Health Fraud: How to Spot a Scam Product

What it is

Health fraud scams sell medicines, supplements, devices, foods or cosmetics that haven't been proven to work. At best they don't work; at worst they're dangerous — and they waste money and may keep you from the treatment you really need.

The dangers

Scam products may:

• be contaminated, made in unclean facilities or without proper quality control;
• contain harmful ingredients not on the label;
• cause harmful interactions with medicines you take;
• cause serious, even life-threatening, injuries.

Who they target

Scams are everywhere, promising help for common problems such as weight loss, memory loss, sexual performance and joint pain. They target people with serious conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, HIV and Alzheimer's disease.

Red flags

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Watch for claims that:

• use testimonials from "real" people or "doctors" — played by actors — reporting amazing results;
• say one product treats or cures many unrelated diseases — no single product can;
• mention conspiracies, such as "the cure the government and Big Pharma don't want you to know about";
• use phrases such as "ancient remedy," "miracle cure," "no-risk money-back guarantee," "natural cure," "quick fix," "secret ingredient" or "scientific breakthrough";
• use scientific-sounding terms that make no sense for the product, such as "molecule multiplicity";
• cite prestigious prizes, such as "Nobel Prize–winning technology."

Before you try it

Talk to your health care provider before taking an unproven or little-known product — especially if you take prescription medicines.

Sources

Based on the MedlinePlus health topic "Health Fraud," National Library of Medicine, drawing on the Food and Drug Administration; a work of the United States government in the public domain.