Latest News & Updates

• 

  LegitScript Announces New CBD Certification Program

  

  By LegitScript Folks

  on June 27, 2019

  We’re happy to announce a new certification program for legally compliant CBD products and websites. Starting today, US manufacturers and merchants can apply through LegitScript to certify CBD products and websites that are in compliance with USDA, FDA, FTC, and DEA regulations, as well as state-specific laws. LegitScript is the global leader in merchant and…

• 

  LegitScript Revises Pricing of Addiction Treatment Certification to Reflect Expanded Benefits and to Help Nonprofits Facing Hardship

  

  By David Khalaf

  on June 27, 2019

  Starting in July, drug and alcohol addiction treatment providers that are certified by LegitScript will see revised pricing that reflects expanded benefits and takes into consideration a new initiative to help certify nonprofit addiction treatment providers facing hardship. These changes reflect the improved experience of addiction treatment providers who are currently certified, and help level…

• The Rising Threat of Unwashed Poppy Seeds

  

  By Domenica Beall

  on June 18, 2019

  As e-commerce platforms, payment service providers, and regulatory agencies crack down on illicit opioid sales on the internet, many consumers are turning to alternative products, either to replicate the effects of opioids or to aid in opioid withdrawal. Many of these products, however, are unregulated, illegal, and potentially dangerous. LegitScript analysts have recently identified a…

• Will CVS’ New Policy Flood the Online Space with Bad Supplements?

  

  By David Khalaf

  on May 31, 2019

  CVS announced in May a new policy that requires all vitamins and dietary supplements in the store to be third-party tested for safety and label accuracy. The “Tested to Be Trusted” program is an innovative initiative to weed out problematic supplements, but will it create new problems for e-commerce platforms and payment service providers operating…

• Today’s Multilevel Marketing: New Look, Same Risk for Payment Service Providers

  

  By LegitScript Folks

  on May 09, 2019

  Today’s multilevel marketing (MLM) organizations look nothing like the Amway and Herbalife of the past. Cosmetics and nutritional supplements may still dominate the industry, but companies have expanded into product lines of every sort: essential oils, kitchen gadgets, yoga pants, software, consulting, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. This product expansion, combined with…

• What the Blackstone Labs Indictment Means for Payment Service Providers

  

  By David Khalaf

  on April 03, 2019

  Last month, six people associated with Blackstone Labs were charged in an indictment to market and sell illegal dietary supplements for use in bodybuilding and weight loss. The indictment is significant because of the size and reach of Blackstone Labs, and because of the way it is alleged to have deceptively labeled products for years.…

• 

  Q&A with Evan Ratliff, Author of The Mastermind

  

  By David Khalaf

  on March 27, 2019

  In 2012, LegitScript estimated that at least half of the rogue online pharmacies in the world were registered through ABSystems, a registrar operated by criminal mastermind Paul Le Roux. This massive network of online pharmacies, which fell under the umbrella of an operation called RX Limited, facilitated the sale of prescription drugs to US customers…

• Enhanced Athlete CEO Pleads Guilty to Felony Related to Online Sale of Dangerous Substance

  

  By David Khalaf

  on March 14, 2019

  The CEO of Enhanced Athlete, Inc., a California-based dietary supplement distributor, pleaded guilty late last month to a felony related to the marketing and sale of DNP, a dangerous substance used by bodybuilders and others for weight-loss purposes. The plea made by Scott Cavell came just weeks after a criminal conviction in a UK court…

• Bing Adopts LegitScript Addiction Treatment Certification Standards

  

  By David Khalaf

  on February 28, 2019

  I’m happy to announce that, starting in March, Bing will require LegitScript certification for providers of drug and alcohol addiction treatment who want to advertise in the United States. The certification program, which launched in July 2018, is now recognized by Bing, Google, and Facebook for addiction treatment providers looking to advertise. According Melissa Alsoszatai-Petheo,…

• Drop-shipping Clusters Pose an Elevated Fraud Risk

  

  By LegitScript Folks

  on February 05, 2019

  If you’ve read our Drop-shipping FAQ Guide, you know that drop-shipping merchants pose an elevated risk because of increased chargebacks and the potential for transaction laundering. But are you aware of drop-shipping clusters and the increased likelihood they are engaged in fraud? Learn about this danger that may be in your portfolio, hiding in plain…