Pills that kill

Bahrain residents are being targeted with sales of counterfeit and dangerous medicines and supplements by unlicensed sellers and in certain cases outright fraudsters, it is learned. Companies, often fictitious ones, as well as individuals are using various means including social media, websites and sometimes even traditional means to convince patients to purchase their medicines via online. However, the purchased medicines are often counterfeit and even dangerous.

The scammers even promote their products on Facebook and other social media platforms through paid promotion to appear legitimate. The low-quality and fake products being sold include antibiotics, antioxidant supplements, and slimming capsules. The unlicensed sellers include fake pharmacies as well as individual sellers. A large portion of the unlicensed products sold on social media and online are products promising to ‘enhance one’s sex life’ and others for ‘body enhancements’.

Most sellers of such products contacted by Tribune said they did not have a physical address and some even said that their products do not have a particular name or represent a company. “We do not have a physical store and all our dealing are for online customers, we are ready to deliver to any location,” the sellers said.

When asked about the companies, which manufacture these products, she said, “We import the products, it does not have a brand name and is not from any particular company.” Posts about such products are rampant on social media, many of the sellers make exuberant claims such as fast weight loss or quick face whitening effects and others claims that are unrealistic. Fake online pharmacies operate with different tactics from individual sellers.

The fictitious pharmacies offer huge discounts of 50 percent and even 80pc off their ‘medicines’. But those who purchase the products never receive the medicines. “Just enter coupon code TPS at checkout and receive a 50pc discount. Offer is valid for new customers only,” reads a statement on one of the websites. In some cases, fake pharmacies may even resort to extortion impersonating the US Food and Drug Administration.

For the extortion, the customer who has made a purchase from these pharmacies is sent a warning letter threatening legal steps against the buyer. “Once a buyer makes the purchase, the sellers themselves contact the buyer pretending to be the FDA with a warning letter stating that they broke the law by purchasing medicines illegally and that they need to pay a fine. The letter looks like it is from the FDA but it is actually just part of an international extortion scam,” a source said.

Responding to the scam, the FDA stated: “Scam alert: criminals are forging FDA warning letters to target individuals who tried to purchase medicines online or over the phone. These fake warning letters may be linked to an international extortion scam.” When contacted on the phone number provided on the website of one of the fake pharmacies, a prerecorded audio message played, “Thank you for calling the pharmacy support team.

Unfortunately, your call cannot be completed at the moment.” It was an audio message from a lady with an eastern European accent. The same message played on all the phone numbers provided on its website. According to the authorities, purchase and sale of prescription medication without a doctor’s consultation is prohibited. The Interior Ministry has also warned the public from being duped by the online fraudsters in its latest edition of Al Amn which is its official publication.

The ministry revealed that strong crackdown efforts are underway to ensure these products do not harm the public. Head of the Anti-Crime Department in the Directorate General for Combating Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security Capt. Hayat Abdul Majeed, revealed in quotes released in Al Amn, that such websites are being been shut down as part of the crackdown. “Officials are keeping a lookout for such websites and tracking them down in cooperation with other departments in order to find the site admins, to shut them down and take legal action against any violations.

In some cases, the sellers are unaware that such marketing is illegal and hence a warning is followed by an assurance from the website admins that they would not repeat such violations,” she said. National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mariam Al Jalahma warned of harmful health effects from consumption of these products. She said that sellers often make false promises without any facts to back it up. She said that NHRA routinely checks medicines to verify if they are up to standards and complying with regulations.