Tragic loss of life tied to supplements sold online

I ran into an acquaintance I hadn’t seen for a few years, and she’d lost a ton of weight. I asked her, “Did you start an exercise program?” Nope. She’s taking supplements she heard about on TikTok. That bothered the heck out of me, so I did some research.

What I found was frightening

Lewis Brown took health supplements containing a drug called DNP, which led to his internal body temperature skyrocketing to 103.64 degrees Fahrenheit. Although he survived, Brown had a leg muscle surgically removed.

Lucero Garza died after taking the weight-loss supplement Avitia Cobrax, which she bought via Facebook. The pills were marketed as a natural remedy.

Chris Wilcock suffered a heart attack and died after taking T5, a fat-burning supplement available online. Tests revealed his body contained as much caffeine as 300 cups of coffee at the time of his death.

The weight-loss supplement OxyElite Pro was linked to 97 cases of acute nonviral hepatitis, resulting in 47 hospitalizations, three liver transplants and the death of a mother of seven. OxyElite Pro has since been recalled.

You’ve probably spotted weight-loss products on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, online ads, YouTube and other places. Many of these “brands” know folks want to get fit, and so they’re willing to lie, cheat and mislead you to get your money.

PureFit KETO – and any keto diet pill brand

There’s no such thing as keto pills. Short for “ketogenic,” the term “keto” refers to a low-carb, high-protein diet. Social media ads from “health experts” claim their pills “burn” away fat. Buy some and you’ll get sucked into a subscription service that’s impossible to cancel or worse — your health suffers.

‘Magic’ gummies ‘approved by the FDA’

“Magic” gummies are another trick Speedy Keto and other pop-up brands try. They say celebrities like Elon Musk, Dr. Oz or Dolly Parton use their gummies to get amazing results. All B.S.

Fake Wegovy and Ozempic sites

Wegovy and Ozempic do have real websites by maker Novo Nordisk, and the drugs work for losing weight. But these are prescription drugs. Just so we’re all clear: You can’t order them online.

Able: Personalized Weight Care 

Apps like Able promise a big boost to your weight-loss strategy with personalized plans, trainers, meal prep and lifestyle work. The app is real, and the benefits are sort of real … but the practices are just plain bad.

Able has a 1.4 rating on Google, and others have reported it as a scam that attempts to automatically charge linked accounts or cards for large sums of money.

Weight-loss ads can be tricky SOBs

Any weight-loss product that uses words like “burn,” “dissolve” or “melt” is suspicious. They use manipulated photos of popular celebrities, fake testimonials, sexy Instagram models or made-up stats to fool you into thinking they’re legit. They’re not.

The FDA doesn’t review dietary supplements

Unlike regulated medications, supplements don’t have the same testing and approval process. The lack of oversight means what’s on the label might not be what’s actually in the bottle.

If there’s anyone in your circle who might be taking a supplement sold online, use the share icons below to send them this story. I sent it to the woman I mentioned at the beginning, and she replied, “I had no idea the FDA didn’t check these pills out. I threw them away. Thanks for caring about me, Kim.”

For more scam defense: Stop by my guides on text and email scams, travel scams and how some scammers even create fake retail websites.