People have delighted in the true serenity of knowing their physician endorsed solutions are sheltered and successful. Be that as it may, a great deal has changed following the 1980's, including the presentation of the overall web - which has prompted an increment in maverick web drug store locales. Sadly, criminal systems around the globe have turn out to be progressively refined, exploiting a large number of patients around the world by offering shoddy fake medications on Internet locales, a number of which take on the appearance of true blue drug stores and showcase the trusted banner.

Since it is so natural to make a site, there are at present a huge number of these illegitimate locales. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy has investigated more than 10,000 of them with really terrifying results: Only 3 percent of the destinations give off an impression of being in consistence with drug store laws and practice standards.

Fake online pharmacies use the Internet and spam emails to offer drugs and medicine at very cheap prices and/or without the need for a prescription from a doctor. If you use such a service and you actually do receive the products in response to your order, there is no guarantee that they are the real thing.

There are legitimate online pharmacies. These businesses will have their full contact details listed on their website and will also require a valid prescription before they send out any medicine that requires one

Protect yourself:

• Avoid sites that are located outside of your country
  
  
• Avoid sites that don’t indicate any physical address
  
  
• Avoid sites that don’t have a license by the relevant government authority
  
  
• Avoid sites without a licensed pharmacist to answer questions
  
  
• Avoid sites that do not require a prescription
  
  
• There are no magic pills, miracle cures or safe options for serious medical conditions or rapid weight loss.
  
  
• Never commit to anything under pressure.
  
  
• Don’t trust an unsubstantiated claim about medicines, supplements or other treatments. Consult your healthcare professional.
  
  
• Check for published medical and research papers to verify the accuracy of the claims made by the promoters.
  
  
• Ask yourself if this is really a miracle cure, wouldn’t my healthcare professional have told me about it?

Most all of us have been there: a beloved wife, husband, mother, father, daughter, son, or dear friend is diagnosed with cancer. We know the treatment is painful and the cure, chancy. We hate the thought of the suffering ahead. What we want more than anything is a breakthrough - a cure that will also protect our loved ones from debilitating side effects.

And then we hear about a revolutionary cancer research project that sounds completely on the up and up...it just needs financial backing. Seductive? You bet. Understandably, people fall for it like a ton of bricks.

Take a case out of the FBI's Jacksonville office:

A woman claiming to have a master’s degree in clinical nutrition was successfully marketing a full-body "electrotherapy cancer machine" across the United States.

The wind up: She said it was a breakthrough development by a London-based team of doctors, lab technicians, and physicists from the combined research fields of electromagnetic field therapy, radio frequency therapy, crystal healing therapy, and "human energy" healing.

The pitch: The machine had been tested on local cancer patients in London who were now cured, and a European company had promised to buy the machine for millions of dollars. Money was needed to complete the project...and the return on investors’ money would be at least 50% and likely much more.

The foul: Thanks to an alert local bank investigator who was suspicious of an account suddenly receiving massive numbers of wire transfers in 2003, our Jacksonville office was contacted. We opened a case and turned two undercover agents into wannabe investors. It was just a matter of time before a joint investigation with our local Florida police partners turned up hard evidence that the full-body "electrotherapy cancer machine" was a complete fraud...to the tune of $2.5 million illegally raked in between 1997 and 2003.

Game over: In mid-2004, investigators had enough evidence for indictments on wire fraud charges. With our police partners - the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office in Florida and the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana - we arrested two subjects. Trials are coming up shortly.

Lessons learned: We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: If it sounds too good to be true, it IS too good to be true. Whether it’s a miracle cure or a miracle return on investment that interests you, please first go down our checklist on how to avoid these classic "advance fee scams".

Medical scams prey on human suffering. They offer solutions where none exist or promise to simplify complex health treatments.

Miracle cure scams offer a range of products and services that can appear to be legitimate alternative medicines, usually promising quick and effective remedies for serious medical conditions. The treatments claim to be effective against a very wide range of ailments and are often promoted using testimonials from people who have used the product or service and have been "cured".

Weight loss scams promise dramatic weight loss with little or no effort. This type of scam may involve an unusual or restrictive diet, revolutionary exercise or "fat-busting" devices, or breakthrough products such as pills, patches or creams. The products are promoted with the use of false claims such as "lose 10 kilos in 10 days" or "lose weight while you sleep", and often require large advance payments or that you enter into a long-term contract to participate in the program.

Fake online pharmacies use the Internet and spam emails to offer drugs and medicine at very cheap prices and/or without the need for a prescription from a doctor. If you use such a service and you actually do receive the products in response to your order, there is no guarantee that they are the real thing.

There are legitimate online pharmacies. These businesses will have their full contact details listed on their website and will also require a valid prescription before they send out any medicine that requires one

Protect yourself:

• There are no magic pills, miracle cures or safe options for serious medical conditions or rapid weight loss.
  
  
• Never commit to anything under pressure.
  
  
• Don’t trust an unsubstantiated claim about medicines, supplements or other treatments. Consult your healthcare professional.
  
  
• Check for published medical and research papers to verify the accuracy of the claims made by the promoters.
  
  
• Ask yourself if there is really a miracle cure available, wouldn’t my healthcare professional have told me about it?