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Health Fraud
Reviewed by Medicinsk Expert•Last updated: 2026-10-22•Health System

Health Fraud

Health fraud scams involve the sale of unproven medical products that are not only ineffective but potentially dangerous to your health.

Understanding Health Fraud

Health fraud scams involve selling medicines, supplements, 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 might keep you from getting the treatment you really need.

Potential Dangers

Some of the possible dangers of scam products are that they could:

  • Be contaminated from being made in unclean facilities or without proper quality control
  • Contain harmful ingredients that are not listed on the label
  • Trigger a harmful interaction with medicines you are taking
  • Cause serious, even life-threatening, injuries

Common Targets and Red Flags

Health fraud scams can be found everywhere, promising help for many common health issues, including weight loss, memory loss, sexual performance, and joint pain. They target people with serious conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, HIV, and Alzheimer's disease.

Just remember—if it sounds too good to be true, it's probably a scam. Some red flags to watch for are product claims that:

  • Have personal testimonials by "real" people or "doctors" played by actors claiming amazing results.
  • Say that the product can treat or cure a wide range of unrelated diseases. No one product can treat or cure many different illnesses.
  • Mention conspiracy theories like "This is the cure our government and Big Pharma don't want you to know about."
  • Include phrases such as:
    • Ancient remedy
    • Miracle cure
    • No-risk money back guarantee
    • Natural cure
    • Quick fix
    • Secret ingredient
    • Scientific breakthrough
  • Use scientific-sounding terms that don't make sense for the products, such as "molecule multiplicity."
  • Refer to prestigious prizes, for example "Nobel Prize winning technology."

Recommendation

Before taking an unproven or little-known product, talk to your health care provider, especially if you are taking any prescription medicines.

Food and Drug Administration

Frequently Asked Questions

Scammers target individuals with serious chronic conditions because these patients are often desperate for relief and may be more willing to try unproven treatments when standard care is difficult or has side effects. These individuals may also be less likely to question claims due to emotional distress or limited time. Scammers exploit this vulnerability by making exaggerated promises of cures or significant symptom reduction, knowing that the emotional need for hope can override rational skepticism.
If you suspect you have taken a fraudulent product, stop using it immediately and consult your healthcare provider. Bring the product packaging and any remaining items to your doctor so they can assess potential interactions with your current medications or identify harmful ingredients. If you experience severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, or signs of an allergic reaction, seek emergency medical attention right away. Your doctor may order blood tests to check for organ damage or toxic levels of undisclosed substances.
You can check the FDA’s official website, specifically the Drugs@FDA database for prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and the Dietary Supplement Label Database for supplements. Note that the FDA does not "approve" dietary supplements in the same way it does drugs; instead, manufacturers are responsible for ensuring safety before marketing. If a product claims to be FDA-approved but is a supplement, it is likely a red flag, as supplements are regulated under different, less stringent guidelines than pharmaceuticals.
You can report health fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) through their online complaint assistant or by calling their consumer hotline. Additionally, you can report to the FDA’s MedWatch program if the product caused adverse health effects. For online scams, you can also report to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Providing as much detail as possible, including screenshots of advertisements, product labels, and transaction records, helps investigators build a case against the scammers.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

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