Over the past few years, the Insolvency Service has investigated health supplement companies following complaints about their unscrupulous sales tactics.
June marks Scams Awareness Month and we are taking this opportunity to warn people about health supplement scams, while highlighting rogue companies we have shut down and the bans we have secured against the directors.
What to look out for
Typically, rogue health supplement companies share similar tactics in how they carry out their scams.
Some of the signs to look out for:
• The company is registered in the UK but use offshore call centres
• Targets tend to be the elderly and other vulnerable people with existing health conditions
• Prices for health supplements appear to be vastly inflated
• Callers provide misleading health and medical information
• Persistent, repetitive and pressurised phone calls that can last for a long time
• Sales people falsely claim they are qualified medical or health professionals
Top tips
If you, a family member, neighbour or friend think they have been a victim of a health supplements scam, immediately report it to Action Fraud UK.
We have produced a number of tips that could help prevent you from being the next target:
• Don’t rush into anything: scammers try to rush people into making quick decisions by claiming that a great offer or investment is time-limited
• If you’re managing a health condition, never stop taking a prescribed medicine, or start taking a new medicine, without speaking to your GP or pharmacist first
• Scam websites can show similar signs or patterns, including promising a new miracle cure or offering to supply prescription-only medicines without a valid prescription
Read more on on how to avoid being a victim of a health supplement scam
Learning from others' experience
Unfortunately, in the nine companies we have shut down in the public interest, we estimate there have been close to 36,000 people who have been targeted by these scams.
Around £10.6 million has been cheated out of these people and health supplement scams have devastating impacts on the victims and their families.
Sarah and Jo's story
Read this true story, about Sarah and Jo's mum and her experience with a rogue healthcare supplements company
Listen to one person's experience
What has the Insolvency Service done?
Since 2016, the Insolvency Service has shut down nine rogue health supplement companies in the public interest. This has resulted in directorship bans totaling 53 years for rogue health supplement bosses.
You can read more about these case studies :
• Naturecare Wellness and Greenlife Wellness