Medical Fraud Scams - How to recognize Them and Protect Yourself

Medical Frauds and Scams

Protecting Yourself Against Health Fraud

Medical frauds range from people posing as doctors and practicing without a license, to useless supplements, worthless or dangerous diet aides, fake medicines and cures for cancer. The links below provide information about Medical Frauds provided by reputable U.S. Federal Government Agencies and independent research organizations.

Aging

• Consumer Protection Tips on Aging
• Health Quackery: Spotting Health Scams from the National Institute on Aging

Alternative Medicines

• Alternative Medicines

Complaint forms

• Consumer Complaint Form
• Reporting Unlawful Sales of Foods/Drugs/Supplements/Cosmetics on the Internet

Dieting and weight loss

• I lost $357 in 2 weeks! Ask me how. Red Flag: Bogus Weight Loss Claims
• Tipping the Scales? Weight-Loss Ads Found Heavy on Deception

Dietary Supplements

• Claims That Can be Made for Conventional Foods and Dietary Supplements
• Colon cleansers, like Colon Flow
• Tips for the Savvy Supplement User: Making Informed Decisions FDA Consumer

Drugs

• Free drugs scam - Get free drugs from pharmaceutical companies with only a $200 fee to enroll.
• Buying Medicines and Medical Products Online from the FDA
• Buying Medicines and Medical Products Online - Advice From Other Organizations

Environmental and biological medical aids

• Offers to Treat Biological Threats: What You Need to Know

Exercise and fitness

• Avoiding the Muscle Hustle: Tips for Buying Exercise Equipment
• 'Six-Pack Abs' Electronically?

Food frauds

• Fake Food Fight (economic adulteration of food)

General

• How to Spot Health Fraud
• Fighting Fraud & Abuse from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), formerly the Health Care Financing Administration
• Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors
• Health Fraud (MEDLINEplus) from the National Library of Medicine
• Medical fraud advice from the Department of Health and Human Services Healthfinder
• "Operation Cure-all" Targets Internet Health Fraud
• From the United States Postal Inspection Service:
  • Characteristics of Telemarketing Fraud Schemes
  • Consumer Fraud By Phone or Mail, (available in PDF*)
  • Fraudulent Health and Medical Products
  • Mail Fraud Targets Young Consumers, (available in PDF*)

Government Initiatives

• Agencies Team Up in War Against Internet Health Fraud September-October 2001
• FDA/State AIDS Health Fraud Task Forces June 2001

Magazines

• Diet, Health and Fitness Publications

Medicines

• Free drugs scam - Get free drugs from pharmaceutical companies with only a $200 fee to enroll.
• Buying Medicines and Medical Products Online from the FDA
• Buying Medicines and Medical Products Online - Advice From Other Organizations

Miracle cures

• 'Miracle' Health Claims: Add a Dose of Skepticism (FDA, FTC)

Sleep and Snoring Aids

• Can Anti-Snoring Claims Be Cause for Alarm?

Telemarketers

• Telemarketing

Test kits and diagnostic testing frauds

• Buying Diagnostic Tests From the Internet: Buyer Beware!

Treatments and therapy frauds

• An FDA Guide to Choosing Medical Treatments
• The Truth About Choosing Medical Treatments

 

*PDF Readers are available for free from the Adobe Acrobat web site.

 

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For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.