During a month-long crack down that culminated last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shuttered 1,677 online pharmacies it said were operating illegally and seized more than $41 million worth of drugs being sold on the sites.
Many of the offending websites were falsely identified as legitimate Canadian pharmacies, displaying fake licenses and certifications to trick U.S. consumers into purchasing their “FDA approved” products, the agency said.
The crackdown, called “Operation Pangea VI,” was a cooperative effort among the FDA and police, customs and regulatory authorities in 99 countries.
Links to spurious sites may have made their way to victims via spam campaigns, as the agency also warned that visitors faced threats of malware, identity and credit card fraud.
