QuackWatch & DeviceWatch: Your Guide to Quackery, Health Fraud, and Intelligent Decisions

Quackwatch: an international network of people who are concerned about health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct.

What is Quackwatch?

Quackwatch is an international network of people who are concerned about health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct. Its primary focus is on quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere. From 1970 through 2007, it operated as a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The corporation was dissolved in 2008, but the informal network will continue as usual.

Does the fact that someone is mentioned on Quackwatch mean that you think that the person is a quack?

No. When writing about individuals, we generally stick to facts and do not engage in name-calling. Several articles on the site describe quackery's characteristics. We leave it up to the reader to decide whether an individual's behavior fits any of these patterns.

Is lack of mention on Quackwatch a sign of legitimacy?

Because Quackwatch covers so many topics, many people wonder whether lack of mention should be interpreted as a sign of legitimacy. The answer is no. We identify many people who have been in the news for one reason or another, such as criminal prosecution or discipline by a licensing board. However, the number of scams and scammers is so large that nobody could possibly write about them all. Rather than attempting to construct an endless list, we indicate how to tell whether people or ideas are trustworthy. The main ones are:

• Twenty-Five Ways to Spot Quacks and Vitamin Pushers
• More Ploys That Can Fool You
• How to Spot a "Quacky" Web Site
• Seven Warning Signs of Bogus Science

Device Watch: Our primary focus is on information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere. Our activities related to this site will include:

• Analysis of questionable health claims
• Reporting illegal claims to regulatory agencies
• Helping victims seek redress against sellers and practitioners
• An online "museum" to illustrate the colorful history of device quackery.