Read more: Local, Health, Swine, Flu, Scams, H1n1, Consumer, Alert, Better, Business, Bureau
There seems to be a scam for every season. Now one has infected the flu season.
Federal health officials are warning that products are being sold over the internet under fraudulent claims that they can prevent, treat or diagnose the swine flu virus.
Since May of 2009, the Food and Drug Administration has warned more than 75 websites to discontinue the sales of more than 140 products with bogus swine flu claims.
"Unfortunately anytime there something headlined in the news that scares people, you can bet there's going to be a cure for it on the internet right away," said Kathy Graham, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Coastal Carolina.
The FDA says the claims are scams, yet they can be found all over the internet in a variety of different forms.
Some of the products include air sterilizers, protective shampoos, face masks, supplement pills claiming to boost immune systems, even fake Tamiflu -- all claiming to prevent or treat the virus.
"They're really not governed by the Food and Drug Administration, and they don't have to go through the same stringent tests that other prescription medicines have to go through," said Dr. Winston McIver with Waccamaw Primary Care.
Dr. McIver says you never really know what you're taking. Besides getting ripped off or putting your health in jeopardy, buying into a scam can also give you a false sense of protection.
Kathy Graham with the BBB agrees. She stressed, "You don't know what's in the product. You don't know where it's been manufactured. You don't know what's in the product. You don't know what you're getting. You have no clue, especially when you order it off the internet."
Federal officials say the problem has grown as the roll-out of vaccines has been delayed and as high demand has been met with a short supply.
"Before you go and spend a lot of money, you'll want to talk with your physician," advised Dr. McIver. "You want to make sure what you're getting doesn't interact with any other medications you're taking."
"Swine flu or H1N1 is a global issue. That's a big pond for scammers to fish in," said Graham. "If the Food and Drug Administration hasn't passed it, then you need to be very careful."
Right now, Tamiflu and Relenza are the only drugs that have been FDA approved for treating swine flu.
