AARP Hearing Center
Fake Supplement and Vitamin Scams
Touting miracle cures and no-risk offers, criminals exploit people’s health concerns and work their way into our consciousness. Find out how to protect yourself.
Photo Collage: AARP (Source: Getty Images)
The U.S. dietary supplement market — the bottles of minerals, vitamins or herbs you see on store shelves — was estimated to be worth $53.5 billion in 2023 by Grand View Research, a California consulting company. But for the 3 out of 4 Americans who take supplements, consumers might not always get what they paid for. “People don’t realize that … dietary supplements are not tested for safety and efficacy by the FDA,” says Cydney McQueen, a clinical professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy, who studies herbal and dietary supplements.
That doesn’t mean that all supplements are bad, but beware that scammers may sell products that don’t actually contain the promised ingredients, advertise unlikely miracles or enroll consumers in subscription plans without their consent.
More Ways to Benefit
- Related Benefit 1
- Related Benefit 2
- Related Benefit 3
- Related Benefit 4
- Related Benefit 5
Common supplement scams
Whether it comes in a pill, powder or gummy, here are some of the ways bad actors try to entice you to pay for their wares.
It mimics the name of a popular prescription medication. When a new prescription drug takes the world by storm with its dramatic results, such as Ozempic, supplement companies ride its coattails by giving their product a similar name and claiming it does the same thing (see our story on weight loss scams). By selling similar sounding products for a fraction of the price of the expensive prescription medication, consumers may believe they’ve lucked into a deal.
Marketers make extravagant claims. Supplements promising smoother skin, hormone replacement for women going through menopause or a cure for a chronic condition — think diabetes or Alzheimer’s — can be found on television, the internet and in magazines. These health product scams also often claim to have information that has been kept from consumers. “ ‘Secret knowledge that doctors don’t want you to know’ — that’s something I see way too often,” McQueen says. “They’re trying to grab onto this idea of hope for people who have conditions that there are [often] no cures for.”
They use fake endorsements. Enthusiastic testimonials from satisfied users, impressive results from clinical studies and ringing endorsements from medical specialists or celebrities — like Shark Tank gummies — may be fabricated by scammers to entice you to buy.
There are inaccurate ingredient lists. The company may promise a product that has none of the ingredients you were paying for or you may suffer a serious health consequence because you unknowingly took a potent drug. Thirty products marketed to boost immune function were tested for a 2022 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Fewer than half had accurate labels — some listed ingredients that were not in the product, some contained ingredients not printed on the label and some committed both offenses.
Unscrupulous sales tactics. Some scammers will only sell you the supplement if you pay a lot of money for a several-month supply upfront, says Brigid Groves, vice president of professional affairs at the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). Or they may sign you up for a monthly subscription when you intended to only buy one bottle. “Requiring you to subscribe and potentially buy a large portion at once is really suspicious,” she says.
How to protect yourself from a supplement scam
Supplements can interact with your current medications or may not be a good idea for people with certain health conditions “Anybody who is thinking about taking a dietary supplement should have a risk-based conversation with a health care professional about why they want to take it,” says Amy Cadwallader, director of regulatory and public policy development at US Pharmacopeia (USP), a nonprofit organization that focuses on medication safety and quality.
It’s critical to know what’s in the supplements you’re taking, “There is a potential that taking too much of it can be harmful,” Groves says. “Kava kava, for example, has been taken in large doses and caused irreversible liver damage.”
If after talking to your doctor, you want to purchase a supplement, here are how experts recommend you find them
Buy from a major manufacturer. Many of them are also making OTC drugs, like aspirin and ibuprofen, that have to follow stricter FDA rules, and their supplements may stick to the same standards. “It’s not a guarantee, but they’re much more likely to be using good manufacturing because they’ve got deep pockets,” McQueen says.
Look for a seal of approval. Some supplement makers contract independent, third-party labs to test their products and follow the FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practices and bear a seal with the lab’s initials on their label. “These are seals that products can put on their labels if they’ve been tested in a laboratory to verify that they don’t contain certain contaminants and bacteria,” Cadwallader says.
Some labs to look for include ConsumerLab (CL); National Sanitation Foundation (NSF); UL Solutions, previously Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL); and US Pharmacopeia (USP)
Research the supplement company. Look at the company’s site and learn about their manufacturing and their products. “If they’re only selling one thing on there, that would be more of a red flag to me versus if they have additional options,” says Grove. Search consumer reviews or complaints. You can also check the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to see if the agency has issued a safety alert.
Read the fine print, and make sure there are clearly stated steps for canceling shipments and subscriptions. Unfortunately, it’s not always clear when you click “buy” whether you are agreeing to receive the supplement every month and authorizing the seller to keep charging your credit card. The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against criminals that had raked in $200 million of customers’ money by enrolling them in subscription plans for “free” CBD and keto-based products.
Keep an eye on your credit card statements so you can immediately spot if you’re being billed for something you didn’t order. If that happens, report it to your credit card company and see if you can get your money back.
How to report a supplement scam
Scams related to false claims or unauthorized subscriptions should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Illness or a bad reaction to a supplement should be reported to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA’s website has a section on dietary supplements.
Trained specialists at the free AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline (877-908-3360) can provide support and guidance on what to do next and how to avoid future scams. The AARP Fraud Watch Network also offers online group support sessions.
AARP Membership
Join AARP for only $15 per year with automatic renewal. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of benefits, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.
More From AARP
Beware of Fraud Recovery Scam Tactics
Criminals will target victims when they're vulnerable
How to Tell if an Online Photo Is Fake
A reverse image search can help you spot doctored picturesWhat to Know Before Scanning a QR Code
How to spot fake QR codes and protect your money and data from criminals