BULLETIN: FTC Charges Central Coast Nutraceuticals In Acai-Berry Fraud Case That Alleges Overbilling And ‘Fake Endorsements’ From Oprah, Rachel Ray
This website was part of a $30 million acai-berry scam that offered purported "free trials," overbilled customers repeatedly and fraudulently traded on the names of Oprah Winfrey, Rachel Ray and other celebrities and well-known brands, the FTC alleged.
UPDATED 4:56 P.M. EDT (U.S.A.) Calling the operations of Arizona-based Central Coast Nutraceuticals Inc. (CCN) and affiliated companies a “$30 million” scam in 2009 alone, the Federal Trade Commission has obtained a court-ordered asset freeze in an acai-berry fraud case.
Charged along with CCN were Graham D. Gibson, Michael A. McKenzy and four companies that shared the same Phoenix street address : iLife Health and Wellness LLC; Simply Naturals LLC; Health and Beauty Solutions LLC; and Fit for Life LLC.
The FTC’s case file includes statements from Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Inc. and author and TV personality Rachel Ray that they never endorsed acai-berry products as the alleged scammers claimed and that their intellectual property was being abused.
The FTC’s action may send shockwaves across Internet Marketing slime pits, which routinely trade on celebrity names to sanitize “business opportunities” that imply famous people and entities endorse offers that appear online.
At the same time, the FTC action may have a chilling effect on online hucksters who make misleading or unproven claims that their products cure anything from cancer to obesity.
A big part of the scheme centered on bogus “free trial” offers and corrupt billing practices in which “numerous unauthorized charges” were made to customers’ credit-cards and debit cards, the FTC alleged.
Another part of the scheme centered on false claims that using a product known as AcaiPure “could lead to rapid and substantial weight loss,” the FTC charged.
“Too many ‘free’ offers come with strings attached,†said David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “In this case, the defendants promised buyers a ‘risk free’ trial and then illegally billed their credit cards again and again — and again.”
Vladeck said the FTC estimated “that about a million people have fallen victim to this scam,” with the scheme spreading in part owing to the fraudsters’ use of “fake endorsements” from Winfrey and Ray.
“Ms. Oprah Winfrey has never endorsed or approved AcaiPure,†said Douglas J. Pattison, chief executive officer of Harpo Inc.
In fact, Pattison said in court filings, Winfrey “has never endorsed any acai berry supplement or acai berry related product by name” and “has never approved or agreed to have her image or name used in conjunction with the sale and marketing of any acai berry related product.â€
Winfrey sued more than 40 companies for trademark infringement last year, amid claims scammers were using her image and brand to fleece the public.
For her part, Ray said in court filings that she, too, had been victimized by Internet Marketers who used her image and brand to pull off fraud schemes.
“I did not approve or agree to the use of my name or my image on this website. . . . I have never used, endorsed or approved AcaiPure. I am not associated with nor do I endorse or approve any acai berry product, company or online solicitation of such products, including AcaiPure,†Ray said.
In another move that may cause great unease in the part of the Internet Marketing landscape that entitles itself to divine testimonials and plant the seed that famous people endorse their fraudulent offers, the FTC included photos of the websites and shared a video that allegedly made fraudulent claims.
Visit the FTC website to view the video.
Hello, I ve have been a victim of this acai berry through Life Style Program, Acai Pure. What can I do for my refund?
[…] top of the sales page, which implies an endorsement. Perhaps MPD Today missed the news about the FTC action last week in a case that alleges an Internet Marketing company that hawks Acai berry products tried to make […]
If you “smart” consumers would read the entire offer before blindly entering in your cc information then you may have read that its a RISK free trial offer. Proactiv has this type of marketing, as does freecreditreport.com; and they are still in business arent they?
Sad to say, my mom got sucked into this scam. It’s pretty much a scam targeted for older people who aren’t familiar with scams on the Internet (such as my mother!) since this little scam, my mom has since relied on me for all Internet purchases (thank god). This was a dirty little scam.
I wish my mother was as wise as yours is and she doesn’t have access to the net. She got sucked in to buying overpriced crap from her Visalus friend though.