"Izvestia" uncovered a scheme of fraudulent sales of pseudo-drugs with markups of up to 4200%

In many regions of Russia, there is a network of fraudsters who sell nutritional supplements and concentrates for making sodas to pensioners under the guise of cures for serious illnesses and at a markup of up to 4200%. This was found out by Izvestia in the course of its own investigation.

Fictitious scientists and doctors advertise pseudo-drugs in the free newspaper "ProZdorovye". They promise that the drugs will help quickly restore eyesight, hearing, cure joints, heart, etc.

The newspaper is distributed in mailboxes in many cities. Pensioners are invited to come to "sales", which are usually held in crowded places in dormitory neighborhoods. In addition, pseudo-drugs are sold on a special "Zdravomed" website on the Internet.

The ProZdorovanie newspaper is not registered as a mass media outlet and has no output data, and the names of doctors who advertise medicines in it are fictitious.

At the same time, the composition of the advertised drugs contains nothing but herbal components and vitamins.

"The drugs advertised in the newspaper do not have state registration, or are registered as cosmetics, perfume, food supplements," Sergei Zelenets, head of the Association of Expertise of Medicines and Other Products, told Izvestia. - These pseudo-drugs simply cannot physically produce the miraculous effects attributed to them. Elderly people not only lose their retirement savings, but also waste time on false treatment."

"Izvestia" also found out that most of these products have expired or suspended certificates confirming that they are authorized for sale in Russia.

Read more in Izvestia's exclusive piece:

PodBADrili: how concentrates for sodas are sold under the guise of miracle drugs