Red Hot Tips Point: Cancer and Fraud

Monday, September 7, 2009

There are many people making money in the name of cancer today. The internet is a boon for genuine patients to reach out for help, but it is increasingly becoming a double edged sword. There are many unscrupulous elements who also grab such chances to make the most by claiming to be victims of the disease. The article discuses how to tackle cancer and fraud.

You might have seen different aspects of cancer and its victims. There are numerous stories pouring out every second on the Internet about people suffering from cancer who appeal for funds to get treatment. There are also scamsters who go the extra mile and tell you about different treatments available which are supposed to be useful against cancer. This article gives you an orientation about what types of scams connect cancer and fraud.

The first type is the most dangerous, especially if you or a loved one suffers from cancer. Although this cannot be put into the fraud category per se, the absolute hazards of this category of scams in cancer and fraud, make it worthwhile to mention them. There are numerous websites which advertise cures for cancer. The websites cite users who have found the treatment helpful to completely cure themselves of the disease. This sort of false hope can be very dangerous for cancer patients and more so for those in terminal stages of the disease. The best course of action is to ignore such hoaxes and to consult and follow the instructions of a qualified oncologist.

The next category of cancer and fraud consists of people who are actually healthy but claim to have cancer. This way they garner support from family and friends and in some instances the whole community to raise funds for their purported treatment. There is an ethical dilemma because it would be painful to ask a genuine victim to prove his or her cancer and this would be the only way to ascertain the existence of the disease. Such scamsters also find it very easy to produce fake documentation regarding their claims. The punishment for such crimes is also lenient, making it a difficult scheme to stop. One way of protecting yourself from such fraud is to donate to a registered cancer society rather than to individual patients. You can also consider donating to hospitals which specialize in cancer treatment.

Another variety of scams connecting cancer and fraud are through emails. The con artists send emails to people claiming they are the sole heirs to a legacy and are afflicted with cancer. The email would further say that they would like to send all their money or a portion of their large inheritance to you on the condition that you give them important information like your bank account number or they might try to get you to pay a certain fee to entitle yourself to the inheritance. In any instance of an email fraud never respond to the email. You should never give personal information like bank account numbers over the internet either.