According to recent reports from the Food and Drug Administration, fake versions of GlaxoSmithKline’s drug Alli were found to have dangerously high levels of the prescription weight loss ingredient sibutramine.

Sibutramine is the main ingredient in the diet drug Meridia. Although with the right dosage sibutramine can be used safely, the amount of sibutramine found in the counterfeit Alli poses a serious health risk to some individuals.

Dr. Janet Woodcock, head of the FDA’s drug unit, told reporters

“A person taking the counterfeit Alli as directed would be exposed to twice the maximum prescription dose of sibutramine every day.”

Woodcock said even healthy people exposed to the counterfeit Alli pills could experience effects including palpitations, sleepiness, anxiety, nausea and slightly elevated blood pressure.

Fake version of the diet drug have been found for sale mainly at online auctions sites like eBay.

The FDA and GlaxoSmithKline are urging consumers to check any Alli recently purchased to make sure it is the real deal. The FDA said the counterfeit Alli has:

– An outer cardboard packaging missing a `”Lot`” code.

– An expiration date that includes the month, day, and year (“06162010″), while authentic Alli expiration date includes only the month and year (“05/12″).

– Packaging in a plastic bottle that has a slightly taller and wider cap with coarser ribbing than the genuine product.

– A plain foil inner safety seal under the plastic cap without any printed words. The authentic product seal is printed with “SEALED FOR YOUR PROTECTION.”

– Contains larger capsules with a white powder, instead of small white pellets.

Online  scammers are taking their game to another level, seeking to take advantage of those who have purchased their medications from an online pharmacy.

The Food and Drug Administration warned last week that scammer’s posing as FDA agents have been calling online pharmacy customers, demanding that they pay specified fines for purchasing their drugs online or over the phone.

According to the FDA

The criminals call the victims — who in most cases previously purchased drugs over the Internet or via “telepharmacies” — and identify themselves as FDA special agents or other law enforcement officials. The criminals inform the victims that purchasing drugs over the Internet or the telephone is illegal, and that law enforcement action will be pursued unless a fine or fee ranging from $100 to $250,000 is paid. Victims often also have fraudulent transactions placed against their credit cards.

The criminals always request the money be sent by wire transfer to a designated location, usually in the Dominican Republic. If victims refuse to send money, they are often threatened with a search of their property, arrest, deportation, physical harm, and or incarceration.

Anybody that gets a call simular to this should refuse the demand and call the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office at (800) 521-5783 to report the crime.

Remember, this is the reason you should never order meds from spam pharmacies that are unproven and malicious. If you need to order medications online, you should order them from safe verified pharmacies, that will give you quality medication and keep your information safe.