The Washington Post: ‘tiny belly’ online ad part of scheme, government says
Acai berry distributors have been under scrutiny from the FTC since the spring, but the “tiny belly” and “1 weird old tip” ads that flood the margins of your online newspaper are part of an elaborate scheme to sell you fake diets based on acai, African mangoes, hCG (placenta extract), and other snake oil.
According to the FTC, though, the true objective may be something else–the “free samples” require you to register your credit card.
Google and the other main ad server claim they’re weeding out bad ads, but this one is so prominent on so many sites you just have to wonder what kind of cut they’re getting from it. Because the same damn wiggling abdomen cartoon is everywhere, used over and over, it should be a snap to eliminate.
File this under: unappetizing.
Filed under: Food Magazines, Food Politics, nutrition, shopping, unappetizing | Tagged: acai berries, African mangoes, credit card scams, diet scams, FTC, HCG diet scam, tiny belly ad | 3 Comments »

