The Cure Big Pharma Didn’t Want You to See!

In the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, gullible people were charmed and conned by snake oil salesmen. With shameless showmanship, the swindler rolled into town and performed feats of deception that provided welcome diversion from everyday life. The attraction of the “cure” was reinforced by a shill planted in the crowd who was, in truth, a paid member of the troupe who testified with great drama that the cure was real. Once a respected member of the community was convinced and said so, others felt encouraged in claiming they felt the same. Mob think. The bottles of gunk visually imitated Chinese water snake oil (which was an established medical treatment from Asia) while the “snake oil” from the cons served only to relieve the locals of their funds. By the time the citizens realized they had been duped, if they ever did, the cons had moved on. The patients who depended on the cure were left to live or die on their own.

The techniques have been updated, but the format still works. Now there’s no painted wagon to roll into town. The remedy for whatever ill is being targeted may be delivered in a group setting such as a rally or banquet where mob pressure is powerful. You may recognize the appeals in venues and persuasions far different from those used for health products. People like to rally together against an enemy, real or imagined, large or small. It’s a form of belonging. Few are able to foresee consequences of the deceptions.

Most effectively, an online con such as a miraculous cure is delivered right to your home or office or wherever you receive digital messages. The salesman can be anyone, especially someone known or admired by the masses such as a professor, a scientist, a doctor, or a famous actor. Sadly, the person you see and testimonials you witness aren’t necessarily real. The sophistication of AI allows fake personalities to imitate popular personalities with amazing accuracy. For example, how many different celebrities seem to sell a “secret fat-burning gelatin” on Facebook with a scientist you may or may not recognize? If you consult the scientist’s own website, you may find no mention of their magical discovery with or without an accompanying deal on proprietary pills available at a discount as a subscription! Also, the recipe varies from celebrity to celebrity. As do the results?

The pitches for health remedies begin with an appeal to a serious need many viewers might have—obesity, diabetes, arthritis, cataracts, dementia—worrisome fears that have been exacerbated by television commercials, dwindling healthcare, and failing hospitals. A “short video” explains the dangers in colorful detail. Following the “short” video comes a much longer video that ever so slowly teases the desperate viewer with a proprietary multi-ingredient cure that has either been forgotten or recently discovered by the person hosting the appeal. It generally boasts having fewer side effects than medically approved products although it isn’t always less expensive. The viewer isn’t allowed to skip ahead to view the cure or its cost before their brain goes numb.

The online pitches have the added advantage of time pressure. “Order now before this offer is taken down! Big Pharma is in court attempting to silence us this minute.” Are all of these appeals fake? There may well be curative gems accidentally disguised by the trash. Someone is probably telling the truth. Someone is not AI. But who and for what? The intimidation of wealthy corporations or individuals can deliberately make sorting good from bad nearly impossible for people who lead busy lives and whose time and resources are limited. Lies and deception are accepted as normal, and who checks to see what the outcomes are for the gullible?