It’s the new year, and with that comes weight loss scams promising to miraculously melt away the pounds – without exercise or a special diet.
At the start of the new year, consumers hear a lot of “new year, new you” advertising around health and fitness products, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
But criminals also like to follow the latest trends and seasons, so some of these promotions are just scams out to get your money.
Too good to be true? It’s probably a scam
Scammers often post ads online for things like weight loss pills, patches or creams. The ads sometimes look like news reports about a “miraculous” new product to help you lose weight without dieting or exercising – except they won’t. The scammers also may steal logos from real news organizations to make their posts seem more real, the FTC said in an alert.
Consumers often get pulled into the advertisements that show incredible results, said Melanie McGovern, spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau.
“People want to believe a product is going to work,” McGovern told USA TODAY. Consumers see testimonials on a website or social media and don’t do any research on the product, she said.
The BBB suggests doing separate research on the product and consulting with your doctor, she said. Go on a search engine and type in the name of the product and “review” or “scam” to see what pops up.
The endorsements for such products often aren’t real, McGovern said.
“They could…
