The Top Health Scams and How to Avoid Them

The online marketplace is full of scams, and the health industry is far from immune.  Everything from the Acai Berry to weight loss pills are being promoted by scammers.  So, how can you avoid these Acai Berry scams, magic diets, and miracle cures?  Well, to avoid the scams you first have to be aware of them.  These tips will help you to avoid the worst of the scammers.

1. Know your products:  If you’re in the market for frozen Acai Berry, then do some research. It pays to know what you’re buying. Common include selling powders, pills, and drinks that contain only one or two percent Acai Berry.  These Acai Berry scams work because the seller isn’t breaking the law – as long as the product does contain some , buyers are getting what they expect.  The sad thing for the buyer is that they’re paying for a premium product, but getting something that costs next to nothing to produce.

2. Exaggerated claims:  Diet pill marketing is full of exaggerated claims.  Some products claim stats as high as 20 or 30lbs of weight loss in just one week.  While this isn’t impossible, in terms of scale weight, it’s highly likely that the weight loss is mostly from water weight, rather than fat – which is what the marketers want you to assume.  Real, sustainable weight loss is much slower.  Aim for 1lb a week, and you’re more likely to keep it off long term.

3. Miracle cures:  Some scammers want you to believe that they have found the cure for cancer, or a way to reverse ageing, or perhaps end the pain of arthritis without you needing to take pain killers every day.  This sort of marketing preys on the desperate, and gives false hope to people with serious health problems.  While it’s possible that the product may offer some benefits (many super foods have been found to have a positive effect on some medical conditions, but conclusive clinical trials still need to be done), it’s always better to seek professional medical advice.  If you’re getting treatment, and can afford to try other solutions, do so – but not at the expense of proven medicine.

4.  Free trials that are hard to cancel:  This scam is common in almost every industry.  The scammer offers you a free trial – but then requires that you cancel over the telephone, or by mail – and gives an incredibly limited time window for doing so.  The scammers hope that you will either forget to cancel, or decide that cancelling is not worth the effort.

5. Misleading pricing:  Some scammers promote a special offer price, but only offer that price for a limited time, or with strings attached.  To get the full service suggested in the advertisements, you need to pay a lot more.   This one is common in Acai Berry scams and other weight loss scams.  The price on the website might just be for an eBook, or guide – but if you want the real product, you pay a lot more!