Pharma fraud: How illegal online pharmacies endanger your health and your wallet

Even when a website looks legitimate, buying medicine online can expose you to scams that might seriously impact your finances, data or even physical health. 

When you’re in urgent need of medication – whether it’s a routine antibiotic, a high-demand weight loss treatment, or something more private – the internet can seem like the quickest, most discreet option. Convincing websites offer overnight shipping, low prices, and confidentiality, often displaying official-looking seals and polished branding that appear trustworthy.  

But behind this façade lies a dangerous scheme: a widespread type of cybercrime we call Pharma fraud.  

 What is pharma fraud?  

Pharma fraud refers to the growing threat of fraudulent online pharmacies – scammers that pose as legitimate pharmacies while distributing counterfeit, contaminated, or entirely fake medications. These websites can steal your money or personal information and may even put your health at serious risk.  

In fact, research shows that over 95% of online pharmacies operate illegally, exploiting vulnerable consumers and undermining public health. In the first half of 2025 alone, Avast helped protect nearly 1 million people from dangerous online pharmacies.  

A hidden criminal network  

While thousands of individual pharmacy websites exist, many are linked to a single organized cybercrime infrastructure. Researchers for Avast have identified a large-scale criminal network that is a coordinated enterprise behind more than 5,000 pharmacy-related domains, all controlled by the same operators.  

This group uses advanced tactics to hide their activities, including:  

• Hijacking legitimate medical websites  

• Manipulating search engine results  

• Exploiting public hosting services  

• Using decentralized payment processing  

This is just one of several known networks. The global scope of Pharma fraud operations is likely much larger and growing.  

  What they sell and why It’s risky  

 Our team conducted an in-depth analysis of the medications sold across the criminal network-affiliated websites. The findings were troubling.  

These sites focus on high-demand, high-risk, and high-shame treatments — drugs that people are either desperate to get quickly, prefer to keep private, or can’t afford through traditional means. Among the most frequently listed:  

Erectile Dysfunction & Sexual Health  

• Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra  

• Generic versions like Cenforce, Fildena, Vidalista, Apcalis, Tadalista  

• Priligy  

Weight Loss, Diabetes, & Hormones  

• Rybelsus and Metformin which are diabetes medications sometimes used off-label for weight loss  

• Mircette (Ethinylestradiol) and Estrace (Estradiol), estrogens used in contraceptives and hormone therapy  

• Clomid, a drug used to address fertility  

Antibiotics & General Medications  

• Amoxil (Amoxicillin), Zithromax, Doxycycline  

• Prednisolone, Ventolin, Lasix  

Misused or Misrepresented Treatments  

• Stromectol (Ivermectin), an antiparasitic drug falsely promoted as a COVID-19 treatment  

• Tretinoin for acne and other skin conditions, often sold without dermatological oversight  

• Propecia for hair loss, containing finasteride, a drug with significant hormonal effects   

This list highlights how Pharma fraud sites capitalize on medications tied to personal stigma, chronic conditions, and public health misinformation. Many of these substances are dangerous without proper prescription guidance or are outright illegal to sell online in certain regions.  

How pharma fraud scams work  

Pharma fraud campaigns take advantage of people’s emotions, digital deception, and payment fraud to lure and exploit victims. Common techniques include:  

Email spam with medical imagery, urgent deals, exclusive offers, and fake credentials  

• Ads on adult sites and occasionally mainstream platforms  

• Fake blogs offering health tips but redirecting to scam pharmacies  

• Counterfeit review sites filled with glowing, but fabricated, testimonials  

• Search engine manipulation and website hijacking, redirecting people from legitimate resources, including AI chatbot  

Once a person reaches a fraudulent site, they’re immersed in what feels like a real online pharmacy—with professional design, chat support, and detailed product descriptions. But when it's time to pay, the red flags surface:  

• Unsecured or sketchy payment processors  

• Requests for cryptocurrency or wire transfers  

• Harvesting of sensitive personal information such as date of birth and medical information or financial data   

• Pressure tactics like: “Try a different card” or “Contact your bank to approve the charge”  

Beyond the scam: the health dangers  

Financial loss is bad. But counterfeit drugs can have life-threatening consequences:  

• No active ingredients delay real treatment for serious conditions  

• Toxic substances can contain heavy metals, pesticides, or even animal tranquilizers  

• Intentional contamination that may severely impact your health These drugs often look convincingly real with forged labels, fake expiration dates, and barcodes. But what's inside can be deadly.  

 Red flags: how to spot a scam pharmacy  

If you see any of the following, think twice before clicking "add to cart":  

• No prescription required  

• Prices that seem too good to be true  

• No contact info or licensed pharmacist  

• Poor grammar or sloppy site content  

• Display logos of antivirus or regulatory authorities that cannot be clicked  

• Pushes cryptocurrency payments  

• “Limited time offer!” pressure language  

How to buy medication safely online  

 Stay safe with these smart practices:  

• Use verified pharmacies – In the U.S., look for the NABP’s VIPPS seal (Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites).   

• Require a valid prescription – No real pharmacy skips this step  

• Ask for a licensed pharmacist – Real professionals are available to answer questions  

• Stick to trusted payment options – Avoid crypto, gift cards, or direct wire transfers  

• Review privacy policies – Your health data should be protected, not harvested  

When in doubt, cross-check any online pharmacy at safe.pharmacy , the FDA’s BeSafeRx tool or through country’s regulatory authority. Pharma fraud isn’t just about stealing your money—it’s about exploiting your health, your trust, and your vulnerability. As demand for online medication grows, so does the need for awareness.  

By staying informed and skeptical, and using tools like Avast Free Antivirus with Scam Guardian, you can protect your health and help stop the spread of this global cybercrime epidemic.