Beware of Buying Phoney H1N1 "Cures" Online, Attorney General Terry Goddard Warns

Don't buy flu products online without your doctor's advice, or you'll probably get scammed. That's the message today from Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard. Flu cases are at epic levels in Arizona. Last week alone there were 1,588 new cases of swine flu -- totaling 5,226 since April, according to...

By Malia Politzer

October 30, 2009

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Don't buy flu products online without your doctor's advice, or you'll probably get scammed.

That's the message today from Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard.

Flu cases are at epic levels in Arizona. Last week alone there were 1,588 new cases of swine flu -- totaling 5,226 since April, according to statistics recently released by the Arizona Department of Health Services. As Arizona H1N1 cases continue to soar, people are looking toward "non-traditional" approaches to treatment -- and scammers are more than happy to oblige.

Sham products range from phony pharmaceuticals, to dietary supplements, face masks, "magic" shampoos, "silver spray," and (our personal favorite) a photon machine that allegedly helps to boost the immune system.

The federal government has sent out warnings to more than 140 promoters of sham H1N1 "treatments," according to the AG's Office.

To avoid getting scammed, Goddard tells Arizonans to only buy items approved by the FDA, and only after first talking to their doctors.

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