BrandShield and the Pharmaceutical Security Institute Release Annual Report Showing More than 6,900 Fraudulent Drug Listings and 1,600 Rogue Pharmacies Removed

BrandShield together with the Pharmaceutical Security Institute, today announced its second annual Pharma Crime report carried out from January 2023 to December 2023. The scope of the report highlights the identification and removal of thousands of fraudulent rogue pharmacies and drug listings across social media, websites, and marketplaces.

The removed listings contained counterfeit medicines purported to treat various cancers, ADHD, and diabetes, among other conditions. Between January and December 2023, the cybersecurity firm analyzed and removed more than 6,900 fraudulent drug listings and more than1,600 rogue online pharmacies.

“Efforts by fraudsters to deceive those suffering from chronic conditions into buying counterfeit, and otherwise harmful, medicines are growing,” said Yoav Keren, co-founder and CEO of BrandShield. “Through our continued collaboration with PSI, we’re proud of our efforts to protect innocent patients and prevent bad actors from inflicting harm, which can go well beyond financial losses, to physical harm and in some cases even death.”

Fraudsters Take Aim at Social Communities

According to BrandShield’s analysis, social media platforms continue to be a top target for pharmaceutical crime, where over 3,968 illegal listings were removed over the twelve-month period. Facebook was home to the highest number of illegal listings (2,149), accounting for nearly 60% of all fakes removed across the top 6 social media sites, and 250% more than closest runner-up X (806).

Breakdown of Removed Listings by Top Social Media Platforms

• Facebook – 2149
• X (formerly Twitter) – 806
• Instagram – 468
• Reddit – 144
• Pinterest – 119
• TikTok – 51

Illegitimate Pharmacies Pose as Trusted Sources

Rogue online pharmacies offered illegal treatments for a variety of conditions, including alimentary, metabolic, and hormone-related drugs. Rogue pharmacies targeting alimentary treatments were the most common with 644 sites taken down in 2023, followed by those claiming to treat metabolic conditions (279) and Hormone therapy (277). Overall, the number of removed illegal online pharmacy URLs was up approx. 14% since last year, from 1450 in 2022 to 1655 by the end of 2023. Here’s how they ranked in order of top removals by category:

Rogue Pharmacy Removals by Category

• Alimentary (e.g., stomach ulcers) – 644
• Metabolism (e.g., diabetes) – 279
• Hormone (e.g., growth therapy) – 277
• Central Nervous System (e.g., dyskinesia) – 215
• Cytostatics (e.g., cancers) – 92
• Pain Management - 61

Patients Targeted Through Legitimate Marketplaces

Over the last year, BrandShield identified and removed more than 6,900 illegal pharmaceutical listings across social media platforms and marketplaces. Among marketplace listings by country, India ranked first with 992 removals, overtaking Indonesia (544), which was first last year, and followed by China respectively (364). You can find a breakdown of the top countries with removed listings for 2023 below.

Marketplace Listing Removals by Country in 2023

• India – 992
• Indonesia – 544
• China – 364
• Brazil – 114
• Philippines – 76
• Mexico – 74
• Malaysia – 24
• Poland – 20

“Our partnership with BrandShield has again revealed the extent to which consumers and trusted companies are targets of pharmaceutical crime,” said C. Todd Ratcliffe, President and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Security Institute. “Our dedication to protecting patients’ utilization of lifesaving medicines remains unwavering, and we will continue to take necessary measures to combat these criminals who pose a threat to patient safety.”

For more information on BrandShield, please visit https://www.brandshield.com/. More information on BrandShield’s 2022-2023 disruption campaign can be found here: https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=305843

About BrandShield

BrandShield is a leading cybersecurity company that protects the world’s largest brands and consumers from phishing attacks, online fraud, counterfeiting and other online threats posed by dangerous cybercriminals. Through its AI/ML platform, BrandShield identifies, tracks, and eliminates online threats for global brands and organizations, including Bristol Myers Squibb, Levi’s, New Balance, Swisscom, and the Pharmaceutical Security Institute. To learn more about BrandShield, please visit the company website at https://www.brandshield.com/.

About the Pharmaceutical Security Institute

The Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI) is a non-profit trade association comprised of security directors from thirty-nine international research pharmaceutical manufacturers. PSI’s principal mission is to address the problem of counterfeiting, illegal diversion, and major theft of pharmaceutical products to protect patient safety. PSI’s principal activities include the collection, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence related to these criminal acts globally.

Contact Information

Eric Gonzalez

Media Contact

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