Fake Warning Letters: FDA Cautions Over Potential International Scam
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned consumers of a potential international extortion scam, saying criminals forged FDA warning letters targeting those purchasing medicines online or via the phone.Through surveillance efforts, FDA said it has become aware that instead of receiving the drug products people attempted to purchase from a website or over the phone, consumers received official-looking, but fake, warning letters.
The letters, purporting to be from FDA or FDA and the Federal Trade Commission, claim FDA has determined certain drug violations based on a review of a parcel and people's social media accounts. The letters are addressed generally to a “Sir/Ma’am” and warn consumers that “we are still investigating the root of this delivery & necessary legal steps will be taken if we found [sic] out any suspicious activity on your end.”
FDA said it generally does not issue warning letters to individuals who purchase medicines online.
“While warning letters are a common compliance tool used by the FDA, we typically send them directly to companies and individuals involved in the manufacturing or distribution of FDA-regulated products,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement. “Consumers who aren’t involved in manufacturing or distributing FDA regulated products should be on alert that if you get an FDA warning letter, it’s probably fake, and probably a scam.”
Real Warning Letters