Personal Insights: March 2021

LIFE

Purchasing Medication Online

Ordering your prescriptions online and having them delivered right to your door can be convenient. That being said, purchasing medication online can also carry significant risk, and it’s important to take precautions to keep your health and personal information safe.

Only 3% of online pharmacies are reviewed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy in compliance with U.S. pharmacy laws and standards. With this in mind, many online sources for purchasing medication may not be licensed pharmacies or may not actually be pharmacies at all. As a result, diagnoses may be incorrect, and you could be sold medication that isn’t helpful to your health condition. Luckily, it is fairly simple to identify whether an online pharmacy is safe and legitimate.

Consider these tips to help determine whether an online pharmacy is safe:

• Look for a “Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites” seal on the site.
• Make sure the site requires you to complete a questionnaire or provide a prescription from your health care provider.
• Check to see if the pharmacy has a physical address in the United States. Be wary of sites that ship prescriptions worldwide or are physically located in a foreign country.
• Contact your state board of pharmacy to confirm whether the site is licensed.
• Make sure the site’s prices are relatively similar to what you usually pay for your medications. Don’t believe discounts or prices that seem too good to be true.
• Check the site to see if there is a state-licensed pharmacist to answer any questions you might have.

By using these tips, you can find better peace of mind when choosing an online pharmacy and safely purchasing your prescriptions online.

AUTO

Avoiding Staged Auto Accident Fraud

Staged auto accident fraud occurs when a criminal targets another driver on the road and uses manipulative methods to get them to crash their vehicle into the criminal’s vehicle. From there, the criminal uses the crash incident as a way to file false insurance claims.

This form of fraud can appear in a variety of sophisticated schemes. Here are some common methods of staged auto accident fraud:

• The Drive Down: After being motioned by the criminal, the victim merges into traffic. As they merge, the criminal speeds up to cause a collision, later denying any motion to merge.
• The Panic Stop: The criminal pulls in front of the victim, and a passenger watches for the victim to become distracted. Once distracted, the criminal slams on the brakes, causing the victim to rear-end the criminal.
• The Sideswipe: The criminal positions their vehicle in the outer turn lane and sideswipes the victim in the inner turn lane.

To prevent staged auto accident fraud, always avoid tailgating other vehicles, as tailgating makes it easier for criminals to target you on the road. If you do get in an accident, call the police immediately, and document the damages by taking pictures and videos on your phone. Be sure to get the names and contact information of everyone involved—even vehicle passengers.

For additional driving risk management guidance and auto insurance solutions, contact us today.