Health Con Artists
They may no longer travel the countryside in wagons laden with bottles of miracle tonics, but health swindlers still prey on consumers. Pills, creams, and devices that supposedly allow you to lose weight easily, grow hair, or tone your body are especially prevalent. Convincing testimonials, incredible before-and-after pictures, and great "bargain" pricing lure health-conscious, youth-conscious, I-want-immediate-and-improbable-results spenders.
Deceptive claims abound for serious medical conditions as well. Unproven arthritis remedies like copper bracelets, special diets, and questionable drugs bilk sufferers out of millions of dollars annually. There are even medications and clinics that fraudulently offer "miracle cures" for cancer.
To detect a fraudulent product, you need to know the language of its maker. Many swindlers promote their products as being painless or working faster than conventional medicine, and they offer money-back guarantees (although they usually skip town by the time you find out you've been tricked). Most embellish their advertising with impressive-sounding, but bogus, ingredients, or claim that their products have exotic or ancient origins.
Before investing in such a product, check it out with a doctor, pharmacist, or other health expert. The Better Business Bureau, your state Attorney General's office, or the nearest Food and Drug Administration are other good sources to which you can refer.
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