Rainbow Investigations

 - Advocacy Activities -

(403) 245-0533 / (403) 651-9049

More than a few people have wondered why a private company, such as Rainbow Investigations, that is supposed to be making a profit, spends a lot of time and energy on advocacy activities. 

The answer is two fold – a minor reason is the profile it gives Rainbow Investigations.  But much more importantly, is the good feeling Rainbow Investigations gets from helping the now thousands of consumers who have contacted us to say we have saved them some cash and embarrassment on avoiding scams. 

While individually most of our preventative savings are often less than $100; however, collectively, we have clearly saved North American consumers millions since 2001.

Rainbow Investigations has been Canada’s chief source of investigative scam information on diet frauds, starting in the spring of 2001, when Ron Reinhold made it his personal mission to get to the bottom of the famous PhytoPharma diet fraud.

In that year the Globe and Mail did a major story on the PhytoPharma, and in early 2002, the CTV investigative show W5 did a brilliant documentary on the huge diet scam.  

Rainbow Investigations continued to uncover all the diet fraud advertisements for at least 5 years after the W5 show.

Recently, some government departments’, particularly Industry Canada’s Competition Bureau, have gotten involved and diet fraud in Canada has now been clearly reduced. 

But we believe this improvement is not totally coincidental to Rainbow Investigations first getting involved, back in 2001.  Click here to read a short history of diet fraud in Canada.

Ron Reinhold has constantly been more than concerned about “miracle cure” treatments being applied to vulnerable populations.  In the very early days of Rainbow Investigations, in a matter that got no media attention, Ron worked with the RCMP in a small northern Alberta town concerning an herbal cancer treatment operation that was just setting up.  This unprofessional operation, thank goodness, went nowhere.

One of the most controversial unconventional alternative medical treatments that have come to rise in Alberta in recent years is the Truehope programme of EM Power as a nutritional supplement applied to the mentally ill population.  Truehope has completed a criminal trial during March of 2006 in Alberta Provincial Court.

Since 2003, Ron Reinhold has been the chief spokesperson in Alberta on the Truehope controversy, and has consistently provided the view of the concerns (scientific, regulatory and moral) of having an unconventional, unapproved treatment being applied to the mentally ill by lay people.

To read more about the Truehope story click here.

Ron has made countless proposals to Health Canada, and whoever else would listen, about the need for our government to pay more attention to health fraud.  Ron has long suggested that investigations involving health fraud become the responsibility of a government department or agency with a more appropriate skill set, and fortitude to take on health fraud artists. 

Ron Reinhold recommended many years ago that the Competition Bureau take over health fraud responsibility (which now appears to be happening). 

As well, Ron has suggested changes to the outdated Food and Drug Act take place to cover the health fraud issue – which has become such a part of the global marketplace.  There are now signs that some modest improvements are taking place in this area too.

When Ron Reinhold was involved with the Schizophrenia Society, he worked on advocacy on behalf of the Society.  Ron Reinhold remains an interested party in mental health research, and annually attends the Alberta Mental Health Research Showcase. 

Ron’s views on mental health research are crystal clear – while society must consider all options for different treatments among the mentally ill, whatever treatment is under scrutiny, it should have a scientific basis, and must be researched in a manner that meets acceptable scientific research parameters.  Most importantly, new treatment schemes that are clearly experimental should not put vulnerable members of our society at unnecessary risk until it has been determined scientifically under what conditions the treatment may be effective.

Most recently, Rainbow Investigations has been working with the Calgary Police on a significant financial fraud originating in Calgary, and was being perpetrated throughout Western Canada.  We will provide details of this fraud, as the legal system allows us to.

So, while advocacy may seem like a strange activity for a private investigation / paralegal service, you can be assured that as long as Rainbow Investigations is in business, we will be sticking our nose into situations where we believe deception exists, and where we can be of assistance to Canadians in uncovering the truth.

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