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American Morning

Snake Oil on the Internet

Aired June 14, 2001 - 10:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: From the dusty markets of ancient Babylonia to the shiny shopping malls of today, one truth remains timeless -- desperation sells. And nowhere is that more true and less regulated than in the vast universe of the Web, especially when it comes to selling bogus health claims. At this hour, the Federal Trade Commission is announcing a new offensive to crack down on the crackpot claims. And our medical correspondent from CNN, Elizabeth Cohen, is joining us with a closer look -- Elizabeth?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donna, the FTC went online and what they found is that hundreds of millions of Americans try to get health information off the Internet and sometimes they're successful. But sometimes, the FTC says, beware. In their words, they say that there are unscrupulous marketers who go on the Internet preying on the sickest and most vulnerable consumers. It's all part of the FTC's Operation Cure All, which targets sites they say sell products with bogus health claims. So now the FTC has asked six sites to stop making those claims.

Let's take a look at some of these sites. One of them right here is ForMor International. As you can see, they're trying to convince you you'll look like them if you use those products. Another one here is looking at various microbial devices, a brain synchronizer. Let's see, we have another one here, this is part of the same one, ForMor, that sells St. John's, kava kava and a whole bunch of other products.

Now, these sites, these products make all sorts of claims. Let's take a look at some of the specific claims. For example, one of them claims that mild electric current kills parasites that "cause cancer or Alzheimer's." Of course, we know that parasites don't actually cause those diseases. They say that herbs can treat cancer and they actually encourage patients to cancel surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. They also say that St. John's Wort can treat AIDS. Now that last one especially has the FTC worried. They say not only doesn't St. John's Wort do anything to help HIV, but it can actually cause serious damage because St. John's Wort can interfere with protease inhibitors, and those are the drugs that actually do treat HIV and AIDS.

KELLEY: Elizabeth, if they find these products and they find that they're on the Web site, do they stay on? Can they take them off? How do they warn consumers? How do you and I know if we see this and if it's not true and they've targeted it? Does it stay put? COHEN: Well, you know what's interesting, Donna is that we went online and we actually found these products. They're still up there. As a matter of fact, four of the six, they're still selling those products. We thought it was interesting, one of the sites here, when you go to it, it looks like this. So they're obviously modifying or changing something. But most of them are there. And so what the FTC says is buyers need to beware.

So let's take a look at some of the things that consumers can do to protect themselves against fraud. The FTC says beware of sites that use terms like miraculous cure or scientist breakthrough. And they also say that you should beware of terms that are confusing. If they use confusing medicalese, that's a sure sign that they/'re trying to impress you.

They also say beware of products that claim a conspiracy is trying to suppress the product. Some of these sites they say, for example, that the government or the medical establishment is going to great efforts to suppress the product and the FTC says that's a sure sign that something is wrong.

KELLEY: OK, Elizabeth Cohen, thanks.

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