🚨 Don’t buy pills on eBay: Some SKALD diet pills on the platform tested positive for meth in a random drug screening. Watch out for brands like PhenQ, Govvi WOW! and Phentamene XT, too; they could be fake or tainted with banned ingredients that cause heart attacks … or worse. Talk to your doc instead.
Want to shed some pounds? Don’t fall for these weight loss scams
Overwhelmed by your New Year’s resolutions? We can help you get started with a critical one: improving your cybersecurity. These five tech resolutions will carry you through this year and beyond.
Losing weight is among the most common resolutions and, unfortunately, scammers are waiting to pounce. The crooks know that January and February are the best times to trick people into buying phony products or signing up for fake newsletters.
Here’s what to watch out for on your journey to better health.
Here’s the backstory
If you’ve ever set a health goal, you know that it can be challenging to stick with it. Many things can entice you in the wrong direction, leaving you to deal with the consequences down the road.
While several products and services can legitimately help, scammers are also cashing in on the action. According to the Better Business Bureau, this time of year sees many scams involving supplements and weight loss formulas claiming to offer rapid results.
This includes body wraps, topical creams, dietary supplements, pills, powders, skin patches and even earrings that have been advertised to “melt,” “flush,” “burn” or “dissolve” away unwanted fat fast. Watch out for those buzzwords!
These are, at best, dubious claims and at worst, outright scams. There is often fine print with supplements that locks you into a hefty subscription, too. Some victims think they were making a one-time purchase, only to be repeatedly billed for the same product.
What you can do about it
You can do several things to stay safe on your health journey.
- Don’t blindly trust an endorsement. Scammers use unauthorized photos, likenesses or quotes from celebrities or well-known people to trick potential customers.
- There’s no miracle cure for weight loss, and any product that promises instant results should be avoided. Steer clear of products that claim you can lose several pounds a day, as scammers try to sell fake products faster to get more money.
- Before buying anything, do some research on the product’s ingredients. Check that it’s approved by the FDA, as recalled products can have potentially dangerous effects.
- Read the fine print of any free trial. Note when it expires, if it automatically renews or how to cancel it. Many free trials can lock you into a contract that’s incredibly difficult to stop.
- Always be aware of how much you are expected to pay and whether it’s a one-time purchase or a subscription. Go over your banking statements and alert your bank if you see multiple transactions for the same product or service.
Recall alert: Dry shampoo, conditioners pulled due to cancer-causing chemical
Many of us buy beauty or health products without thinking twice about the ingredients. What goes in a bottle can be a mystery, especially whenever ingredients are listed with scientific-sounding names — like these recalled hand sanitizers that include the toxic chemical methanol.
30 grams of xylitol
Made healthy people more likely to have blood clots. The sugar sweetener common in keto and low-carb treats may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. That amount is common for a single scoop of keto ice cream or a few low-sugar cookies, btw. Read those ingredients!
An easy way to help out someone in need (Hint: It involves pasta)
How about we stop talking about everything that’s wrong with the internet for just a moment? We could all use a bit of good news.
What do you get when you mix lasagna with good feels? Lasagna Love. Its fantastic mission is to pair up people who want to do some good with others who could really use a homecooked meal. And who doesn’t love a tray of lasagna?
What's for dinner? Search your cookbook collection
Do you ever wish you had the CTRL + F shortcut in real life? Think about it: An easy way to find what you’re looking for in printed text would be a lifesaver.
Now, this isn’t that, but it functions essentially the same way. If you have a stack of cookbooks collecting dust, you’ll love this site.
$11 tip
For a nonexistent burger. A guy with way too much time on his hands ordered a burger from McDonald’s, then removed everything from the list of ingredients. His DoorDasher came through: “You’re gonna get an empty box. You good with that?”
Get delicious, unique recipes for what's already in your pantry
Right now, most of us are stocking up at the grocery store to avoid going back every few days for just a couple items. We’re buying the basics, and that can make whipping up fun new recipes hard.
No, we don’t have fresh ginger or whole cumin seeds sitting around, either.