Fraudulent Health and Medical Products – just one of many scams to be aware of! Plan to attend a free program on March 10, at Page Field Post Office, 2655 N Airport Rd, Ft Myers from 11 a.m. to noon. Postal Inspector Linda Walker will share information on scams targeting residents as well as small businesses in observance of National Consumer Protection Week March 7-13.

Senior citizens are special targets of the quacks and con men who are out to sell worthless medical products. Their claims are highly deceptive and usually promise miracles. Watch out for such exaggerated claims as “instant cures for arthritis,” “lose weight without effort,” “grow hair overnight,” or “look years younger.”

The pills, lotions and creams sold by these con artists will supposedly cures arthritis, rheumatism, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, obesity, impotency, and a host of other ailments. Hardly any of these products have been properly tested or proven medically effective, and some are even dangerous to your health.

These medically ineffective or dangerous products are sold by professional con men who have no medical training, and will use every trick to get you to buy their products. Sales gimmicks include bogus testimonials from “satisfied customers,” emotional sales pitches to play on your problems, and outright lies regarding a product’s effectiveness.

To avoid being taken by a worthless or quack cure, remember that you should not trust your health to a salesman. Also, remember:

Don’t believe claims that a product available only by mail or from an “exclusive” supplier contains a “special,” “secret,” “foreign,” or “ancient” formula that will provide the cure or relief you seek.

Don’t believe claims that a “miracle” drug or product will effectively treat a wide variety of illnesses or ailments.

Don’t accept “testimonials” or case histories from “satisfied customers” as the only evidence that the product actually works.

Don’t believe claims the medical establishment overlooked or suppressed a “scientific breakthrough” the promoter is trying to sell you.

If you have any doubts about a product someone is trying to sell you that promise the relief you have been looking for, discuss it first with your family doctor or other informed health professional.

And remember, money-back guarantees are usually worthless, and a product that sounds too good to be true probably won’t do what it claims to do. If you’ve been victimized by a health product fraud scheme, report your experience to your local postmaster or nearest Postal Inspector.

For more information about purchasing stamps, stamps by mail, postal regulations, a free subscription to USA Philatelic magazine, Post Office events, the location of the nearest postal store or contract unit, or for answers to your specific Postal Service questions, contact USPS at 1-800-275-8777, or visit www.usps.com. To schedule a presentation for your community, club or group on how the Postal Service brings the Post Office to your home or office computer, call 573-9638.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.