"Stop swine flu in its tracks" and "Complete Flu Detox for $99" are some of the claims you can find online. There's even tea, shampoo, a spray that all claim to help guard against the H1N1 Swine Flu outbreak.
Local people believe it's gotten very serious, and it's made some very sick. With swine flu cases now reaching 22 million Americans, and the death toll growing, people are scared.
The internet is littered with all sorts of products claiming to be able to "resolve swine flu today."
"They're preying on people's fears and trying to take advantage of individuals by marketing sham products," said Dr. Neil Fishman, Chief of Infectious Diseases at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
One of the more popular scams is generic Tamiflu. We easily found it online. For $89, three weeks ago, we bought 10 antiviral pills that were supposed to arrive in five to nine days, and we're still waiting.
And Dr. Fishman says, "There is no generic form of Tamiflu. It's unlikely that it actually contains real drug." He also says the only trustworthy Tamiflu comes with a doctor's prescription from an established pharmacy, not the internet.
"During a public health emergency, they recognize that consumers want to protect themselves and their families," said Alyson Saben, with the FDA Swine Flu Task Force.
The FDA is cracking down on swine flu swindles, posting a fraudulent product list on its Web site. The agency has demanded that companies stop making unproven claims.
"We've warned over 75 Web sites offering more than 135 products with claims that they diagnose, cure, treat or prevent the H1N1 flu virus to stop making those claims and to stop offering those products to the public," said Saben.
Some are even so brazen to offer really expensive items, like the Photon Genie for $3,000. The FDA says after it issued the maker a warning letter, they stopped making claims of being able to "protect against the swine flu."
"They're really just get rich quick schemes," said Dr. Fishman.
Some people in Philadelphia think the Web sites are bunk and should be put out of business.
The FDA says it's working aggressively to identify and take action against any person or businesses wrongfully promoting a product.
Currently the only drugs proven to treat the H1N1 swine flu are Tamiflu and Relenza. The vaccine is for prevention.
Local people believe it's gotten very serious, and it's made some very sick. With swine flu cases now reaching 22 million Americans, and the death toll growing, people are scared.
The internet is littered with all sorts of products claiming to be able to "resolve swine flu today."
"They're preying on people's fears and trying to take advantage of individuals by marketing sham products," said Dr. Neil Fishman, Chief of Infectious Diseases at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
One of the more popular scams is generic Tamiflu. We easily found it online. For $89, three weeks ago, we bought 10 antiviral pills that were supposed to arrive in five to nine days, and we're still waiting.
And Dr. Fishman says, "There is no generic form of Tamiflu. It's unlikely that it actually contains real drug." He also says the only trustworthy Tamiflu comes with a doctor's prescription from an established pharmacy, not the internet.
"During a public health emergency, they recognize that consumers want to protect themselves and their families," said Alyson Saben, with the FDA Swine Flu Task Force.
The FDA is cracking down on swine flu swindles, posting a fraudulent product list on its Web site. The agency has demanded that companies stop making unproven claims.
"We've warned over 75 Web sites offering more than 135 products with claims that they diagnose, cure, treat or prevent the H1N1 flu virus to stop making those claims and to stop offering those products to the public," said Saben.
Some are even so brazen to offer really expensive items, like the Photon Genie for $3,000. The FDA says after it issued the maker a warning letter, they stopped making claims of being able to "protect against the swine flu."
"They're really just get rich quick schemes," said Dr. Fishman.
Some people in Philadelphia think the Web sites are bunk and should be put out of business.
The FDA says it's working aggressively to identify and take action against any person or businesses wrongfully promoting a product.
Currently the only drugs proven to treat the H1N1 swine flu are Tamiflu and Relenza. The vaccine is for prevention.
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