Deceptive weight loss sites have been hit with legal action
We've all seen the ads that promise us a sculpted torso with little to no effort. "1 simple secret to a flat stomach" or "Follow this 1 tip to lose weight in a hurry" are just a couple of the worn out phrases gracing a plethora of online weight loss ads. And while most of us brush the ads off as the bait-and-switch they are, the government wasn't so forgiving. The Federal Trade Commission has filed 10 lawsuits against the companies responsible for the deceptive advertisements, in hopes of bringing an end to the scams they promote.
The ads appear innocent enough: Each one claiming to hold the secret to slimming down in a hurry and urging you to put your faith in an exotic blend of acai berries and other vitamins and supplements. The pills are no different than you would find on the store of your local health food shop, but the methods the companies use to snag mounds of your cash is less than honest.
The seedy advertisements sometimes disguise themselves as legitimate news reports, with a "journalist" explaining the benefits of the pills and citing false studies and reports to back up their claims. They often use logos from major news networks like CNN and MSNBC in order to feign legitimacy, causing many prospective customers to buy into their promotion.
Most will offer "free" trial programs that require you to pay just the shipping and handling in order to secure a month's supply of the magic medicine. After entering your credit card information to pay the small fee, your digits are stored and you are put on a recurring payment plan for a regular supply of the pills. This is usually explained in the extremely fine print on whichever site you might end up on, but rarely do consumers realize what they have agreed to. If you fail to call and cancel your agreement ? which can be an ordeal in and of itself ? you can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $100 a month for the supplements.
It is here that the federal government finally put its foot down, and the suite of suits that has been filed will hopefully put a quick end to the "1 Tip" ad schemes. However, it's best to stay vigilant and make sure that any diet plan or weight loss supplements you research online are backed up by legitimate studies. Never give up your credit card information for free trial offers, and avoid sites that make themselves out to be news outlets, when all they want is to rope you into a deal.
(Source)
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