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Scam Alert: Buying prescription drugs online can be risky

Posted at 8:03 PM, Feb 18, 2013
and last updated 2013-02-18 20:03:50-05

Buying prescription drugs online can be cheaper and more convenient.

But it can also be more risky if you don't know who you're buying from.

Nina found her sister was taking large quantities of these drugs obtained online and over the phone. Her sister took her own life and Nina was determined to find out why.

“In the weeks after she died, I got 100,000 doses of these drugs. There is no reason for anyone to have that many doses of any drugs,” says Nina.

'I had her cell phone and she would get 33 calls a day. The vendors would call and say, “I just sent your prescriptions, I just sent your drugs to you. Can I send you more?” Nina says.

Nina discovered her sister was buying drugs from other countries.

'When you aren`t buying it from a reputable source, I wondered, was there something else in the drugs? Was it really what it was supposed to be? Were there impurities?Did it cause her to commit suicide?” asked Nina.

Postal inspectors say buying drugs outside the U.S. is dangerous.

Telemarketers lure customers with cheaper prices and convenience. The elderly, poor or those with an addiction are often easy prey. Some advice: know what you`re buying.

Postal inspectors and agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration are working together to trace the origin of these packages that Nina`s sister received.

'What I want is for no other family and friend to have to go through what I went through with my sister,” says Nina.

The takeaway from this story: only purchase prescription drugs from sources you know you can trust.

To do otherwise involves risking your health and your life.