Latest News & Updates

• Do You Know How to Spot SARMs?

  

  By LegitScript Folks

  on June 06, 2018

  In April, the US Senate introduced the SARMs Control Act of 2018, which would empower the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to regulate selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) as an extension of the Designer Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 2014. Few people understand what SARMs are, and even fewer know how to spot them. This becomes…

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  FDA Warning Letters for Kratom Merchants Could Mean Steep Fines for Payment Processors

  

  By David Khalaf

  on May 30, 2018

  The US Food and Drug Administration recently issued warning letters to three businesses marketing and distributing kratom for making unproven claims about their products on their websites and social media, including the claim it can help in the treatment of opioid addiction and withdrawal. These claims make the products unapproved new drugs sold in violation…

• How Does the Partial Rollback of Dodd-Frank Affect Payment Facilitators and UDAAP?

  

  By David Khalaf

  on May 24, 2018

  The US House of Representatives voted this week to repeal parts of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the 2010 legislation that brought significant changes to financial regulation in the United States after the Great Recession. Because Dodd-Frank led to the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), payment facilitators and…

• Apetamin: An Unapproved Drug Masquerading as a Vitamin Syrup for Weight Gain

  

  By LegitScript Folks

  on May 10, 2018

  A search of “Apetamin” online yields pages of results of websites selling brown bottles with bright orange labels. Many search results include social media accounts showing full-body selfies of women who attribute their curves to this “weight gain syrup.” But Apetamin is not a harmless vitamin supplement as payment facilitators might think – it’s a…

• We Answer Your Questions About LegitScript’s Addiction Treatment Certification

  

  By LegitScript Folks

  on May 08, 2018

    Last month, LegitScript launched a new certification program for drug and alcohol addiction treatment providers aimed at reducing the influence of opportunistic providers that have been cashing in on patients’ recovery efforts and insurance billing opportunities. The program is also an opportunity for legitimate providers that are certified and monitored by LegitScript to advertise…

• Ghost Guns Pose Reputational Risk for Payment Facilitators

  

  By David Khalaf

  on April 30, 2018

    Payment facilitators typically prohibit merchants selling firearms because of card brand rules, and because the complex web of jurisdictional laws in the US makes it difficult to track the legality of weapon purchases. Despite this prohibition, some merchants try to skirt the terms and conditions of payment processors by selling firearms that aren’t technically…

• National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Stresses Both Awareness and Action

  

  By LegitScript Folks

  on April 23, 2018

  The abuse of prescription drugs is a complex, multifaceted problem that can’t be solved alone by government agencies, pharmaceutical companies, advocacy organizations, groups of industry professionals, or members of the public. But it can be solved by the combined efforts of all of these. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day not only highlights the action…

• LegitScript’s New Certification Program for Addiction Treatment Providers Will Help Those Most Vulnerable

  

  By David Khalaf

  on April 16, 2018

  I’m pleased to announce that today, LegitScript is launching a certification program for drug and alcohol addiction treatment providers. I’m also pleased to share that Google, also today, announced that starting in July, all drug and alcohol addiction treatment providers in the United States that wish to advertise on Google AdWords will be required to…

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  “Hate/Harm” Content Poses a Reputational Risk for Card Brands and Payment Facilitators

  

  By David Khalaf

  on April 09, 2018

  With the gaining momentum of the alt-right movement over the past few years, the US and other Western countries have seen an increase in hate groups and other extremist organizations that frequently operate and organize through the internet. Although the First Amendment of the US Constitution offers broad protections for speech, card brands, payment facilitators,…

• Illicit IPTV: The Streaming Content May Be Cheap, but the Fines Are Expensive

  

  By David Khalaf

  on April 04, 2018

  Would you like instant access to thousands of movies, premium TV channels, and pay-per-view content for a low monthly subscription fee, or even for free? These are two examples of the promises that providers of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) make to consumers to entice them to purchase their products. However, merchants who offer unauthorized IPTV…