We did some investigating and found that a number of shady companies selling “brain booster” pills are using these exact tactics to promote their products. Here’s how:
They build spoofed websites that look like the news sites that we know and trust. 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.
The spoofed news sites link you to the sales page for the 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. It’s a scam.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) advises that you talk to your doctor to get the facts about health products before purchasing.
If you already paid money to a scammer with a credit or debit card, you may still be able to get your money back.
- Call the 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
For more tips, stay connected by subscribing to FTC alerts. And report scams to the FTC
