Fake reviews for items on sites like Amazon are a nuisance at best and downright dangerous at worst.
Despite efforts to tackle the issue, it’s still a big problem for online shopping sites, so it comes as a surprise to learn that this week the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) achieved only its first settlement in proceedings that challenged a merchant’s use of fake, paid-for reviews.
The FTC targeted Cure Encapsulations, Inc. in a case that accused it of paying a third-party website to write and post fake Amazon reviews for its garcinia cambogia weight-loss supplement, and of making unsubstantiated claims for the product.
According to the FTC, the company advertised and sold “Quality Encapsulations Garcinia Cambogia Extract with HCA” capsules on Amazon.com as an appetite-suppressing, fat-blocking, weight-loss pill.
Supplements using garcinia cambogia have been at the center of much debate over the years, with many experts questioning the safety and effectiveness of the fruit extract for the purposes of weight loss.
The FTC said the company paid a website called amazonverifiedreviews.com to write and post reviews of the weight-loss product for its Amazon listing, and also claimed that it asked the reviewers to ensure it maintained a rating of at least 4.3 stars out of a maximum 5.
The reviews, as well as information displayed on the supplement’s product page on Amazon, were described as making “false and unsubstantiated claims,” for example, that the product “literally BLOCKS FAT From Forming.”
Settling the case this week, the FTC imposed a fine of $12.8 million, with $50,000 due immediately and the rest suspended upon specific conditions.
In addition, Cure Encapsulations has been ordered to contact customers who bought the supplement, and to inform Amazon that it used fake, paid-for reviews.
The company has also been banned from making the same or similar products unless it has “competent and reliable scientific evidence” of their effectiveness in the form of human clinical testing.
“People rely on reviews when they’re shopping online,” Andrew Smith, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a release. “When a company buys fake reviews to inflate its Amazon ratings, it hurts both shoppers and companies that play by the rules.”
Whether the FTC’s recent action marks the start of a more concerted effort to tackle the issue of fake, paid-for reviews remains to be seen.
The company told Digital Trends it welcomes the FTC’s work in this area, adding, “Amazon invests significant resources to protect the integrity of reviews in our store because we know customers value the insights and experiences shared by fellow shoppers.”
It said it has “clear participation guidelines for both reviewers and selling partners,” and, when necessary, acts against those who violate its policies.
Not sure if that super-positive Amazon review for an item you’re interested in is fake? Then follow Digital Trends’ top tips to find out.
Updated on February 28, 2019: Added statement from Amazon.
In the first case of its kind, the Federal Trade Commission took action against a diet pill seller for both making false claims and paying to juice their standing on Amazon with fake positive reviews.
The fruit of garcinia cambogia has been hailed by some as a powerful weight loss supplement. Of course, there’s no conclusive scientific evidence to support this—although there is some indication that in rare cases it may lead to liver failure, which led the FDA to issue a notice about a product containing the active ingredient—which is why most purveyors of junk diet pills tend to make their efficacy claims vague. Cure Encapsulations, which the FTC ruled against yesterday, had no such modesty, instead stating that the extract in question “Literally BLOCKS FAT From Forming.”
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What differentiates this from every other fake weight loss panacea fiasco is that Naftula Jacobowitz, the owner/operator of Cure Encapsulations, “paid a website, amazonverifiedreviews.com, to create and post Amazon reviews of their product,” according to the FTC—demanding his products retain an average rating of 4.3 stars. As the world’s largest ecommerce marketplace, Amazon has become ground zero for cutthroat tactics in achieving greater product visibility—among which fake reviews are a well-worn method. According to one Pew Research study, the majority of Americans sometimes check online reviews, though only around half believe they’re trustworthy.
Unsurprisingly, Jacobowitz was previously sued by another Amazon seller in 2016 for, among other things submitting “false negative feedback and/or other false complaints to Amazon.com,” which the plaintiff claimed caused her to lose the coveted Amazon ‘Buy Box,’ a piece of screen real estate associated with higher sales. (The case was settled via permanent injunction in September of 2016.)
Amazon itself has taken legal action over the years on multiple occasions against entities abusing its review system, but this case marks the first time the FTC has involved itself in these matters. “We welcome the FTC’s work in this area. Amazon invests significant resources to protect the integrity of reviews in our store because we know customers value the insights and experiences shared by fellow shoppers,” an Amazon spokesperson told Gizmodo. “Even one inauthentic review is one too many.”
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Recommended in the ruling, and pending judgment in New York’s Eastern District Court, are a variety of stipulations against Jacobowitz’s Cure Encapsulations. His company would be required to notify prior customers of the claims against it and identify the paid reviews for Amazon. The company would also no longer be able to make “weight-loss, appetite-suppression, fat-blocking, or disease-treatment claims” about products without “reliable scientific evidence in the form of human clinical testing,” and face a largely suspended fine of $12.8 million.
The FTC has successfully brought the first-ever case against a supplement company that allegedly boosted its Amazon ratings through a third-party firm that crafts fake “verified” reviews.
According to the settlement, Cure Encapsulations sold a supplement on Amazon touted as an “appetite-suppressing, fat-blocking, weight-loss pill.”
One of the ingredients in the supplement is an Indonesian plant called garcinia cambogia that has been linked to acute liver failure.
“People rely on reviews when they’re shopping online. When a company buys fake reviews to inflate its Amazon ratings, it hurts both shoppers and companies that play by the rules,” said Andrew Smith, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement.
The FTC claims the company’s founder turned to amazonverifiedreviews.com — one of the hundreds of websites that writes fake five-star reviews for a fee.
Cure Encapsulations must now inform Amazon that it paid for reviews and must notify all customers who purchased the so-called weight-loss supplement.
The FTC is imposing a $12.8-million fine, with only $50,000 due and the remainder used as a way to enforce the judgement.
WATCH: Tips from a marketing expert about how to spot fake reviews
Research shows that 91 per cent of consumers rely on online reviews for their purchases, and it takes about 10 reviews before a consumer can start trusting a business or product.
But a lot of those reviews are unreliable, and experts say it can put consumers at risk.
Fakespot, a website that identifies fake reviews, estimates 30 per cent of product reviews on Amazon are inauthentic.
Recognizing this is a widespread problem, Amazon has taken the matter into its own hands. As an Amazon spokesperson told TechCrunch, the company has filed suits against more than 1,000 defendants for “review abuse” since 2015. They’ve also sued the third-party sites that write them.
[Update 2/27/19 8:05pm: An Amazon spokesperson gave us the following statement:
“We welcome the FTC’s work in this area. Amazon invests significant resources to protect the integrity of reviews in our store because we know customers value the insights and experiences shared by fellow shoppers. Even one inauthentic review is one too many. We have clear participation guidelines for both reviewers and selling partners and we suspend, ban, and take legal action on those who violate our policies.”]
In the first ever case of its kind, the Federal Trade Commission just reached a settlement that includes a $12.8 million fine against an herbal supplement company that paid for fake five-star reviews to boost its Amazon sales.
The fraudulent company, Cure Encapsulations, contacted a site that churns out fake reviews — amazonverifiedreviews.com (now taken down) — and told them, ““Please make my product … stay a five star.” They then paid the sleazy site “$1,000 for 30 reviews in order to bump the product’s ratings,” according to Mashable.
Along with the falsified reviews purporting to be from actual customers, the FTC also alleged that the company made “false and unsubstantiated claims” for the pills known as Quality Encapsulations Garcinia Cambogia.
Garcinia cambogia is a tropical fruit found in Indonesia that has been used as a natural aid for weight loss. As The Verge points out, use of the herbal supplement has associated with acute liver failure.
“People rely on reviews when they’re shopping online,” said director of the commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection Andrew Smith in a statement. “When a company buys fake reviews to inflate its Amazon ratings, it hurts both shoppers and companies that play by the rules.”
Along with the hefty fine, Cure Encapsulations is also banned “from making weight-loss, appetite-suppression, fat-blocking, or disease-treatment claims for any dietary supplement, food, or drug unless they have competent and reliable scientific evidence in the form of human clinical testing supporting the claims,” according to the FTC.
You mean they’re still allowed to run a business? Buyers beware!
Could the next fad to weight management help or hurt you?
For the last couple of years, Garcinia Cambogia has been making headlines with its appeal to the mass consumer, promising proper help with weight control and management. Stars like the Kardashians have mentioned trying or using it, and it’s been featured in tabloids left and right.
But with all the fame and popularity, is it safe to use? We spoke with various medical professionals and nutritionists all about this miracle product, and if it could be a right tool for you to use.
Garcinia Cambogia is a tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia and India that’s typically used in traditional cooking to the region (think curries and chutneys). Throughout history, it’s also been used in Ayurveda medicine to help activate digestion and support a normal appetite in the regions they grow.
But in more recent years, Dr. Saman Faramarzi, ND, a Naturopathic Doctor and Founder of SAFA Wellness, explains, “Garcinia Cambogia extract has been popularized as a miracle weight loss drug. However, just as there are no shortcuts to achievingany goals, there is no such thing as a miracle weight loss drug.”
But there are a few benefits to Garcinia Cambogia.
1. It supresses appetite.
“Garcinia Cambogia is known to suppress your appetite and make you feel full,” says Nate Masterson, head of natural product development for Maple Holistics. “This is due to the fact that the active ingredient, hydroxycitric acid, increases serotonin in the brain, which is the hormone associated with appetite control.”
2. It maintains the body’s blood sugar.
“The key active ingredient in Garcinia Cambogia thought to help with weight loss is hydroxycitric acid (HCA). However, modern studies have been mixed. Some studies show that it helps stabilize blood sugar levels by improving insulin resistance, and some also show that it helps improve cholesterol levels,” says Dr. Faramarzi.
While it’s hard for us to mentally wrap our minds around what unstabailized blood sugar looks like, we spoke to Lisa Richards, a nutritionist and expert on low-sugar diets, about how these effects can change our bodies and how Garcinia can help.
“Regulating bloog sugar levels is particularly helpful for those suffering from diabetes, but it can also help with other conditions. For example, if you regularly experience mid-afternoon crashes in your energy levels, or wake up at 3 AM with low blood sugar, Garcinia could prevent this from happening.
Another area where more stable blood sugar levels can help is with gut imbalances. Conditions like Candida and SIBO often have high blood sugar as one of their major causes. Garcinia can stabilize your blood glucose and, when used with a healthy low-sugar diet, deprive those pathogenic microorganisms of at least some of the sugar they need to thrive,” Richards advises.
But you also need to beware of the side effects of using this product. According to Dr. Faramarzi, the negatives may outweigh the benefits.
“Because there are concerns about side effects — including liver damage, fatigue, dizziness, and digestive issues — I recommend that you consult your medical professional, whether it’s your primary care physician or a naturopathic doctor. When choosing Garcinia Cambogia extract to purchase, it’s important to find ones that are not mixed with any other ‘weight loss’ supplement.
I recommend BareOrganics Garcinia Cambogia extract as it’s pure, raw, and organic. It’s also sustainability and responsibility sourced, USDA organic, and non-GMO, which is very important when you’re looking for any superfruits, adaptogens, and herbs to add to your lifestyle.”
As we said early, there’s no such thing as a miracle pill. It takes time and effort to get the body in a healthy and proper state.
Dr. Faramarzi reccommends to those looking to Garcinia Cambogia to help manage their weight, “incorporating it into a healthy lifestyle that’s complete with exercise and a nurtitional diet that’s low in carbs and animal products, and high in proteins and healthy fats.”
Elizabeth Blasi is a New Yorker. A lifestyle travel writer, who is often seen with a suitcase in hand, jetsetting to her next location. But as a true Digital Nomad, her love of writing and romance novels means her laptop is always beside her.
The US Federal Trade Commission has successfully brought the first ever case against using fraudulent, paid Amazon reviews to falsely advertise an online product, the agency announced Tuesday evening. The company in question, named Cure Encapsulations, Inc. and owned by Naftula Jacobowitz, paid a third-party website to write five-star Amazon reviews for a weight-loss supplement called garcinia cambogia. The plant, native to Indonesia, is widely mischaracterized as contributing to weight loss, but is in fact known to cause acute liver failure.
Cure Encapsulations paid a website called amazonverifiedreviews.com to keep the product’s Amazon rating above 4.3 out of 5 stars, with reviews stating that the supplement worked as a “powerful appetite suppressant” and “literally blocks fat from forming.” The FTC found those claims to be false and unsubstantiated.
“People rely on reviews when they’re shopping online,” Andrew Smith, the FTC’s director of consumer protection, said in a statement. “When a company buys fake reviews to inflate its Amazon ratings, it hurts both shoppers and companies that play by the rules.” The FTC first filed its complaint on February 19th, and reached a settlement in just under a week.
As part of the settlement, Cure Encapsulations has agreed to never again make a “weight-loss, appetite-suppression, fat-blocking, or disease-treatment claims for any dietary supplement, food, or drug” unless the company has “competent and reliable scientific evidence in the form of human clinical testing” to support its claims. The settlement also prohibits the company from misrepresenting endorsements, including whether a review or testimonial is from a real customer who purchased the product.
Cure Encapsulations must now inform Amazon that it paid for reviews, itself a violation of Amazon’s rules around promotional content, and must also notify all customers who purchased the weight-loss supplement. To keep the company in line, the FTC is imposing a $12.8 million fine, with only $50,000 due today and the remainder used as a way to enforce the judgement and in the event Cure Encapsulations misrepresents how much money it has on hand.
Amazon, in a statement given to The Verge, said its pleased the FTC is taking action. “We welcome the FTC’s work in this area. Amazon invests significant resources to protect the integrity of reviews in our store because we know customers value the insights and experiences shared by fellow shoppers,” a company spokesperson said. “Even one inauthentic review is one too many. We have clear participation guidelines for both reviewers and selling partners and we suspend, ban, and take legal action on those who violate our policies.”
Fake Amazon reviews have been known as a problem for years, but regulators have shown little interest in cracking down on the practice until this recent suit. That’s pushed Amazon to go after the review sellers themselves, including filing individual lawsuits against sellers on freelance job sites like Fiverr. Yet the FTC’s latest action sets a firm precedent that the agency is willing to go after companies that abuse online markets and platforms like this. It’s not clear whether the agency has the resources to curb the behavior behind some of the biggest bad actors on sites like Amazon, but the settlement sends a message that companies like this can’t rely on the trusted veneer of these marketplaces to excuse false advertising.
The FTC has shown a growing interest in abusive practices in the tech industry in recent months, far beyond the low-level scams of fake Amazon reviewers. Earlier today, the FTC announced it would be forming a task force with 17 staff attorneys to monitor and take action against anti-competitive behavior in US technology markets. The task force appears focused on the increasingly centralized power of a few Silicon Valley giants like Google and Facebook.
Correction: A previous version of this article said Amazon has done little to prevent fake reviews from proliferating on its website. That is not true; Amazon has filed numerous lawsuits against review-selling sites and individual sellers on freelance job sites.
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The above discussion should give you some ideas about sleep and weight loss. Compare not only their prices but also their performance.
List of Top best sleep and weight loss in 2019
Here is a short list of the top sleep and weight lossproducts from each of the price ranges. Don’t think that cheap means poorly made, often the difference in the products by price are in what features they include not the quality of their manufacture.
That’s why we’ve decided to do an in-depth research around these sleep and weight loss. Now, at the end of those hours-long using sessions and analysis, we are all set to recommend the best choices you’ll have in the sleep and weight loss category. Obviously, we have our picks from premium, semi-premium and budget-friendly sectors. Therefore, when it’s time, you can have the best sleep and weight loss .
Premium Segment
The premium segment includes products that are priced above a certain range. The quality of these and feature capabilities can make these sleep and weight loss deal for professional use.
Medium Segment
The medium segment of the sleep and weight loss market has a mid price range which fits those looking for best bang of their buck.. This is a very wide price range to find products with such similar features but what differentiates them from each other is the approach they take to their features. These are higher end consumer products, but not the pro-summer quality of the premium segment.
When purchasing a Product you want to make sure that you purchase the best sleep and weight loss available for the man/woman who will be on the receiving end. One of the ways to accomplish this is by comparing the different brands that are available and getting the features that fit within your budget.
There are other features that differ by brand also. For example some models will give you a choice of motor speeds. They will give you the option of two different speeds to choose from and other models will just have a standard non-adjustable speed. Having the option can come in handy especially for men that maintain a close cut.
Why do you need a sleep and weight loss
A sleep and weight loss is one of the most popular item that is going to be viral in coming years, due to its wide range of applicability in the industry. People may or may not be aware of the reason why people should buy a sleep and weight loss or why they need to have one.
How to choose the best sleep and weight loss for you?
To choose and buy the right kind of sleep and weight loss , you will have to be very careful in doing so. Because the sleep and weight loss come in a wide range of types, having different characteristics and capabilities and if you don’t concentrate on each and every aspect, then you surely would miss out the best one for you.
Here is a checklist you can use to double check your choice while selecting and purchasing it.
Determine the type and function you need
You should be very clear about the type of sleep and weight loss you need. Keep in mind the various types and determine the best on the basis of the feature you need and the purpose you need to accomplish. Like for a medium range product with a medium quality or a high end stuff.
Brand and price
If you have a particular budget or a specific brand in mind then do sort out the brand first and then look for further features.
Quality of the material
The first thing you should look at, is the quality of material and the sturdiness of the structure. It is important because the sleep and weight loss should be made of high quality and durable material to help it withstand normal day to day wear and tear.
Warranty and complimentary tools
If you can get a warranty from the manufacturer then it would be a plus, so look at this feature also. In addition to it you may also find some tool that some of the manufacturers offer, along your product.
Where to buy the best sleep and weight loss
Buying a sleep and weight loss could be hectic, if you don’t know where you can find the best brands and a wide range sleep and weight loss types to let you select the one you need. For this, you’ll have to search for the most trustworthy and reliable seller that will offer you all the best rated brands along with the best price available on the market. You can either look to buy it from a local market or through online retailer and stores like Amazon.
Most of the people have a tendency to prefer online stores like The amazon. The reason behind it is the availability of the wide range of quality products, trustworthy sellers and an opportunity to compare the products and pick the best one for you.
So, You can easily buy your sleep and weight loss on amazon at affordable rates and an assurance of a quality product.
The final word
This is just an overview of some of the best sleep and weight loss in each of the price ranges. The point is that no matter what your budget, there is a functional sleep and weight loss for you. Make sure you filter them for the ones that interest you so you know all the features and considerations of each. That can be the best way to identify what features you really need in a more expensive version.
Garcinia cambogia extract is non-toxic, tasteless, odorless powder and found to be very effective herbal alternate for controlling obesity and cholesterol by inhibiting lipogenesis in our body.
Garcinia Cambogia has been used for thousands of years in the Orient as a food supplement. It is used as an appetite suppressant and to inhibit the absorption and synthesis of fat, cholesterol and triglycerides.
The global Garcinia Cambogia Extract market is valued at xx million US$ in 2018 is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025.
This report focuses on Garcinia Cambogia Extract volume and value at global level, regional level and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents overall Garcinia Cambogia Extract market size by analyzing historical data and future prospect. Regionally, this report focuses on several key regions: North America, Europe, China and Japan.
Key companies profiled in Garcinia Cambogia Extract Market report areXi’an Lyphar Biotech, Shaanxi Fuheng (Fh) Biotechnology, Shaanxi Guanjie Technology, Wuhan Vanz Pharm, Hunan Kanerga Pharmaceutical Sales, Two Blue Diamonds, Maruti Futuristic Pharma, Kinal Global Care, Nutra Graceand more in term of company basic information, Product Introduction, Application, Specification, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2014-2019), etc.
