As patients shop online for prescriptions during pandemic, fake online pharmacies multiply

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- With so many stuck at home, online prescription sales have taken off. But when you buy online how do you know the prescriptions you receive are safe?

ABC7's Michael Finney asked on hisFacebook page if anyone had ever been ripped off by an online pharmacy. Thousands checked the post but thankfully none reported an outright fraud.

Marjorie Clifton heads the Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies.

He told her what folks on social media were saying, and she isn't so sure the picture is that rosy.

"One of the things we have learned is that a lot of consumers feel shame when they are duped when buying something online," she said.

She said that mixed in with the online pharmacies that are known and trusted are little-known brands, some of which are not known at all to U.S. regulators.

"The FDA and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy report that 97 percent of the online pharmacies you find when searching for a pharmacy on the internet are illegitimate, which means they are not certified under US law," she said.

Some of the fake websites steal your money or ID. Others send out fake drugs.

"A lot of the counterfeiters will send what looks like your prescriptions," Clifton said. "It will come in a box with serial numbers, identical packaging, very, very sophisticated, so much so we have to work with law enforcement who are chemically testing the medications to find out what it really is."

Many Americans have been going to Canada to get their prescriptions filled at a discount. The bad guys know that, so now they pretend to be in Canada.

Clifton said, "We have medications coming in from China and India and counterfeiters from the four corners of the world who are pretending to be a Canadian website."

Here's the good news: There is an easy way to check up on your online pharmacy.

Just go to www.verifybeforeyoubuy.org. Put in the pharmacy's url and it will instantly tell you if the place is legit.

Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.

If you have a question or comment about the coronavirus pandemic, submit yours via the form below or here.

Get the latest news, information and videos about the novel coronavirus pandemic here

RELATED STORIES & VIDEOS:

• COVID-19 Help: Comprehensive list of resources, information


• INTERACTIVE TIMELINE: How close was CA to becoming a NY-level crisis?


• Live updates about coronavirus outbreak in US, around the world


• What will it take to get a COVID-19 vaccine and how will it be made?


• How California's COVID-19 cases stack up against other hot spot states


• Everything you need to know about the Bay Area's shelter-in-place order


• Coronavirus Timeline: Tracking major moments of COVID-19 pandemic in San Francisco Bay Area/


• List: Where can I get tested for COVID-19 in the Bay Area?


• COVID-19 Diaries: Personal stories of Bay Area residents during novel coronavirus pandemic


• Coronavirus Doctor's Note: Dr. Alok Patel gives his insight into COVID-19 pandemic


• What does COVID-19 do to your body and why does it spread so easily?



• Stimulus calculator: How much money should you expect from coronavirus relief bill


• WATCH: 'Race & Coronavirus: A Bay Area Conversation' virtual town hall about COVID-19 impact on Asian American community


• WATCH: 'Race & Coronavirus: A Bay Area Conversation' virtual town hall about COVID-19 impact on African American community


• What Bay Area tenants need to know about rent payments, eviction amid COVID-19 outbreak


• Here's how shelter in place, stay at home orders can slow spread of COVID-19


• Symptoms, prevention, and how to prepare for a COVID-19 outbreak in the US


• List of stores, companies closing due to coronavirus pandemic


• Canceled late fees, free services available amid COVID-19 crisis


• Here's how you can help during COVID-19 pandemic


• How to maintain learning during school closures


• No masks but here are 100+ products that may help protect you against novel coronavirus germs


• Here's a look at some of history's worst pandemics that have killed millions