A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Health Fraud
Also called: Health scams, Quackery
You have probably seen ads for miracle cures - a supplement to cure cancer, a diet to cure diabetes. But remember - if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Health fraud involves selling drugs, devices, foods or cosmetics that have not been proven effective. At best, these scams don't work. At worst, they're dangerous. They also waste money, and they might keep you from getting the treatment you really need.
Health scams often target older people. Most victims in the United States are older than 65. To protect yourself
- Question claims of "miracle cures" or "breakthroughs"
- Know that newspapers, magazines, and radio and TV stations do not have to make sure that the ads they run are true
- Find out about products before you buy them
- Don't let salespeople force you into making snap decisions
- Check with your doctor before taking products
-
Start Here
- 'Miracle' Health Claims: Add a Dose of Skepticism(Federal Trade Commission)
- Also available in Spanish
-
Beware of Health Scams(National Institute on Aging)
- Also available in Spanish
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
,
Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
.
For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
,
Reference Shelf
, and
For You
.
For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
-
Overviews
- Don't Be Fooled By Health Fraud Scams(Food and Drug Administration)
- FDA 101: Health Fraud Awareness(Food and Drug Administration)
- Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Health Scams! Don't Take the Risk(Food and Drug Administration)
- How to Spot Health Fraud(Food and Drug Administration)
-
Specific Conditions
- Beware of Fraudulent 'Dietary Supplements'(Food and Drug Administration)
- Also available in Spanish
-
Beware of Fraudulent Weight-Loss 'Dietary Supplements'
(Food and Drug Administration)
- Cancer Information on the Internet(American Cancer Society)
- Closer Look at Stem Cell Treatments(International Society for Stem Cell Research)
- Cure-ious? Ask(Federal Trade Commission)
- Also available in Spanish
- Pump Fiction: Tips for Buying Exercise Equipment(Federal Trade Commission)
- Scam Alert: Beware of Bogus FDA Agents(Food and Drug Administration)
-
Related Issues
- Buying Medicines over the Internet(Food and Drug Administration)
- Also available in Spanish
- Who Cares: Sources of Information about Health Care Products and Services(Federal Trade Commission)
- You Can Help Protect Yourself and Medicare from Fraud Committed by Dishonest Suppliers(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - PDF
-
Videos
- Anatomy of a Cancer Treatment Scam(Federal Trade Commission)
- Beware of Fraudulent Weight-Loss 'Dietary Supplements'(Food and Drug Administration)
- Health Fraud Awareness(Food and Drug Administration)
- Health Fraud Scams - Be Smart, Be Aware, Be Careful(Food and Drug Administration)
- Health Fraud Scams Don't Let This Happen to You(Food and Drug Administration)
- Herbal Dietary Supplements: Examples of Deceptive or Questionable Marketing Practices and Potentially Dangerous Advice(Government Accountability Office)
- Return to top
-
Research
-
Herbal Dietary Supplements: Examples of Deceptive or Questionable Marketing Practices and Potentially Dangerous Advice(Government Accountability Office)
- Return to top
-
Herbal Dietary Supplements: Examples of Deceptive or Questionable Marketing Practices and Potentially Dangerous Advice
-
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Quackery, placebos, and other thoughts: an integrative oncologist's perspective.
- Article: The key to reducing quackery lies in healing patients and...
- Article: Cancer quackery: the persistent popularity of useless, irrational 'alternative' treatments.
- Health Fraud -- see more articles
- Return to top
-
Organizations
-
Law and Policy
- Medicare Fraud & Abuse(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
- Also available in Spanish
- Report a Problem to FDA(Food and Drug Administration)
- Return to top
-
Seniors
-
Beware of Health Scams(National Institute on Aging)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
Beware of Health Scams
