Before you believe addiction or cancer claims, read this

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If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or dealing with a serious disease like cancer, Parkinson’s, or Alzheimer’s, you’ve probably looked for the best treatment out there. But how do you know if promises in ads about treatments and recovery are true?

Some health care providers say they’ll cure all kinds of diseases and addictions — without reliable proof that they can. That includes medical clinic AWAREmed and the physician who ran it, Dr. Dalal Akoury, according to the latest complaint and settlement filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on the FTC’s behalf. The FTC says that AWAREmed and Akoury used misleading ads promising a painless 10-day recovery from a variety of addictions — from drugs and alcohol to food and gambling. When it came to cancer treatments, they promised that most patients would get back to work and regular social activities, even becoming cancer-free, after visiting the clinic. But, according to the FTC’s complaint, AWAREmed didn’t have scientific research or testing to back up their claims.

Thanks to a settlement with the FTC, AWAREmed and Akoury have to pay $100,000 and can’t make claims about treatments or cures without actual scientific evidence.

Before you say yes to any kind of specialized medical treatment

• Talk to your doctor or healthcare professional.
• Search for the name of the treatment or product online, plus the words “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.” See what others are saying.
• Know that no government agency approves ads about medical treatments before they go public.

Read more about common health scams. And if you think a company is making false health claims, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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