Now, newspaper publishers are working both privately and with the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C., to minimize the risk to their readers. An FTC search found that most newspapers run disclaimers, but these offer little useful information and sometimes point consumers in the wrong direction, such as to the Better Business Bureau. Set a policy of substituting generic names for well-known brand names in ads unless the advertiser can prove the companies named have authorized use of the brand. But once consumers have bought the equipment, they find that all the good locations are locked up, and they cannot earn anything near what they were promised. Delete specific sales figures from ads unless the seller discloses the number and percentage of people who have made as much money as the ad says.
Ads often tout unrealistically high earnings estimates to lure people in.
Another resource for preventing publication of fraudulent ads is the Catch Scam Network, a newspaper-supported initiative that alerts member papers to possible scams. Gary H. Bugge, a credit investigator who owns Screening For Profit in Greensboro, N.C., administers CatchScam. Newspaper executives can fax suspicious-looking ads to Bugge. We have a long way to go. Copyright 2000, Newspaper Association of America.