Counterfeit Cancer Drugs

According to the FBI, Hazim Gaber (a Canadian) was sentenced to 33 months in prison for selling counterfeit cancer drugs on the internet.  These drugs were sold in the United States and several other countries.  He was also ordered to pay a $75,000 fine and pay $53,724 in restitution along with three years supervised release following his prison term.

He claimed to be selling the drug sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) through the website DCAdvice.com.  DCA is an experimental treatment for cancer and is currently undergoing testing by the FDA (see phase III Randomized Study) but is not approved by the FDA at this time.

The packages sold by Gaber actually contained a mixture of starch, dextrin, and dextrose or lactose.  Included with each package was a fraudulent certificate from a nonexistent laboratory and instructions on how to ingest the drug. 

This fraud preyed on individuals desperate for a cure to cancer.  These individuals are willing to take chances and ignore normal caution that should be used when dealing with claims over the internet.  They had no means to ascertain the quality of the product  they were purchasing and could not turn to medical professionals since the drug cannot be prescribed in the United States.

Please use due diligence when dealing with offers over the internet.  Check the business through the Better Business Bureau or contact the local chamber of commerce where the business operates.  Become a Fraud Buster.

If you have been a victim of fraud or are aware of or suspect fraudulent activity, I would like to hear from you.  Please give me a call 332-7272 or send an email to alan@schottandco.com