Bloomingdale, IL (April 13, 2023) – NOW^® recently discovered multiple fraudulent supplements sold on Amazon impersonating the NOW^® brand as well as another prominent supplement brand. NOW^® began investigating after being notified by several consumers about suspicious NOW^® branded products they had purchased. 

NOW^® discovered that one fraudulent company, operating under the name of A2X1, has been selling 11 different counterfeit NOW^® supplements on Amazon USA for about two weeks.  These products look like NOW^® supplements at first appearance, but the packaging, labels, and contents are clearly falsified. Each product contains small white capsules with an odorless white powder.

Today NOW^® concluded its analysis of the white powders in the capsules and confirmed that they contain white rice flour. NOW^® also found trace amounts of the pharmaceutical Sildenafil in some samples, which is being reported to the FDA and, as a result, expect Amazon to do a recall of all items sold on Amazon by the seller A2X1.    

“It’s enraging that these criminals are trying to cash in on trust in the NOW^® brand, earned over decades, to defraud consumers,” said Dan Richard, NOW^® Health Group VP of Global Sales and Marketing.

On April 11 Amazon agreed to block all sales by the seller A2X1.  NOW^® has asked  Amazon to recall each item sold, and give NOW^® a list of these consumers, plus inventory levels and information about the fraudulent seller. 

While investigating this problem, NOW^® discovered that the same seller listed several vitamins from another prominent supplement brand as well.  NOW^® has been in communication with that company and is working with them to get to the source of this problem.  

“We remain on high alert regarding this problem and have contacted the FDA Health Fraud Brand division as well as Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit,” Dan said.  “Additional legal steps are being taken in order to find the source of the problem and put it out of business. However, we fear that these fraudulent products may reappear on Amazon by a different seller name, or on another platform or in other international markets.”

NOW^® is actively working to resolve this safety threat and considers this matter as the highest priority.  Anyone who can assist in this investigation is asked to call NOW’s Customer Service team at 800-999-8069 x 2.

Some examples of fraudulent products appear in images below:

 

Some of the packaging differences include:

• The bottle is not the exact same bottle NOW^® uses; the neck is different.
• The fraudulent product lids are childproof, and not purple.
• Each label does not contain any UPC number.
• There is no lot number or any imprint on the bottom of the bottles.
• The labels are squared on the edges, and not rounded.
• The NOW^® logo on the front is slightly elongated, as is the main product name.
• The labels can peel off and are not permanent, and are slightly more shiny.

Some of the items were listed on Amazon as tablets or softgels, but consumers received small white #1 capsules, and the bottles are labeled as capsules even in cases where NOW^® does not make or sell that product in that form.

The fraudulent products found, so far, are listed below:

NOW Adam Male Multi 180 Softgels

NOW Apple Pectin 700mg 120 Veg Caps

NOW D-Mannose 500mg 300 Veg Caps

NOW l-Glutamine 500mg 300 Caps

NOW l-Lysine 500mg 250 Veg Caps

NOW Lutein & Zeaxanthin 50 Caps (Should be Softgels)

NOW Magnesium Citrate 200mg 250 Tabs (Product is Capsules)

NOW Mood Support 90 Veg Caps

NOW Psyllium Husk 500mg 500 Veg Caps

NOW Saccharomyces Boulardii 60 Veg Caps

NOW Valerian Root 500mg 250 Veg Caps

ABOUT NOW^®:

Founded by Elwood Richard in 1968 on the belief that natural is better, NOW has grown from a small family operation into one of the most highly respected manufacturers in the natural products industry. Still a family-owned company today, NOW^® provides customers with a comprehensive approach to wellness by offering more than 1,400 dietary supplements, functional foods, sports nutrition and health and beauty products. NOW is committed to offering safe, affordable products of the highest quality, and is a highly regarded advocate in the natural products industry. After 55 years in the natural products industry, NOW^®remains committed to its original mission – to provide value in products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives.  NOWFoods.com