RKN Global on Health Scams

Society seems to be getting more and more health conscious, leading many to seek out ways to increase their health and fitness levels. Unfortunately, some scammers are happy to use our wish to stay healthy to their advantage.

Health scams often appear as advertisements on websites, but they may also pop up in the form of an email too. These scams can involve advertising a product that appears to be an authentic form of medication, or an alternative medicine.  The advertisements may also claim that they can cure baldness, arthritis, impotence, and other conditions, giving customers a unique opportunity to get their hands on the miracle medicine for a reduced price.                             

One method that scammers often use to try to convince potential customers that their product is authentic is to show them testimonials that previous customers have left. But how can one be sure that any of those testimonials are authentic? They may have been written by the scammer, their friend, or someone who has been paid to write an authentic-looking review. The reviews/testimonials have usually been written in an attempt to convince people to buy their products. Indeed, those who sell legitimate products usually list some of their customers’ testimonials on their websites, often making it hard to tell the difference between authentic testimonials and scams.

The next time you come across a testimonial that you’re not sure is genuine, take a look at what it claims. Has the product in question ostensibly made baldness disappear? Has it offered the user a new lease of life? Are there wild claims about how well the product works, encouraging others to buy it too? Note that when people leave reviews, they don’t tend to write 500+ words about their purchase, but instead usually leave a few lines of text, stating how well the product does or doesn’t work. If you come across reviews that are all-singing and all-dancing, chances are they are not genuine.

RKN Global’s founder, Ronald K. Noble, advises anyone who wishes to purchase medication or supplements online to do so with caution. If you are in any doubt about the authenticity of a product, buy it elsewhere.

In the UK, patients are charged just less than £9 per prescribed medication, while in the US, patients are expected to have medical insurance that will ideally cover the cost of their treatment. Medication and treatment can in some cases seem prohibitively expensive, meaning some people risk missing out on the care they need simply because they cannot afford it. However, with access to the internet, those who cannot afford the right treatment may decide to look for alternatives.  Desperation leads some to be more easily defrauded.

Miracle cures for diabetes, for example, may seem too good to be true, but if you do not have the money for prescribed medication, an advertisement that claims it can help may be all too tempting. Tragically, products that have been purchased online to improve a health condition such as diabetes, may in fact make the condition worse. If someone suffering from diabetes does not get the insulin they need, they could become seriously ill, or even die.  If patients put their trust in a false hope and neglect proper treatment, the results could be disastrous.

But there are other risks associated with buying medication online too. Counterfeit medicines can contain very harmful ingredients, or simply no active ingredients at all.

Labels and claims that are intended to lure are often vacuous, when you consider their meaning.  Something may be advertised as 100% natural, but that does not mean it is safe or effective.

One worrying method that scammers often use is to assure potential customers that their product has been approved by doctors. The problem is that the doctor in question may not give you any real evidence to suggest that the product works. Anyone could pose as a doctor, and claim that the medication or supplement can help. A photograph of someone dressed like a doctor may be all it takes to convince some people that they can trust the product that’s being advertised.  The opinion of a man or woman in a lab coat, even if he or she actually once earned a medical degree, is no substitute for peer-reviewed studies and widespread acceptance by the medical establishment.

Ronald Noble, founder of RKN Global, advises people to stay safe, ensuring they only take the medication that their doctor has prescribed. Ignore the advertisements and emails that state they can change your life or which offer you huge discounts. These are tell-tale signs of fraud.

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