Fake Minsa Inspectors in Panama: Alert for Clinics and Pharmacies

What Minsa said on October 27, 2026

According to Telemetro, Panama's Ministry of Health (Minsa) warned on October 27, 2026 about people posing as officials to demand money from stores, pharmacies, beauty salons, laboratories and other establishments. The pretext is alleged problems with sanitary permits, food handling or other legal requirements¹.

On its X account, Minsa specified that the scammers claim to be sanitary inspectors, veterinarians or officials of the Pharmacy and Drugs Department. Demands arrive by phone call or WhatsApp and payment is requested by Yappy, online banking or deposits into personal or corporate accounts¹.

A recurring scam in Panama: 2019 to 2026

The October alert is the latest in a series. In December 2019, Deputy Minister of Domestic Commerce Omar Montilla reported fake officials of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries in San Miguelito, carrying IDs without the official logo and asking for money so they would not report operating-notice violations⁸. In October 2021, during a night operation in Juan Díaz, Minsa warned that "people outside Minsa" were posing as inspectors and demanding payments or donations to avoid closures⁹.

In 2020, Herrera's public health chief Stacy Osorio explained that trainings and covid-19 protocol certificates were offered, with charges of up to $300, while the procedure was free⁷. In July 2023, in Los Santos, Minsa described fake Food Control officials offering worthless "hygiene manuals" and asking for deposits into private accounts⁵; days later its National Directorate of Food Control and Veterinary Surveillance spoke of "fraudulent charges" and said online or card payments are not accepted⁶.

In January 2023, in Colón, regional director Edgar Coto warned of two fake officials demanding $400 from merchants, saying inspectors "do not ask any merchant for money"⁴. On March 10, 2026 Minsa repeated the alert and recalled that these practices "constitute crimes of identity impersonation and fraud"².

Private clinics: the Veraguas and Chiriquí case

The pattern has reached private healthcare. In August 2024, Panamá América reported scams against two private clinics in Veraguas and nine cases in Chiriquí. The impostors threatened fines and even closure; Veraguas clinics were asked to update health permits and the procedures manual for a sum, which they paid through online banking. Minsa opened an administrative investigation³.

Chiriquí regional director Federico Alberto Pérez explained that every inspection is documented with a report, with a copy to the establishment's legal representative, and that "no inspector is authorized to sanction, fine or grant deadlines"³. Anyone running a practice, aesthetic clinic or pharmacy is a natural target because they depend on operating permits and sanitary registration. For the legal framework on who may inject and what is required, see our guide to aesthetic medicine in Panama and the physician's legal map.

How to recognize a legitimate inspection

• In person and identified. The official must show a current institutional ID and a note stating the purpose of the visit¹².
• Leaves a report. The inspection is documented and the legal representative gets a copy³; in 2023 Minsa added that legitimate inspectors wear uniforms and carry ID⁶.
• Does not collect at your door. A fine requires a formal resolution and is paid at official regional health offices, with a receipt¹; in Los Santos, Minsa said sanctions are paid only at regional offices⁵.
• Does not ask for Yappy, online banking or deposits into personal accounts¹³.
• Does not sell "manuals" or "certificates" outside the official procedure⁵⁷.

What to do after a suspicious call or visit

Minsa recommends verifying the official's identity and confirming the inspection with the relevant regional health office; not handing over money or transferring funds; distrusting threats and urgent payments; not sharing passwords or codes; keeping calls, messages, numbers and documents; and reporting to the competent authorities, including the Prosecutor's Office, if you lost money¹. The Telemetro report lists no hotline numbers, so check current channels with Minsa or your regional office.

What the law says: Law 524 of 2026

According to La Prensa, Law 524, signed by President José Raúl Mulino on May 26, 2026, amends articles 220 and 221 of the Penal Code: simple fraud carries 3 to 6 years in prison, raised by up to a third for identity usurpation, cyber or computer means, or economic damage between $50,000 and $100,000; aggravated fraud carries 7 to 12 years¹⁰. Panamá América reported that the Public Ministry counted 2,279 fraud complaints through April 2026, 20% more than in 2025¹¹. Before enactment, Infobae described the bill with different ranges (4 to 6 years), so cite the enacted text rather than the draft¹².

This risk coexists with genuine state control over medicines and cosmetics. On September 1, 2026 Minsa launched a campaign against counterfeit medicines; national Pharmacy and Drugs director Uriel Pérez said several sanitary registrations of products sold without authorization were cancelled this year¹³. More context in Minsa's counterfeit alerts and campaign and the registration double standard in aesthetics.