FTC Consumer Alert

Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection Division of Consumer & Business Education

THIS JUST IN:

Fake News Sites Promote Bogus Weight Loss 

Benefits of Acai Berry Supplements

When you want the straight scoop on what’s going on in your community or around the 

world, you probably count on the news for accurate and truthful reporting. More and more, 

scam artists are exploiting your trust in well-known news organizations by setting up fake 

news sites to peddle their wares. The fake sites, which usually display logos of legitimate 

news organizations, promote everything from bogus weight loss products to work-at-home 

opportunities, anti-aging products and debt reduction plans.

Getting to the What, When, Where, Why and How

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, cautions 

that many websites have sprouted up that claim to be objective news sources and describe a 

so-called “investigation” of the effectiveness of acai berry dietary supplements. Acai palm 

trees are native to Central and South America, and supplements made with acai berries have 

become popular in recent years.

A typical site displays the logo of a legitimate major television network, newspaper, or 

magazine, followed by a “reporter’s” first-hand experience using the product. The reporter 

may claim a dramatic weight loss over several weeks, with no change in diet or exercise 

routine. Throughout the fake news site are links to other websites where consumers can buy 

the reviewed weight loss products or sign up for a “free” trial. Testimonials or comments from 

supposedly satisfied customers also may be posted on the site.

Through its investigations of “news” sources like these, the FTC found that nearly everything 

about these sites is fake. The websites – owned by marketers – are simply a tool to entice 

consumers to click on links to the sellers’ sites, then buy acai berry supplements. The sellers 

pay the marketers a commission based on the number of consumers they lure to their sites. 

There is no reporter, no investigation, no dramatic weight loss, no satisfied consumer who 

left a comment, and no affiliation with a reputable news source. As a rule, legitimate news 

organizations do not endorse products. The photographs of the reporters are copied from 

legitimate news sources, and the images showing weight loss are stock photographs. The 

comments are cut and pasted from other, similarly fake sites. The weight loss claims – such 

as “lose 25 pounds in four weeks” – are not only false, but impossible to achieve in the time 

frame and manner described on the sites.
1-877-FTC-HELP FOR THE CONSUMER

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ftc.gov

April 2011

For More Information

If you are trying to lose weight, talk with your health care professional and read Weighing the 

Evidence in Diet Ads. This FTC publication gives information to help you avoid a weight loss 

rip-off.

The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the 

marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To 

file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 

1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.

Watch a new video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC enters 

consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and 

investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. 

and abroad.