Two federal agencies—the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)—joined October 19 to warn against deceptive Internet advertisements that claim to treat or cure diabetes. The caution came after a websurf conducted by law enforcement authorities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico uncovered numerous practices that "raise false hopes and bilk consumers of precious health care dollars," according to the FDA. In addition to alerting the public via a consumer education program, the FDA has sent warning letters to 24 firms that market dietary supplements claiming to cure, prevent, or mitigate diabetes; and the FTC has sent warning letters to 84 domestic and 7 Canadian websites that target U.S. consumers. The FDA notes that it maintains special websites in English and Spanish that "amplify the agency’s counsel to consumers to check with their doctor, nurse, or pharmacist before trying any new health care product." Of special interest to diabetes patients, the FDA says, are websites http://www.fda.gov/diabetes and http://www.fda.gov/diabetes/pills.htm.