You’ve seen it before: a “miracle cure” on TikTok, Facebook, or some shady website promising to melt fat, reverse aging or diabetes, “detox” your body, or even cure dementia. Don’t panic—but don’t fall for it either.
At Contra Health Scam, we’ve spent years tearing apart fake products and bogus health claims (see our PT Trim review for one of the worst offenders). The good news? You can learn to do the same in less than five minutes. Here’s how.
1. Google It — The Right Way
Search the product name plus “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.”
When we reviewed scams like PT Trim, we found that most of the “positive reviews” online were simply affiliate marketers recycling the same talking points typically provided to them by the scammers, or paid articles published by the scammers themselves on notorious content farms disguised as credible news sites. If your search turns up nothing but glowing, identical write-ups with little or no critical voices, that’s a red flag.
2. Spot the Buzzwords
Almost every scam product we’ve investigated uses the same hype phrases:
- “Miracle cure”
- “Secret ingredient”
- “Quick fix”
- “Ancient remedy”
- “Breakthrough”
Our Leptitox review is a perfect example—this so-called weight-loss solution was sold as a “miracle” that big pharma doesn’t want you to know about. Spoiler alert: it was nonsense.
3. Check for Credentials – Or the Lack Thereof
Real products have real owners and real oversight. Legitimate supplements are transparent about their manufacturers, and legitimate medications are FDA-approved or have verifiable testing data. So if you see that the health product lacks these features, then you should avoid it like the plague.
For instance, in our review of Meticore, we found that the author was a paid actor, and the scammers created a “doctor” using a stock photo to sell their scam. Always double-check credentials—if you can’t verify them, it’s not worth your money.
Also, note that product certifications can be fake. We have seen cases where scammers put up fake certification badges or badges from fake regulators to lend more credibility to their product (see our Heartburn No More review as an example). So do not take any certification badge you see at face value, especially if other aspects of the product are raising your red flags
4. Don’t Trust Random Messages or DMs
If you get an email, text, or DM pushing a product or urging you to “act fast,” be suspicious.
We’ve seen scams use fake doctor profiles, fake celebrity endorsements, and even fake news sites to push their pills. If something seems urgent and shady, walk away.
5. Ask the Big Question: “Does This Sound Too Good to Be True?”
If the product claims to fix everything from joint pain to belly fat to brain fog, or promises results in an impossibly short period of time, it is almost certainly a scam.
Our review of Fungus Eliminator is a textbook case—promised to get rid of toenail fungus “in just 12 days” when in reality, toenail fungus treatment takes at least 3-6 months.
Quick Scam-Spotting Checklist
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1. Search | Google “[product name] scam/review/complaint” |
| 2. Buzzwords | Watch for “miracle,” “secret,” “quick fix”, “breakthrough” |
| 3. Verify | Check the company, owner, doctor, and regulatory credentials |
| 4. Ignore Urgency | Don’t click shady DMs, emails, or popups |
| 5. Think Critically | Too good to be true? It probably is |
Bottom Line
Scammers thrive on speed and emotion—they want you to buy before you think. Take five minutes to do these checks, and you’ll avoid 90% of health scams out there.
And if you do find a scam? Report it. You can contact us so we can expose it publicly, or file a complaint with the FTC to shut it down.
