News & Updates
The Latest on Internet Pharmacies, Supplements, Designer Drugs,
and Other High-Risk Merchants
Watch Out for Fraud Through Unauthorized Aggregation
This week, a New Jersey couple and a homeless veteran were arrested and charged with conspiracy and theft by deception for an alleged fraud scheme on the online crowdfunding platform GoFundMe. According to NPR, the three raised $400,000 from more than 14,000 donors based on an allegedly fabricated story of a Good Samaritan. It’s the latest high-profile scam to draw attention to online aggregators and the risks they pose for payment facilitators.
Verify Healthcare Products, Ingredients, and Websites with LegitScript’s New Data Services
LegitScript is now making available the world’s largest, most comprehensive database of dietary supplements, designer drugs, pharmaceuticals, and other healthcare products and websites. This data — which is already trusted by Google, Bing, Amazon, and Facebook — can help supplement merchants, acquirers, and internet platforms confidently build their businesses while reducing risk and staying in…
Are Payment Facilitators Unwittingly Complicit in Anti-Semitic Rhetoric?
Last weekend’s shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has prompted many to look at the online space and the degree to which platforms allow hate speech and extremist ideas. Although attention is focused mostly on social media outlets used by the shooter — including Gab and Twitter — what role…
Pure Caffeine: A Danger for Consumers and Payment Facilitators
The popularity (and expense) of energy drinks and workout supplements has prompted many consumers to look for cheaper ways to consume their favorite beverages and pre-workout products. Exercise websites and DIY forums online are replete with recipes and instructional videos on how to make these products at home, which may contribute to the growing interest…
LegitScript Earns Designation as 2018 Top Workplace
We’re pleased to announce that LegitScript has been named a 2018 Top Workplace by The Oregonian. LegitScript previously achieved this honor in 2015 and 2016. The award is determined by feedback collected from anonymous employee surveys, which were administered earlier in the year by the third-party company Energage. LegitScript employees who participated praised the company…
National Recovery Month Highlights Addiction Treatment Progress
September’s National Recovery Month serves as a way to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can make a major impact on people’s quality of life. Now in its 29th year, the annual observance is organized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to increase awareness and understanding of…
What the Recent NSDUH Report Says About Opioid Abuse in the US
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recently released its annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which is one of the most comprehensive surveys in the US on the issues of substance abuse and mental health. For this 2017 report, nearly 70,000 people representative of the general US population were surveyed…
LegitScript Updates its Standards to Addiction Treatment Certification for Better Vetting
As our analysts and policy experts continue to work through applications for a diversity of addiction treatment facilities, we’ve become increasingly attuned to the types of behaviors and relationships that can be problematic in the addiction treatment industry. As we originally stated when we first announced the program in April, we’ll always be looking for…
How Drugs Are Sold on the Dark Web
Federal authorities announced last week several arrests, charges, and guilty pleas from a joint operation dubbed “Operation Darkness Falls,” which targeted people and organizations selling fentanyl and other drugs over the dark web. Among those arrested were the operators behind the dark web username “MH4Life,” which the Department of Justice called the most prolific dark…
What is Spice/K2? (It’s Not “Synthetic Marijuana”)
Following last week’s mass drug overdose in New Haven, Connecticut — in which more than 100 people were treated for symptoms such as vomiting, convulsing, and passing out — some may be wondering exactly what K2 and Spice are, and why this drug is called “synthetic marijuana” and “herbal incense.” These labels are misleading, especially…