What People Get Wrong This Week: Fake Celebrity Endorsements

Fns of simple home cooking can unwind: Celebrity chef and TV personality Ree Drummond isn’t leaving The Food Network to support a keto gum brand, despite a convincing-looking facsimile of a People magazine article circulating on Facebook and Instagram this week.

One fake celebrity ad from a one-day chewing gum maker is barely noticeable in this evil world, but pull the string and unravel the ugly sweater of fraud and disinformation hidden in the Internet’s most gullible drawers for years to come. Drummond’s alleged announcement is just the latest evidence of an international scam in which untraceable companies swindle unsuspecting rednecks out of their salaries with believable-looking fake news promoting dubious health products.

Your Favorite Celebrities Don’t Actually Sell Weight Loss Gum

For the record, the following celebrities do not sell or advertise keto gummies, CBD gummies, or any other gummies or diet pills (as far as I can tell):

• Oprah Winfrey: Oprah is a favorite target for the marmalade companies. Last year, an obscene fake article was widely circulated on the Internet via a text message saying, ” Fans react to Oprah’s tragedy .” Clicking the link led to a fake Time Magazine article about Oprah endorsing weight loss gum, prompting the real Oprah to respond with an Instagram video clarifying that she does not endorse any weight loss gum.
• Tom Selleck: The Magnum PI star disapproved of CBD gummies despite a compelling media article about it. If you want to see how convincing, click this link to the PDF of the article . (I’m clearly not linking to the original).
• Shark Tank Cast : Disapproved of keto diet pills.
• Mayim Bialik : Has nothing to do with CBD gummies.
• Drew Carey : Disapproved of keto diet pills.
• Adele : Didn’t advertise Ellen’s slimming gums.
• Tiger Woods : Has nothing to do with a product called Tiger Woods CBD Gummies.
• Reba McIntyre : Didn’t approve of CBD or keto gummies.
• Rebel Wilson : Disapproved of ACV Keto Weight Loss gummies.
• Johnny Depp : Disapproved of CBD gummies.
• Dolly Parton : Favors good old country music over CBD gummies.
• Paul McCartney : Actually died in 1966.
• Dr. Oz : Dr. Oz actually endorses various supplements and wellness products.

I could keep calling celebrities all day. It’s endless, and they all follow the same pattern: A shocking news article from a seemingly legitimate source earns you a click that takes you to a website that explains how Paul McCartney (or anyone else) has a line of CBD products they desperately need. try. Then you give up credit card numbers.

Why don’t these companies go bankrupt?

Using a celebrity’s image without their permission will likely result in such costly lawsuits that few legitimate companies will take the risk. But lawsuits don’t seem to work against foreign companies that seem to only exist virtually and are meant to be closed and then reopened under a new name at the first touch (or a refrain and refrain letter). Clint Eastwood tried it in 2021 and won a $6 million default judgment against Mediatonas UAB, a Lithuanian company that didn’t bother to appear in court to defend itself. Eastwood and his lawyers have still not been able to collect a single cent, since ZAO Mediatonas no longer exists . These lawyers didn’t work for free, and there’s nothing stopping some other company tomorrow from using Eastwood’s name and likeness again.

This leaves celebrities with little protection other than social media posts that say, ” I don’t sell CBD gummies .” But it can actually help scammers: When Oprah Winfrey posted a video repeating that she doesn’t sell weight loss gums, scammers used a clip of the talk show host saying “weight loss gummies” in another ad .

Who even falls for this nonsense?

Famous people are obviously offended here, but they can wipe their tears with large piles of cash; the real victims are the jerks who shell out hundreds of dollars for products that either don’t work or simply don’t exist.

These fake stories may seem like obvious scams to those savvy on the internet, but they work for enough people to keep the whole shady industry going. No one keeps track of how many people have been victims of the Dark Gummy, but clicking on the comments of Oprah’s clarification video leads to endless anecdotal examples of victims mourning lost money.

If you’ve noticed these celebrities leaning towards “trustworthy seniors” then it’s almost certainly intentional. Elderly people have always been considered easy prey for scammers, and thanks to the Internet, it has become even easier to deceive a grandmother. Fake magazine articles are also from sources trusted by old people such as ABC News, Fox News, Us Weekly, People and Time magazine. They look legit as they completely copy the style and assets of their sources. The letter (probably created by AI) is even passable.

How to spot fake ads

Part of the insidiousness of these ads is that they are so targeted and so specific that you are unlikely to see them unless you fall for them. But just in case you’re unsure about a CBD product, the Federal Trade Commission recently issued a consumer warning offering three tips:

• Approach celebrity testimonials with caution . According to the FTC, if you’re excited that Tom Selleck has a new line of CBD gummies, you should “do your own research on product reviews.” This means searching for a product online and adding words like “scam”, “problems” or “complaints”. This is great advice, but I doubt my Aunt Patsy will follow it.
• Go straight to the source. Do not click on a link or ad. Instead, go to celebrity social media accounts or shows or a website. (Again, I doubt Aunt Patsy can tell the difference.)
• Talk to your doctor: Instead of buying “healthy” snake oil online, ask your doctor if CBD gummies or online diet pills are right for you. (Spoiler alert: they don’t suit you or anyone else.)