Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment
Since the launch of our Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Certification, more than 900 applicants and 2,000 individual facilities have become LegitScript-certified. Now, LegitScript is pleased to announce an option that puts certification within reach for individual practitioners of drug and alcohol addiction treatment. We’ve heard from many individual practitioners who want to get LegitScript-certified…
HCG: A Long-Lived Diet That’s Short on Evidence
Originally surfacing in the 1950s, the HCG diet has been rising in popularity once again, despite concerns about its safety and efficacy. Short for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, HCG is a hormone that is produced naturally in the body during pregnancy. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved some injectable forms of HCG for…
LegitScript Discounts Telemedicine Certification to Help Providers Meet Surge in Demand
As the pandemic continues to limit access to in-person healthcare services, telemedicine providers play an increasingly important role in providing services such as prescriptions and medical consultations. In response to this surge in demand, LegitScript is currently discounting application fees and first year annual monitoring fees for eligible telemedicine providers who apply for LegitScript certification…
Law and Odor: The Ins and Outs of Terpenes
As the cannabis market becomes increasingly more crowded, companies have been looking for ways to differentiate themselves from the competition. Some turn to novel delivery systems, such as CBD-infused clothes or pillows. Others may sell CBD products that contain psychoactive ingredients, such as kratom. Terpenes are the next attempt to stand out. They now appear…
Romance Scams: A Dangerous Undertow Sweeping Across the Sea of Love
In this digital age, an ever-increasing number of people are seeking love and companionship by venturing into online dating websites, mobile apps, online classified listings, and social media platforms. Unfortunately, the cyber world is also fraught with opportunistic criminals who are looking to prey on the heartstrings of hopeful victims. The Federal Trade Commission recently…
LegitScript Waives Some Certification Fees to Help Telehealth Providers Meet Pandemic Demand
LegitScript’s mission — making the internet and payments ecosystems safer and more transparent — is more important than ever in the midst of the ongoing pandemic related to the novel coronavirus. As you may have read in the media or with our own reporting, there is a lot going on with cybercrime related to the…