Fraud

Commentary

Is the supplement industry in for a reverse Dr Oz effect?

15-Apr-2022 By Hank Schultz

The Senate candidacy of Dr Mehmet Oz, MD, could pose a public relations risk for the dietary supplement industry, as the prominent media personality gets attacked for being a ‘quack’ who has promoted questionable products.

Final Blackstone Labs defendant sentenced

15-Mar-2022 By Danielle Masterson

The last chapter of the Blackstone Labs book has closed, with a Florida man sentenced to 51 months in prison for his role while working at the sports and dietary supplements brand.

SEC indicts CanaFarma founders on securities fraud

12-Oct-2021 By Hank Schultz

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has indicted CanaFarma hemp and its two cofounders with fraudulently raising about $15 million from investors, and misappropriating approximately $4 million of that for personal and nonbusiness purposes.

FTC sends $470k in refunds to consumers defrauded by aloe vera supplement marketer

27-May-2020 By Danielle Masterson

The Federal Trade Commission continues to be vigilant in policing health-related claims, after announcing over 22,580 refund checks would be mailed this week to consumers nationwide.

FTC refunds $8.5 million to consumers over fraudulent product claims

20-May-2020 By Danielle Masterson

The Federal Trade Commission just announced it is issuing refund checks totaling over $8.5 million to consumers defrauded by misleading claims on weight loss products an erectile dysfunction product in a case dating back to 2004.

Paucity of testing ensures olive oil adulteration continues to plague market, BAPP bulletin says

10-Jan-2020 By Hank Schultz

The Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program has released a bulletin on olive oil adulteration that shows that the issue, though widely acknowledged, continues to plague the market.

Feds seize $3 million from Wheat, Hi Tech

09-Nov-2017 By Hank Schultz

The federal government has seized more than $3 million from Hi Tech Pharmaceuticals CEO Jared Wheat as part of its money laundering and mail fraud case against the executive and the dietary supplement company he controls.

Hi Tech founder Wheat indicted on 18 counts including mail fraud, money laundering

09-Oct-2017 By Hank Schultz

Hi Tech Pharmaceuticals founder Jared Wheat has been charged with money laundering and wire fraud by federal authorities in an indictment unsealed last week.

Injunctions, $6.6 million fine in FTC case citing misleading claims, fraudulent return policy

24-Feb-2017 By Hank Schultz

The Federal Trade Commission and Attorney General of Maine have announced the settlement of a case involving alleged deceptive marketing practices for dietary supplements that were featured in radio spots.

Dr Oz on ‘The Dr Oz Effect’: For my colleagues at the FTC, I realize I have made their jobs more difficult

17-Jun-2014 By Stephen Daniells

Celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz has admitted that the biggest disservice he has done for his audience is not identifying where to buy the quality products he talks about on his show.

Açai weight loss sites operater to pay $2 million to settle FTC case

25-Oct-2012

A defendant that hawked deceptive açai weight loss products via fake news websites has agreed to pay more than $2 million to settle a case brought by the Federal Trade Commission.

FTC clamps down on acai supplement fraud

17-Aug-2010 By Lorraine Heller

A US district court has issued a restraining order on the marketers of acai dietary supplements and ‘colon cleansing supplements’ for their deceptive marketing and illegal billing practices.

FDA warns of extortion scam by agency impersonators

19-Nov-2008 By Lorraine Heller

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has put out a warning that people falsely identifying themselves as agency officials are part of a money extortion scam.

Makers of HeightMax ordered to pay $1.9m

27-Apr-2007 By Clarisse Douaud

As part of its assurances that it will be tough on dietary
supplement manufacturers who market with false claims, the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) has clamped down on a company that allegedly
hid assets to avert paying a full settlement.

FTC to continue policing marketers, with focus on health fraud

08-Feb-2007 By Clarisse Douaud

The Federal Trade Commission has said that it will continue to
prioritize policing dietary supplement marketing practices, thereby
sending out a warning to companies making exaggerated or
unsubstantiated claims.