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?