The Most Dangerous Health Scams

Today i decided to share with you some well-known aids that are not the ones they claim to be

So look, remember and beware

Ephedra

While marginally effective, this popular diet aid didn't result in nearly as much weight loss as its ads claimed, and it had the nasty side effect of raising blood pressure enough to cause strokes, heart problems and dizziness. This wasn't entirely unexpected, given that the active ingredient in ephedra is almost identical to synthetic ephedrine, which the FDA has carefully regulated for years.

Q-Ray Magnetic Bracelet

A magnetic bracelet marketed for relief of musculoskeletal pain, sciatica, headaches, tendinitis and injuries, the Q-Ray was reportedly ionized by a secret process that conferred pain-relieving abilities. The marketers, Que Te Park and Jung Joo Park, also offered a 30-day money-back guarantee that was frequently unavailable when customers requested a refund.

A panel of experts, including Richard Cleland, assistant director for the division of advertising practices at the Federal Trade Commission; Dr. Robert Baratz, MD, DDS, PhD, president of the National Council Against Health Fraud; and Andrea Giancoli, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, found these to be the most scientifically inaccurate, physically and fiscally damaging health scams over the past five years.

Other notable health scams have included false cures for AIDS, diabetes and cancer, offering treatments such as malariotherapy, ozone therapy, Cancell and the 7-Day Miracle Cleanse.

These sorts of nostrums, critics contend, are dangerous because they prey on people who are afraid and sick, convincing them to forgo traditional therapies like chemotherapy, sometimes for so long that their diseases progress and are no longer curable.

Such was the case in the mid-'90s with New Yorker Julianne Charell, a woman in her sixties who was so mired in controversial Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez's suspect cancer regimen--which included repeated coffee enemas and up to 150 vitamin pills a day--that she went blind before she realized her cancer had spread.

So... BEWARE, people!!! And tell me what do you think about this...

Charity Scams

The Set-Up

A charity presents you with a need.

The Hook

You respond generously, without checking the charity's or collector's credentials.

The Sting

There was no charity, your money is gone, and the people in need get nothing.

 You are presented with an opportunity to be generous, and you respond. Unfortunately the charity turns out to be fake or a scammer pretending to be a real charity. You lose your money.

Natural disasters are often the trigger for fake charity scams. Scammers were asking for money immediately after the 2004 tsunami.

Other charity scammers will play on your emotions by presenting you with images and stories about sick children or homeless animals.

Variations:

Charity Lottery Scams

Scammers can set up lotteries and sell tickets promoting the idea that the proceeds will be going to charity. If you check the terms and conditions of the lottery, though (which you should always do) you may discover that only a tiny fraction of the money raised goes to charity.

Stay Safe

If you are contacted by a charity you have never heard of before, do some research before saying 'yes' to any appeal.

If you are approached face-to-face by someone representing a charity, look for official identification. Even if they have ID, check for signs that the ID may be faked.

Do not be pressured or intimidated or made to feel guilty. Genuine charities would regard such tactics as bad for their reputations.

Ask for full details of the charity, such as name, address, phone number and charity registration details. If the collector is reluctant to give out this information, find another way to contribute.

Help Keep Others Safe