One continent’s terrible disease is apparently a tantalizing business opportunity for other entrepreneurs who are running online scams preying on citizen fear and compassion.

The young and tech-savvy are doing what they do best, including using Twitter to tell everyone to calm the media hysteria:  http://gothamist.com/2014/10/24/ebola_twitter.php

And the AARP is sending out alerts warning people that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has seen and received consumer complaints about a variety of products claiming to either prevent the Ebola virus or treat the infection.  The USFDA says there are no approved vaccines, drugs, or investigational products and no supplements that can prevent or cure Ebola.

The AARP says there are also charity scams and stock investment frauds involving companies that say they are developing products to spread viral diseases like Ebola.

Mary Bach, chairman of the state AARP Consumer Issues Task Force called it unfortunate that when a crisis happens, “scammers and fraudsters resort to sleazy tactics to make a buck.”

AARP has posted tips here for consumers to protect themselves from scams:  www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork

Nicky Woolf of The Guardian has also reported on some of the snake oil treatments.

You can find more information on Ebola at the World Health Organization’s website. The fact sheet includes symptoms associated with infection, prevention as well as an interesting look at the history of the virus.