Also called: Also called: Health scams, Quackery
You have probably seen ads for miracle cures – a supplement to cure cancer, a diet to cure diabetes. But remember - if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Health fraud involves selling drugs, devices, foods or cosmetics that have not been proven effective. At best, these scams don't work. At worst, they're dangerous. They also waste money, and they might keep you from getting the treatment you really need.
Health scams often target older people. Most victims in the United States are older than 65. To protect yourself
- Question claims of "miracle cures" or "breakthroughs"
- Know that newspapers, magazines, and radio and TV stations do not have to make sure that the ads they run are true
- Find out about products before you buy them
- Don't let salespeople force you into making snap decisions
- Check with your doctor before taking products
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'Miracle' Health Claims: Add a Dose of Skepticism(Federal Trade Commission) - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/health/hea07.shtm
Also available in Spanish http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/spanish/health/s-frdheal.htm
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Health Quackery: Spotting Health Scams
(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/quackery.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol/Publicaciones/charlatanes
- How to Spot Health Fraud(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1999/699_fraud.html
- Scams and Shams That Prey on Cancer Patients(09/29/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69830.html
- Buying Prescription Medicine Online: A Consumer Safety Guide(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/buyonlineguide/
- Calorie Restriction: Is This Anti-Aging Diet Worth a Try?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/anti-aging/HQ00233/METHOD=print
- Cracking Down on Health Fraud(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2006/606_fraud.html
- Offers to Treat Biological Threats: What You Need to Know(Federal Trade Commission) - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt104.shtm
- Operation Cure All(Federal Trade Commission) - http://www.ftc.gov/cureall/
- Pump Fiction: Tips for Buying Exercise Equipment(Federal Trade Commission) - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/products/pro10.shtm
- Simple Test Rates Accuracy of Cancer-Related Web Sites(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_2_1x_Simple_Test_Rates_Accuracy_Of_Cancer-Related_Web_Sites.asp
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Smoking cessation officer is jailed in NHS fraud case. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18753169&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Crackdown on unproven cancer treatments focuses on internet marketers. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18728276&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Having your cake and eating it too--the (un)enforceability of releases... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18717155&tool=MedlinePlus
- Health Fraud -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(fraud[majr]+OR+quackery[majr])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(editorial[pt]+OR+letter[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Federal Bureau of Investigation - http://www.fbi.gov/
- Federal Trade Commission - http://www.ftc.gov/
- Food and Drug Administration - http://www.fda.gov/
- How to Report Problems with Products Regulated by FDA(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/problem.html
- Medicare Fraud(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://www.medicare.gov/fraudabuse/overview.asp
- Problem of Health Care Fraud: A Serious and Costly Reality for All Americans(National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association) - http://www.nhcaa.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?webcode=anti_fraud_resource_centr&wpscode=TheProblemOfHCFraud
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Protecting Medicare and You from Fraud(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - Links to PDF - http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10111.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10111_s.pdf
- Reporting Unlawful Sales of Medical Products on the Internet(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/oc/buyonline/buyonlineform.htm
- Consumer Protection Tips(Administration on Aging) - http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/smp/consprof/consprof_resources_tips.asp
- Fraud Target: Senior Citizens(Federal Bureau of Investigation) - http://www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/seniorsfam.htm
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Health Quackery: Spotting Health Scams(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/quackery.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol/Publicaciones/charlatanes
- Who Cares: Sources of Information about Health Care Products and Services(Federal Trade Commission) - Links to PDF - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/health/hea17.pdf
- Health System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthsystem.html