You must have seen ads like this online and on social media.They use a litany of dubious claims to promote the same questionable products: “weight loss” diet pills, IQ-boosting brain supplementsCBD elixir, get-Get rich quick promotions and more.But what differentiates these ads from others is their appearance—emphasis on Appear – Get recognition from celebrities and big shots in the business world.Their true nature is what we call lyrics-Fake-as: A deceptive promotional campaign in which famous faces are illegally and unauthorizedly cut out and pasted into advertisements. The latest in a series of ads on websites, pop-ups and social media platforms deceptively feature panelists from the TV show “Shark Tank” and purport to be screenshots from the show.
FTC takes enforcement action againnist Promotions that falsely claim to be endorsed by influential actors, journalists, or newsmakers. Diet pills were sold with false claims that they were recommended by Oprah Winfrey and Rachael Ray. Then there’s “Muscle Builder,” which mistakenly attaches Will Ferrell’s head to another body. The FTC also took action against a so-called “brain pill” that illegally used CNN’s Wolf Blitzer image and falsely claimed to be endorsed by Bill Gates and the late Dr. Stephen Hawking .
The Federal Trade Commission has Advice to consumers How to spot and avoid these illegal promotionss, But we also have a solid message for cut-and-paste scammers: Cut it out. Deceptively using someone’s name or image to sell your products violates the FTC Act and state law.this The FTC Endorsement Guidelines clearly state: “When an advertisement indicates that the endorser uses the endorsed product, the endorser must be a bona fide user of the product at the time the endorsement is made.” If you receive or notice lies about a celebrity endorsing your product, it can be costly. FTC Penalties for Endorsements. Under this authorization, marketers can have liability in excess of $50,000 every violationwhich could quickly result in millions of dollars in civil penalties.
Have you ever spotted one of these fake promotions? Report to the Federal Trade Commission.
