News & Updates
The Latest on Internet Pharmacies, Supplements, Designer Drugs,
and Other High-Risk Merchants
January is the Season for Risky Weight Loss Products
Losing weight is typically the number one New Year’s resolution — and cybercriminals know it. According to research firm Research and Markets, the largest diet surge is in January as people exit the holiday season and set New Year’s resolutions about their health. For this reason, it’s important for payment service providers and e-commerce platforms to watch out for those selling potentially violative products.
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…
North Carolina Man Receives Maximum Sentence for Selling Dangerous Chemical for Weight Loss
The US Department of Justice announced recently that North Carolina resident Barry Clint Wright was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for his role in the online sale of 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP), a substance abused by bodybuilders and other people for weight-loss purposes. Wright, 38, received the maximum statutory sentence for introducing an unapproved drug…
New Supplement Website Certification Program Helps Sellers Reduce Advertising and E-commerce Disruptions
We’re pleased to announce today LegitScript’s newest certification program — one to certify the websites of dietary supplement sellers as a way for them to demonstrate credibility and regulatory compliance. Now, all US supplement manufacturers, resellers, and affiliates can apply through LegitScript to certify that their websites have been reviewed for problematic products, ingredients, and…
Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Death Related to the Sale of Dangerous Chemical for Weight Loss
A UK man was sentenced last week to seven years in prison for the death of a woman to whom he sold the industrial chemical 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), a compound abused by bodybuilders and other people for weight-loss purposes. Bernard Rebelo, now 31, was convicted of manslaughter after 21-year-old Eloise Parry, also from the UK, died…