How to Spot a Snake Oil Salesman
The internet is a great place to find information on pretty much anything you want to learn about. It is also a great tool in connecting people. I absolutely love all the benefits I have gotten from the internet through the years. But like anything, the internet also has its flaws. For example, anyone and their mother can post information out there and proclaim it to be the truth. Because of this you have to be careful.
A Sea of Snakes
There are a lot of snakes out there waiting to take advantage of chronic illness patients. Patients are looking for ways to improve their quality of life. We are looking for ways to treat, cure or relieve the pain of living with chronic illness. You have to be extremely careful. You have to be vigilant! I have had many encounters with snake oil salesmen. So have many of my friends. Because of this, I thought it would be a good idea to list some ways to identify these shysters and avoid being duped.
1) You’ve Become Unsuspecting Prey
Many snake oil salesmen aren’t really interested in helping you. Instead, they prey upon those desperate for healing and/or relief. They know that patients spend hours scouring the internet for information. Patients are seeking relief and healing when their medication fails. They know that patients are ready to soak up information–and they are more than willing to give it to you. I’ve seen websites claiming to have the answers. I’ve also seen where many of these snakes lie in wait on Facebook pages ready to pounce. They pose as fake patients who had all their problems solved by taking x, y or z. Then there are those on X (formally Twitter), ready for anyone who uses the right hashtag and then BAM! They butt into the conversation claiming to have all the answers. This is dangerous and irresponsible, but it happens.
2) Long-Winded
Look out for long-winded blog posts or articles. They’ll have “real-life stories” of how they found relief and were cured of their disease. They’ll also have “scientific proof” that what they are saying is true. “Inflammatory Bowel Disease is caused by x, y and z!” Uh… newsflash! Even the best researchers don’t know exactly what causes Crohn’s or UC. Some of them will even tell you its the diet you’ve been eating… but it isn’t true. Even people who eat the healthiest diets get IBD. These posts will go on and on for miles. The posts are written in ways to make you think these snakes know what they’re talking about. But don’t buy it. They’re only looking to fatten you up for the kill. In other words, they’re trying to take your money.
3) “Detox Your Gut!” and/or “Try This Diet!” (NOTE: NOT EVERYONE WHO TELLS YOU TO TRY A DIET IS A SNAKE!)
These two can be found in just about every scheme and scam. I admit I haven’t spent a whole lot of time researching ways to detox my gut. My gut pretty much spits out everything that goes into it. Why the heck would I want to “cleanse” it even more? There’s nothing in there! But I digress. The snakes will go on big schpiels about how you ought to be detoxing your guts to find any real relief. They’ll also tell you that if you just tried their diet you’d be able to cure/heal yourself. Um, ok, so I will admit that I’ve read stories of people changing their diet and ended up finding relief. But, I’m sorry, that’s not the case for everyone. You are as unique as your disease and what works for you may not work for me. I can’t tell you how many diet changes I went through in an attempt to “heal my gut.” Unfortunately itt’s not that easy for everyone! On the same token, however, I would NEVER discourage anyone from trying diet changes. Because as I said, it does work for some people. Like my mom.
4) If it Looks Like a Snake…
Does what this person is saying sound too good to be true? Are they using lingo that you don’t understand? Better yet, are they dressing it all up with hope? You’ve heard the saying, if it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck it’s probably a duck. You can bet that the same is true for these snakes. While offering hope for patients is important, there is such a thing as false hope. As of now, there isn’t a cure for Crohn’s or UC. If that were the case, we’d all be shouting it from the rooftops. As I mentioned before, everyone’s disease is very unique. Everyone’s treatment will be different. IBD isn’t a cookie cutter disease. I wish it were that easy. But it isn’t. Question everything and everyone that promises you relief. Do your research. Don’t blindly accept everything you hear.
5) The Power of Fear
Many scammers will use the power of fear to manipulate you. Some will have scary photos to offer proof. “These were my intestines when I was sick! See these before and after photos!” They’ll tell you all of the horrors that you might go through during the course of your disease. You’ll be told that medications can cause “sudden death.” They’ll tell you how medication can cause damage to other parts of your body. While this can happen, the chances of something serious happening is rare. And your doctor is there to monitor you to make sure you don’t have any serious reactions. Remember, if you do suspect anything going wrong because of your medications, call your doctor immediately. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. But again, severe adverse reactions are rare… and these snakes know it. They will use this information to manipulate you.
6) “I did it! And so can you!”
Another thing you need to look out for is an ungodly amount of personal testimonies. You may or may not know this, but in this day and age, anyone can purchase anything if the price is right. And that includes personal testimonies. If someone needs to back up their claims, all they need is a little bit of money. It takes only a few seconds to write a five-star review of a product. Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Before you try anything, please do your research.
7) There’s a Pricetag
Snakes are usually out there for one reason: money. As I mentioned in my first point, they scour the internet for those willing to cough up a few bucks for relief. Don’t fall for it. If they’re offering you a book or ebook, a supplement, a quick fix, whatever… and they’re putting a price on it, watch out! They’re likely only wanting your money. I am all for people being paid what they’re owed. Money is a necessary evil for people to live. But there is such a thing dishonest gain. Evil people will take advantage of patients. Please be careful.
BONUS #1: ACT NOW!!!
One of my favorites is a quick call to action. “I’m making my program/supplements/ebook/etc. available for this low price for a limited time, so get it now!” If you don’t act now, the supplies will be gone. Um, I doubt that. Don’t let these guys trick you. Keep your guard up.
BONUS #2: The Word “Cure!”
Blog reader Dale Blacker (@dalebrmt on X) pointed out that the word “cure” should also give you a sign that the person touting it is a fake. And he’s SO right because as of now there is no cure for inflammatory bowel disease.
You are so right Amber , I have myself experienced such time-limited offers for cures for this& that . Sometimes the urge to go ahead is very strong but suddenly I realize that it is not curable like this. Now no more falling for such miracle cures . Thank you for the alerting post . We need these reminders once in a while.
IT is sad that a post like this is needed. But far too many are out there trying to take advantage of patients. It’s an awful shame.
Can I add a bonus #3? I had someone who is a sales rep for a multi-level marketing company try to sell me a “cure”. When I expressed interest in buying a sample, she said she’d send me the link to order it through her website. THE LINK SHE SENT WAS TO PURCHASE A STARTER KIT, AS IF I WAS SIGNING UP TO BE A SALES REP UNDER HER!!! So my bonus #3 would be to beware of the MLM reps! They don’t want to cure you, they just want you in their downline!
How awful! That is some really dirty, underhanded trickery. I can’t stand that!