Editor
Dr Ahmad Risk 

HIE Library Archive 1998/9  

Health scams on the Internet

Enforcement agencies from 20 countries joined up last week to sweep the Internet for potentially misleading health claims and miracle cures.  The 60 agencies involved trawled the Net simultaneously for 3 hours looking for scams and warned suspect sites that legislation regulating their activities might be introduced.

Examples of the scams included:
- slimming soap from Japan said to 'wash away fat in seconds'
- toffee-like hair restorer
- books said to contain the cures for all cancers, all diseases and AIDS

Consumer protection laws vary from country to country, however, site operators were warned that it is not necessarily the law of the country they reside in that applies to their activities.

The results of the sweep are being collated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and we shall bring them to you as soon as they are available.

More information by email from the UK Office of Fair Trading or on the Web at the OFT site.