Opinion: Ferreting out prescription drug scams on social media

“Are you in pain?”

Millions of Facebook users saw an ad asking this question and suggesting that relief was available by clicking here. Those who clicked were presented with a pop-up survey that sought more information about their pain condition, along with insurance and personal contact information. For the unsuspecting folks who filled out the survey, their involvement in a multimillion-dollar fraudulent prescription drug scheme had just begun.

I head a team of investigators at Express Scripts. We spend each day identifying and tracking social media scams that