July 6, 2022
IALOP Identifies Rogue Websites and Partners with Anti-Fraud Authorities to Protect American Consumers Seeking Safe Online Pharmacies
he International Association of Licensed Online Pharmacies (IALOP) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), are working together to keep an eye on and go after fake pharmacies that are wrongly using the IALOP check mark on illegal pharmacy websites. The IALOP check mark shows that a pharmacy is part of our trusted online pharmacy group who have always had a perfect safety record selling regular medicines to over 10 million Americans since 2015.
ALOP is fighting back against these fake online pharmacies by finding out who they are and asking them to take off the stolen IALOP check mark. If the check mark isn't removed, IALOP reaches out to the people who control the website names and asks them to shut down the whole website. So far in 2022, hundreds of website names have been looked at and 90 were found to wrongly have the IALOP check mark. Letters were sent to these fake websites and the people in charge of the website names, leading to 10 fake IALOP check marks being removed and 33 websites being blocked.
The list of these fake websites is often given to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, which looks at the list to see which sites are still working and sends them violation letters. "Fake websites wrongly using the IALOP check mark are just one type of complaint we get at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre," explained Jeff Thomson from the CAFC. "We often work together with our partners to make people more aware of these types of fraud."
IALOP is a group of licensed pharmacies that sell 90-day supplies of drugs and regular medicines (but not controlled substances) to Canadians and Americans with a valid prescription. IALOP pharmacies provide a safe and trustworthy way for people to order their regular medicines online. Pharmacies that are in good standing with IALOP can display the IALOP check mark on their website.
The IALOP check mark shows that a pharmacy follows good practices, such as: needing a valid prescription for each order, which is checked with the patient's doctor; good quality controls; being open about the pharmacy with contact information on their website; and keeping patient's personal information private and confidential. This makes the IALOP check mark a helpful tool for customers to find safe, legitimate pharmacies that will provide important regular medicines to U.S. customers at fair prices.
"Only 238 websites are allowed to have the trusted IALOP check mark that shows a pharmacy is safe and sells affordable regular medicines. The IALOP check mark is an important tool for people to find a good pharmacy," said Tim Smith, the general manager of IALOP. "More and more Americans are going to Canadian pharmacies to buy safe, cheaper medicines because medicines in the U.S. are getting too expensive. With this quick growth in need, and to keep customers safe, we will keep going after those who wrongly use our check mark."
Customers can visit the IALOP website (www.IALOP.com), where they can learn more about the association, how to safely order medicines online, and how to check if an online pharmacy is truly a IALOP member.
The International Association of Licensed Online Pharmacies (IALOP) is a group of pharmacies that sell drugs and regular medicines (but not controlled substances) in 90-day amounts to both Canadians and Americans from pharmacies in Canada. IALOP also works with licensed international pharmacies and government-approved places that ship medicines directly to patients. IALOP pharmacies provide the same quality controls and ease of U.S. mail-order services, letting customers stay healthy with brand-name drugs delivered right to their home. Our pharmacies have always had a perfect safety record, while serving more than 10 million U.S. patients since IALOP started in 2015. You can find IALOP online at www.IALOP.com.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is Canada's main place for data and resources about fraud. The CAFC's main goals are to prevent fraud through education and awareness, stop criminal activities, share intelligence, support law enforcement and strengthen partnerships between the private and public sectors to maintain Canada's strong economy. You can find CAFC online at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.