By Andrew Walker, MPH; NSGA Director of Health & Well-Being
Health fraud, false fitness claims and scams cost older adults billions in financial losses and unnecessary distress.
A scam recently affected a member of the National Senior Games Association, the National Veterans Golden Age Games, whose event is free. A consumer alert from the Federal Trade Commission found that Veterans are reporting websites or social media pages that charge a fee to register. These sites were found to be fakes.
How to Spot Health Misinformation
Knowing what questions to ask is an essential consumer health skill. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) suggests using the following questions to assess online information.
- What is the purpose of the website, and who owns or sponsors it? Knowing this background helps you understand whether the website’s motive is to provide unbiased content or to generate more sales.
- Who wrote the information? Who reviewed it? This is important because the site’s content should be provided by one or more experts in the field and not based on testimonials.
- When was the information written and updated? Science changes over time, and it’s essential to have the most recent evidence.
- Does the website offer quick and easy solutions to your health problems? Does it promise miracle cures? Confirm unique cures with licensed health providers.
The above questions can also apply to social media. Asking the right questions is important when it comes to social media fitness trends. It acts as a check on influencers, keeping them accountable, especially when they reap financial benefits.
According to the NIA, no government agency approves ads before they go public. They note that Federal law requires sellers that market cures to have scientific evidence to back up their claims, but dishonest companies might not. Ads must be truthful — not misleading.
For reliable sources of information about diseases and their treatments, the FTC recommends that you visit:
- MedlinePlus.gov, a site operated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, which has information about alternative and complementary medicine
- Healthfinder.gov, a trusted Health and Human Services site
We can’t prevent all fraud, scams, schemes and losses; however, strong consumer health skills increase the odds in your favor. The FTC encourages you to share your wisdom about avoiding swindles and fraud with the older adults in your life.
Pass It On: Fraud Education Campaign for Older Adults
You can take action to help others by being part of Pass It On, the FTC’s fraud education campaign for older adults. It has clear, direct advice about more than a dozen fraud topics.
At ftc.gov/PassItOn, you can:
- Read articles
- Download resources, like activity sheets and bookmarks
- Watch videos about frauds that target older adults
Too Good to be True!
Avoiding exploitation comes from applying common sense and accumulated wisdom. It reminds me of a time-tested adage that holds true today: if it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably not true!
Applying this adage and practicing consumer health skills will reduce your chances of being a victim of health schemes and misinformation.
