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Consumer Health Digest #23-05
January 29, 2023
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Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by William M. London, Ed.D., M.P.H.
http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/william-m-london, with help from Stephen Barrett, M.D
https://www.quackwatch.org/10Bio/bio.html., It summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement actions; other news items; Web site evaluations; recommended and nonrecommended books; research tips; and other information relevant to consumer protection and consumer decision-making. The Digest’s primary focus is on health, but occasionally it includes non-health scams and practical tips. Items posted to this archive may be updated when relevant information becomes available. To subscribe, cli
https://lists.quackwatch.org/mailman/listinfo/chd_lists.quackwatch.orgk here
https://lists.quackwatch.org/mailman/listinfo/chd_lists.quackwatch.org###
Darrell Wolfe, self-described “Doc of Detox,” investigatedCBC’s Marketplace has investigated the touted cures of self-described health practitioner Darrell Wolfe, who calls himself the “Doc of Detox.” The investigation included (a) interviews with 21 people who described their experiences with him and his program and (b) journalists attending his training courses in Mexico as students. Marketplace reported that Wolfe:
was exposed nearly 30 years ago for selling fake HIV cures in Toronto
is not a licensed practitioner
claims to have a “doctorate of natural medicine”
now peddles unproven and harmful treatments for everything from chronic pain to cancer
advertises in Canada and the United States
has built a burgeoning alternative health operation at a resort in Ixtapa, Mexico, offering questionable, costly procedures and devices that often cause egregious physical suffering
claims, without evidence, on his Facebook page, the CellSonic pulse machine he uses can “shut cancer down with one treatment”
promotes an aggressive massage technique he claims can heal a recently broken wrist
offers a “Whole Life Coach Certification” course, a nine-day event to teach people to “deprogram” themselves because, according to Wolfe, the root of all disease is negative emotion
espoused. in the course. conspiracies about COVID-19 and “Big Pharma”
promoted unfounded ways to fight tumors, such as using devices called a “belly button massager” and a “clapper”
The provincial Ministry of Health in British Columbia, where Wolfe’s address and business are registered, is quoted:
“We encourage the public to contact the B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons to file a complaint
https://www.cpsbc.ca/if they believe they have fallen victim to a fraudulent medical professional.”
“If any individuals believe Mr. Wolfe violated the Criminal Code of Canada during their interactions, the appropriate authority to submit a complaint to would be the police.”
[Szeto E and others. He calls himself a doctor and promises to cure cancer. Critics say he’s profiting from misinformation
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/marketplace-darrell-wolfe-investigation-1.6718608CBC News, Jan 20, 2023]
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Fraudulent nursing diploma sellers indictedTwenty-five people have been accused of participating in a wire-fraud scheme that created an illegal licensing and employment shortcut for aspiring nurses and poses serious danger to patients who are exposed to care from untrained nurses. Three recently unsealed indictments returned by a South Florida federal grand jury and two informations filed by federal prosecutors charge that the defendants engaged in a scheme to sell fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts obtained from accredited Florida-based nursing schools to individuals seeking licenses and jobs as registered nurses (RNs) and practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs). The bogus documents enabled purchasers to sit for the national nursing board exam and, after passing it, to obtain licenses and jobs as RNs and LPN/VNs. The overall scheme involved the distribution of more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas issued by three South Florida-based nursing schools: Siena College in Broward County, Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County, and Sacred Heart International Institute in Broward County. These schools are now closed. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison.
[Fraudulent nursing diploma scheme leads to federal charges against 25 defendants
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/fraudulent-nursing-diploma-scheme-leads-federal-charges-against-25-defendants. U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida news release, Jan 25, 2023]
The charging documents are summarized at Credential Watch.
[Barrett S. Twenty-five people charged in fraudulent nursing credential scheme
https://quackwatch.org/credential/twenty-five-people-charged-in-fraudulent-nursing-credential-scheme/. Credential Watch, Jan 27, 2023]
In November 2022, the Delaware Board of Nursing sent annulment letters to 26 people who had used fake credentials to obtain a license
[Delaware Nurses Association statement on fraudulent nursing degree schemes
https://denurses.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/PressRoom/2023.01.26.PressRelease.StatementOnFraudulentNursingDegreeScheme.pdf. Delaware Nurses Association press release, Jan 26, 2023]
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Consumers charged for unwanted supplements, beauty products to receive refunds.The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it is sending check payments totaling more than $973,000 to 17,064 people who lost money to NutraClick LLC. The company had automatically enrolled customers in unwanted membership programs for supplements and beauty products and misled them about when they had to cancel trial memberships to avoid monthly charges. In 2016, NutraClick agreed to settle the FTC’s complaint
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2016/09/ftc-action-nutraclick-must-change-billing-practicesalleging it lured consumers with “free” samples of supplements and beauty products and then violated the law by charging them a recurring monthly fee without their consent. The settlement required NutraClick to disclose the terms of its recurring membership programs clearly and conspicuously going forward. In September 2020, the FTC filed another complaint
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2020/09/nutraclick-llc-pay-104-million-agree-negative-option-marketing-ban-settle-ftc-allegations-itagainst the company, alleging it violated federal law and the 2016 settlement order by misleading consumers about when they had to cancel their free trial memberships to avoid monthly charges. The defendants agreed to pay $1.04 million for consumer refunds and are banned from such “negative option marketing.”
In 2021, FTC actions led to more than $472 million in refunds to consumers across the country, but these refunds were the result of cases resolved before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that the FTC lacks authority to seek monetary relief in federal court. The FTC no longer has its strongest tool to provide refunds to consumers harmed by deceptive and unfair conduct. It has urged Congress
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authorityto restore its ability to get money back for consumers.
[FTC returns more than $973,000 to consumers charged by NutraClick LLC for unwanted monthly subscriptions for supplements and beauty products
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/01/ftc-returns-more-973000-consumers-charged-nutraclick-llc-unwanted-monthly-subscriptions-supplements. FTC press release, Jan 25, 2023]
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COVID-19 testing-locator website launchedThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched the COVID-19 testing-locator website
https://testinglocator.cdc.gov/that will allow consumers to search for free COVID-19 testing sites near them. Tests offered may include laboratory-based nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/naats.htmlincluding polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, and rapid antigen point-of-care (POC) testing
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/point-of-care-testing.html. Results are typically provided within 24–48 hours. Testing is available at pharmacies, commercial laboratory sites, community sites, and retail locations. COVID-19 testing is available at no-cost at CDC Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program sites to people with or without health insurance who are experiencing symptoms
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.htmlor have been exposed
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/testing.html to someone with COVID-19. The tests are billed to third-party payers, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers. People without health insurance do not have to pay for COVID-19 testing at ICATT locations.
[CDC launches website to help consumers find free COVID-19 testing sites
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/s0124-testing.html. CDC media statement, Jan 24, 2023]
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Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Consumer Advocate
7 Birchtree Circle
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Telephone: (919) 533-6009
http://www.quackwatch.org (health fraud and quackery)
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