Blog Articles

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has received more than 200,000 complaints so far this year about fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic, with losses in the US totaling more than $146 million as of September 24, 2020. According to the Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network, which has been tracking complaints since January 1, 2020, the median…

“Novel food” is a classification for food or food ingredients in the European Union (EU). The import and sale of novel foods are regulated in the EU, and noncompliance can result in enforcement by EU Member States or the United Kingdom (UK). Online merchants selling food products or dietary supplements often ship worldwide, including the…

「ポビドンヨード」という成分を含むうがい薬で１日４回のうがいをした新型コロナウイルス陽性の軽症患者で、唾液中のウイルスの陽性頻度が低下したーーー。コロナ禍で引き続き世間が落ち着かない中、大阪府と大阪府立病院機構「大阪はびきの医療センター」がこのような臨床研究の結果を発表しました。そして、市民にうがい薬の使用を励行する呼びかけが行われました。

Although there is still no product proven to cure or prevent COVID-19, misinformation abounds, both in the US and abroad. In Japan, the governor of Osaka publicly claimed that gargle medicine containing the antiseptic povidone-iodine can fight coronavirus. Within days, these products all but disappeared from drugstore shelves in Japan. Then, gargle medication started to…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

In the midst of a natural disaster or other large crisis, scammers inevitably take advantage of the spike in public goodwill and the influx of genuine fundraising and charity websites. LegitScript has observed this to be true in the midst of the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These scammers may pose as…

With the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across the globe, the payments and e-commerce landscapes are especially vulnerable right now to scammers preying on consumers with fake cures, unapproved treatments, and other unconventional products and services to treat the new coronavirus. These scams are not only detrimental to public health but also pose serious risks of chargebacks…