Dodgy medical research adverts circulate on social media

Which? has seen a series of dodgy adverts for medical studies and trials appearing on social media platforms, with some links going to phishing websites. 

The ads usually call for volunteers to take part in a new study or trial and may claim the study is researching the causes of a condition or potential new treatments.

Some link to websites with more information about the study, and then invite interested volunteers to apply to take part, which requires you to give personal information. 

But when Which? looked further into some of the research projects advertised, we found they didn't exist.

Why scammers are advertising medical studies

Scammers are taking advantage of the fact that people are increasingly interested in finding out more about their health. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many people are more willing to share their health information in the name of science.

Some of the adverts send you to a website to complete forms or ‘screening’ surveys to check if you’re suitable for the study. These surveys ask for personal details and often gather private and sensitive health information.

Your sensitive health data could be quite valuable to a scammer. They may be collecting sales leads for companies that sell products that might be of interest to people with certain health conditions. This is illegal if it’s not made clear how your data will be used when you hand over your information.

Read more: 

How to spot and avoid fake surveys

Lots of genuine research studies do recruit participants using adverts on social media as it’s an effective way to find the right people for the study. 

However, there are some things you can do to protect yourself from a scam study:

Consider only taking part in surveys or applying for studies led by trusted and well-known research organisations, such as universities, the NHS, or registered charities. But also be wary of fraudsters impersonating these organisations by using their logos or copycat websites. 

Check the official website of the organisation running the study. Fraudsters like to impersonate prestigious organisations to try to give their scam credibility. For example, if a study claims to be run by the University of Cambridge, visit the university’s website, find the department running the study and look for information about the research. 

Check out and contact the researchers running the study. Legitimate studies will always state the names and qualifications of the researchers running them, and will usually provide an email address. A quick search online may confirm whether these people are real, if they really work at the organisation, and if they’re working on this study. You could also try contacting them or the department to check or find out more information. It’s a red flag if there’s limited or no contact information available. 

Avoid taking part in surveys and quizzes online if you’re unsure – this may seem extreme, but you can’t always tell where the information you give ends up.

What to do if you’ve given your information to a scammer

If you’ve applied for a medical study, or completed any application or survey online that you suspect may be fake or misleading, there’s a risk that some of your personal information may be used in ways you didn’t agree to, or used by criminals.

There’s no need to worry too much, but be wary of any unsolicited calls or messages from people who know information about you. In particular, be cautious of anyone who claims to be calling from your bank or any other official organisation and asks you for upfront payments or asks you to transfer money. 

Scammers gather information about their potential victims and use it to gain their trust. They can then exploit this trust to manipulate people into sending money.

If you’ve lost money to any scam, contact your bank, and report it to Action Fraud. If you live in Scotland, you can report scams to Police Scotland by calling 101.

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source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/dodgy-medical-research-adverts-circulate-on-social-media-a8vMB3U7vRbr