Weight loss products allegedly sold on websites made to look like they were news sites
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Posted: 02/07/2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Have you seen those fake news websites that sell acai berry supplements and other weight loss products? The Federal Trade Commission said it’s permanently stopping those sites.
The government agency announced two more settlements that will end its 10-case sweep against these online marketers who allegedly use fake news websites to promote their weight loss products.
The settlements require the defendants make it clear when their commercial messages are advertisements and not objective journalism.
Some of the sites had titles like “News 6 News Alerts,” “Health news Health Alerts,” or “Health 5 Beat Health News.”
The FTC also alleges the sites falsely represented that the reports they had online were seen on television networks like ABC, Fox News, CBS, CNN, and in papers like USA Today and the magazine Consumer Reports.
Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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