I like to think I get some of this crazy stuff as part of mass mailings and not because someone thinks I am dense, but you never know…
Last week I got a variation on the Nigerian prince letter. You know: “I am a Nigerian prince trying to smuggle millions out of the country. Send me your bank account number and I will wire the funds to you for safety.” I have gotten that one multiple times.
Last week I got one from ‘The Bank of Canada’ mailed in a Walmart envelope and saying my husband’s grandfather left us $9 million. Send money for processing. Apparently ‘The Bank of Canada’ cannot afford its own stationery!
Then today in my email was an ad with the headline “Your Eye Doctor is Lying to You!” Good grief. How do these people find me?
Just like ‘The Bank of Canada’ using Walmart stationery puts up red flags for me, trash talk advertising does the same. If your product is so great, why do you have to smear someone else?
Then this same email advertisement plays the Higher Power card. The diet they are selling is Bible-based. Eat like the saints and the prophets and apparently our vision problems will be healed.
Playing on the faith of desperate people strikes me as being pretty low. Last time I looked – and I am not a Bible scholar – poverty and charity are biggies in Christianity. Why not just give this diet away?
Again, not a Bible scholar, but the only ‘diet’ I know of that is ‘God approved’ is eating kosher. Check in the Torah for that. Access to those guidelines is free.
So, what is the kvetching about? One, I like to complain. Two, I want to warn you once again to be careful. Immoral, shiftless folks are out there and they are trawling for…us. At least a few of them believe losing sight makes you desperate and stupid. They believe we will try anything. Offer us imaginary money, undermine our faith in our doctors and invoke the name of the Lord just for good measure. That will get them!
If you see an advertisement or are approached about a miracle cure it usually is neither a miracle nor a cure. We are not a consumer protection agency but if you come across something like that, Lin, I or one of Lin’s Facebook people often know something about it already or can find out without a lot of effort. Throw it out to us. Or, actually trust your medical people (and be sure you have medical people you do trust).
Most of us have had a long time to amass some knowledge and common sense. Some people actually would call us wise. (Really?!? Wow.) Don’t let desperation about our vision take that away. If you even suspect a rat, there is probably one close by.
Bringing me to my last quick caveat. We push research and clinicaltrials.gov. After that fiasco in Florida in which three women lost their sight, it came out that clinical trials.gov does not vet the research they list. There are now big disclaimers on their pages. If you are looking there look for big name sponsors and big name research centers. John Smith Labs in Podunk does not make it.
And on that note, I am out of here. Don’t trust any Nigerian princes!