Scam Artists Who Prey On People With Cognitive Disease

Well, I hate to admit this but I was almost duped by a scam artist who was preying on people with Early Onset Alzheimer’s and other cognitive diseases. Fortunately, for me, I am at the early stages of my disease and still cognizant enough to still research everything I purchase, put on my body or eat. If it wasn’t for my diligent research I would have fallen prey to this scam artist.

I am very active on Facebook and belong to numerous closed Facebook Groups dedicated to Alzheimer’s and dementia. Last week a woman reached out to me and told me that she worked with an Alzheimer’s researcher from Princeton University who had just conducted a clinical trial that looked promising and that they would like to contact me. I was absolutely elated and moved to tears. Finally, someone who might be able to help me. They did contact me and sent me the clinical trial information (it was very brief, which made me skeptical). After I indicated that the trial looked very interesting, I got a follow up email saying that there is a product that the doctor is selling through a medical company that is available that may be helpful to me. They sent me the URL.

I spent about an hour on the website looking at the medical company information and the “studies” that were conducted. I then clicked on the link that said products. They had the product that the person mentioned to me but there was no way to purchase it. The product sounded familiar to me and seemed similar to a product sold by a multi level marketing company that a friend of mine represents had been pressuring me to buy as a “potential cure” to cure or slow down Alzheimer’s. When she had sent me the information, I asked her for the product ingredients. Like I always do, I researched each ingredient in the product to determine if it is healthy to put in or on my body. My research uncovered that three out of the first five ingredients listing were carcinogenic. I kept clicking around on the website to find out where to buy it and then it took me to the multi level marketing companies website…….it was the same product.

I wrote the “Princeton Researcher” and asked where I could purchase this wonderful incredible product. She sent me the URL to the same multi level marketing company website. I then wrote her back and asked her point blank if she is a distributor for the company. She said yes she was. A “Princeton Researcher” who also is a distributor for a multi level marketing company. Really????

I almost lost my marbles with her. I sent her a nasty message telling her that I am very familiar with their products and that there is nothing medical about them, nor are any of the ingredients that they are touting healthy. I told her she is preying on unsuspecting people who belong to these Facebook Groups trying to find comfort and help from the other members only to find scam artists like herself preying on unsuspecting souls, many of which are experiencing significant cognitive decline. I also contact the administrator for the Facebook Group and they removed her access. Fortunately for me, I am not in the severe stage of this disease and still have more good days than bad days.

I remember when my Mom had Alzheimer’s disease, and she was living at home. When I finally realized how far her disease had progressed I had her bills transferred to me and realized she had 26 magazine subscriptions and was paying for five cell phones. When I asked her why, she had no idea (she had no idea she even had a cell phone). Also, one time when she was in a nursing home, I had left for a bit and came back and she was on the phone with someone who had been cold calling into the nursing home and was trying to sell her a new phone service. It was very clear that she had cognitive issues, but they were selling it to her anyways. I grabbed the phone from her hands and spoke to the person and then gave them a piece of my mind.

It is bad enough to have a debilitating disease which is going to rob me of my mind, but to have scum like this preying on people like me is beyond dispicable. The truth is there is no cure for Alzheimer’s . There are very few things that I discuss in my daily brain checklist blog that will help slow down the progression. Anyone who touts anything other than that is taking advantage. Please be careful of multi level marketing companies like Neora, Plexus, Amway, etc……..they all offer a cure or a supposedly organic, or holistic approach to something you need or desire. Do your research. If there was a cure or a quick fix, everyone would know about it and the Alzheimer’s Association would be touting it far and wide.

Lesson learned. I am so disgusted with myself and these scam artists. Under normal circumstances when I was healthier this would have never happened. Now my husband and I need to put a procedure in place to ensure that I don’t go off an do anything on my own impulsively without his involvement. I hate Alzheimers.