Elder Protective Services’ Advice on How to Spot and Avoid Health Scams

In this day and age the phrase Senior Citizen is no longer associated with bland retirement facilities and Jello cups. The 21st century elder is one who enjoys participating in and contributing to society. Today’s senior citizen is one who travels the country for adventure and fun, which is why health is such an important topic for elders. Whether you are on-the-go adventure seekers or relaxing rejuvenators, staying healthy is important to continue enjoying life to its fullest.

Staying healthy and improving fitness is so important that the health market for seniors alone is a billion-dollar industry. Elders spend a large percent of their income on products or treatments aimed at health improvement. And as Elder Protective Services continues to point out, where there are dollar signs, there are scammers. These scammers spread misinformation in order to promote questionable products or to usher in unsuspecting seniors into deceptive schemes. If you or a loved one is thinking about investing in a health product or service, make sure you know the red flags and how to avert health scams. Elder Protective Services examines two popular health and supplement scams, the warning signs, and how to protect yourself and loved ones.

Anti-Aging Products

The Scam: An unsuspecting elder receives a flier in the mail, a credible looking email, or is directed to a website selling anti-aging products. All three mediums look official and claim to make wrinkles and dark spots disappear with the use of a pill or a cream. There are reviews from customers or celebrity endorsements, which later will be revealed as fabricated. Once an elder invests financially, the product either does not work as it claims or no product is delivered at all.

It is important to note that despite the results from clinical studies or the before and after images of clients who use the product, there is NO product that has been scientifically proven to stop or reverse the aging process.

Health Warning from the FTC: “One common anti-aging health scam involves human growth hormone (HGH), a substance released by the pituitary gland that spurs growth in children and adolescents. But here’s the main thing to know about HGH: The FDA says there is no clear proof to support anti-aging claims for over-the-counter pills and sprays that supposedly contain HGH. The agency has not approved any of these products for anti-aging or any other purpose.

What to Look For

• An official looking pamphlet, flier, email, or website on a product that claims to stop, prevent, or reverse the aging process. The product might promise to:
  • remove dark spots
  • make wrinkles disappear
  • brighten skin
  • smooth fine lines
  • hydrate skin
  • diminish puffiness
  • prevent dark circles under eyes
  • increase skin firmness
• An advertisement that emphasizes the word “trial”,
• A promotion that urges you to hurry and order a product because supplies may not last. A fabricated sense of urgency could read like:
  • Free for the first 100 customers
  • Only 50 trials available
  • Limit one trial per person with $40 Purchase
  • Rush my product (that includes a fee)

 Protect Yourself

• USE CAUTION when reading promotions filled with scientific-sounding terms such as “collagen increasing.”
  • FTC warns that scammers use scientific or medical jargon to mislead consumers.
• Research the product company online.
  • Check to see if the company is legitimate and where the supplier is located.
  • Look for complaints about the product from other consumers.
• Reverse Image Search the logo or product design.
  • If you see the same product with a different name or logo, do not invest. The product is likely a scam.
• ALWAYS speak to a doctor before using a new health pill or cream.
  • Contact your doctor immediately if you have a reaction or become ill after using an anti-aging product.
• Avoid any subscription deal, unless suggested by a doctor.
  • Subscriptions are an easy way for scammers to exploit seniors financially, as they will have their credit card number or bank account information on file for a given time period.
• NEVER provide financial or sensitive information, like bank account numbers or SSNs, to a source or person you cannot verif

Vitamins and Dietary Supplements

Supplements are generally recommended throughout our lifetime to help us meet health needs, like nutrition, as we age. The elder community especially is a big consumer, as nearly three-fourths of U.S. adults age 60 and older take dietary supplements, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. This fact makes seniors easy targets for vitamin and dietary supplement scams

The Scam: A senior receives information in the mail, over the phone, in an email, or online about a vitamin or dietary supplement aimed to improve elderly health. The product requires a subscription, but also attracts unsuspecting victims by offering a free-trial. The skeptical senior opts for the trial and provides his or her credit card information to cover the shipping fee. Now the scammers have the information to charge the senior for a subscription of a product that might not work or might have adverse side effects. The scammers can also use the credit card information to exploit the senior financially. 

What to Look For

• An official looking pamphlet, flier, email, or website on a product that promises to treat or prevent diseases, especially if the product claims to cure many ailments at once.
• A claim that the product will provide important and expensive vitamins for elders at a cheap price.
• An advertisement that emphasizes the word “trial”,
• A promotion that urges you to quickly invest in the product because supplies may not last.
  • Hurry! This offer is while supplies last only.

Protect Yourself

• USE CAUTION when reading promotions filled with scientific-sounding terms such as “glucose metabolism” or “thermogenesis.
  • FTC warns that scammers use scientific or medical jargon to mislead consumers.
• Research the product company online.
  • Check to see if the company is legitimate and where the supplier is located.
  • Look for complaints about the product from other consumers.
• Reverse Image Search the logo or product design.
  • If you see the same product with a different name or logo, do not invest. The product is likely a scam.
• ALWAYS speak to a doctor before taking a new supplement ESPECIALLY when already taking other medications.
  • Contact your doctor immediately if you have a reaction or become ill taking a vitamin or dietary supplement.
• Avoid any subscription deal, unless suggested by a doctor.
  • Subscriptions are an easy way for scammers to exploit seniors financially, as they will have their credit card number or bank account information on file for a given time period.
• NEVER provide financial or sensitive information, like bank account numbers or SSNs, to a source or person you cannot verify.

FTC’s Six Ways to Avert Health Scams

If you or a loved one is thinking about investing in a health product or service to treat an ailment, the FTC advises you take these 6 steps first.

1. Do your research.
2. Ask your doctor first.
3. Know that unproven products and treatments are dangerous.
4. Don’t let any company take advantage of your hope.
5. “Natural” doesn’t mean either safe or effective.
6. Federal law says sellers that peddle cures must have scientific proof to back up their claims.

Source: FTC on Common Health Scams

Key Takeaways:

Health and fitness scammers target unsuspecting elders just trying to take care of their health. Whether through anti-aging products or dietary supplements, these fraudsters use advertisement deception to sell bogus products or to exploit a potential victim’s sensitive information. Elder Protective Services believes the best way to protect yourself or your loved ones from health and supplement scams is to be aware of the red flags and take preventative action. By putting protective measures in place, seniors can be prepared to spot a health scam, fabricated clinical studies, and ineffective products. If you receive an official-looking health or advertisement, remember to:

• USE CAUTION when reading promotions filled with scientific-sounding terms.
• Research the product company online.
• Reverse Image Search the logo or product design.
• ALWAYS speak to a doctor before taking a new health product or supplement.
• Avoid any subscription deal, unless suggested by a doctor.
• NEVER provide financial or sensitive information, like bank account numbers or SSNs, to a source or person you cannot verify.

Steps to Report Health and Supplement Scams

• Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC is responsible for protecting consumers and their personal information. The FTC cannot resolve individual complaints, but they provide individualized next steps.
• IMMEDIATELY call a doctor or health care provider to report side effects, reactions, or illnesses due to the use of a supplement or health care product.
  • Report effects, reactions, or illnesses to the FDA’s MedWatch site or call 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088). Patients’ names are kept confidential.
• If you feel your credit card information has been compromised, contact your bank company immediately.
• If you believe you gave your personal information to a scammer, go to gov for steps you can take to protect your identity.
• You can find out more about how to report scams here.

Daniel Klibanoff, an advocate for seniors, is currently serving as the President and CEO of Multimedia Lists, Inc. Daniel is also the founder and director of Elder Protective Services, an enterprise aimed to serve and protect elders. Learn more at Elder Protective Services