Scammers are creating website that look like reputable news sites in an effort to promote health products.
According to a new alert from the Federal Trade Commission, the scammers use fake endorsements from public figures and lie about the effectiveness of their products, such as “brain booster” pills.
The FTC launched an investigation and found a number of shady companies using fake news sites to sell health products.
CALL 6 | Feds warn of "imposter scams"
“They build spoofed websites that look like the news sites that we know and trust,” said Andrew Johnson, FTC Consumer Education Specialist. “The sites aren’t real news sites and the endorsements featured on the sites, often from figures like Stephen Hawking, Anderson Cooper and others, are fake. Representatives from Hawking and Cooper have confirmed that neither has endorsed any “brain booster” products.”
Typically the fake news sites link you to the sales page for a product, which allows you to place an order with a credit or debit card.
“The scammers may claim that the pills are proven to work — that you’ll experience an increase in concentration and memory recall by large percentages, but they lack evidence to support their claims,” said Johnson. “It’s a scam.”
If you end up falling for this scam, you can file a report with the FTC.
Report scams
You may be able to get your money back, according to the FTC:
- Call the credit card company immediately using the phone number found on your monthly statement
- Alert them to the fraudulent charge right away
- Ask if you are still eligible to get your money back
- Ask if you should get a new card with a new number to prevent more fraudulent charges
