Scammers are targeting people with the opportunity to participate in bogus clinical trials. We see in the news that companies like Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson, and Johnson are conducting clinical trials. They do not charge people to participate in these trials. So if a caller asks you for money, hang up the phone or ignore the text.
Both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) are warning people to avoid becoming victims of these false purveyors of fake opportunities.
If you are considering participation in a research study:
Never pay to be part of a clinical trial or to get information about them. Real clinical trials will never ask for payment for either of those things.
Search online. Put the name of the company into the search box and add keywords like “scam,” “review,” and “complaint.” If the first search using one of the keywords turns up negative information, you can stop your searching there. If not, continue with the other search terms. Another way of searching is to go ClinicalTrials.gov and the COVID-19 Prevention Network these sites to check out companies.
Do not divulge your financial information. The FTC states that real clinical trials will sometimes pay consumers for their participation. You can request payment in the form of a check and avoid direct deposit into your account, which provides individuals you do not know access to your bank.
If you are being invited to participate in a legitimate trial, here are some of the kinds of information you are expected to provide: name, contact information, age, gender, race, ethnicity, and any pertinent health information. But never should they ask for financial information nor should you provide it.
The FTC asks consumers to inform its officials about any potential scams that they might run into. You can do that by submitting a fraud report on the agency’s website.
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