Blog Articles

The constantly changing landscape of online payments can be difficult for payment facilitators to keep up with. This year, technological advancements, criminal innovation, and shifting consumer interests shifted the types of problematic merchants most likely to pop up in portfolios. LegitScript tracked the data this year to identify which merchants may cause payment facilitators the…

This week, Europol’s Intellectual Property Crime Coordinated Coalition announced the seizure of more than 33,000 domain names distributing counterfeit and pirated items online. The websites marketed and sold items such as counterfeit goods, pirated entertainment, software, electronics, and other bogus products. The operation involved the cooperation of the US National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center…

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.

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…

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…

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…

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…

  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…

  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…

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…

As a public service, LegitScript offers free limited product lookups so that people can check to see if a product they have purchased is dangerous or otherwise problematic. Frequently, we get searches for products that contain problematic ingredients such as marijuana, kratom, and SARMs. But we’ve noticed that one of the top ingredient searches on…

  I’m pleased to share the news that, starting today, Facebook will require LegitScript certification for providers of drug and alcohol addiction treatment who want to advertise in the United States. This partnership follows the official rollout of our program, which began at the end of July after an initial pre-launch phase. Now both Google…

Last year, we wrote about criminal charges against Billy Lee, Tarn Uppal, and Tony Lee, who operated “Canadian” internet pharmacies but shipped US residents drugs that were not really from Canada. This week, the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations announced sentencing for these British Columbia residents, amounting to three years’ probation and a fine of…

Most countries have regulatory authorities like the Food and Drug Administration that monitor and establish rules around food, drugs, dietary supplements, and more. These agencies have their own complex laws and regulatory standards, and they often vary substantially. What may be a legal, unregulated ingredient in one country is a prescription drug in another, and…

  Later this month, LegitScript will officially begin the initial phase of our certification program for drug and alcohol addiction treatment providers. This aligns with the timing of Google’s implementation of its advertising policy around addiction services; advertisers with LegitScript certification will be able to request certification with Google starting later this month.   Over…