Have you ever been in pain or had an illness and searched the web for your symptoms? Or do you spend a lot of time online searching for ways to have a healthier lifestyle? We have all been curious about a health issues, and yes, searching online seems like the easiest way to understand what is going on and take the next steps. However, thousands of people are replacing the work of professionals (doctors, nutritionists, therapists, etc) with whatever the internet provides or recommends.  Steering clear of the corrupt pharmaceutical companies and the incompetent doctors who push their drugs may be a good idea in many cases, but in some cases going to the doctor can be very important.

At Philippine PI we advise people all the time about the importance of hiring a professional investigator to take care of their cases, because the investigators know what they are doing! Professionals have the know-how, the experience and the resources to do their job. An amateur in front of a computer does not! The same thing can happen with health professionals. When people buy health products online, they do it because they read a review or a recommendation, but they ignore that most of the reviews found online are fake and have been manipulated to scam people easily.

The internet has become home today to many platforms that sell medicinal drugs and other health products such as health supplements. This trend poses a safety concern because many products purchased from online sources could be counterfeit, adulterated or contaminated with banned substances.  The simple truth is that you just don’t know what you’re getting, and it’s not always easy to determine which information is truthful and which is promotional.

Not long ago, the Health Sciences Authority seized more than 39,000 units of illegal health and beauty products in Singapore. A big portion of these products were sold as “100% natural”  or herbal medicine for weight loss, and they promised a quick effect. After being tested, most of the products contained a banned substance that have been withdrawn after reported cases of hallucinations, breathlessness, increased risk of heart attacks and stroke. Skin beauty products were found to contain potent banned ingredients and hazardous levels of mercury.

The UAE health authorities also issued an alert regarding the consumption and abuse of unregulated health stimulants and body building products that contained toxic energizers and synthetic male hormone boosters that could threaten people lives.

But the health risks are not the only risks involved. People also contact our investigators in Manila and Cebu because they tried to buy one of these miraculous products online, and they were scammed in the process. There are hundreds of bogus websites and thousands of online criminals profiting from social media. Most of these transactions involve paying for the products upfront through non-secure methods, like money transfers, and people never receive what they paid for.

Do not put your health or money at risk! Consult a professional investigator to determine if the company selling the products is legitimate and reliable, and consult a health professional to make sure that the product you are intending to take is safe for your health.

C. Wright
© 2017 Philippine PI

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