Posts Tagged ‘lose weight’
Fake Site Helps People Spot Loan Scams
April 26th, 2010
by Amy
Esteemed Lending Services
A loan for every situation…guaranteed. Loans for a new business, college, or even a vacation. Consolidating the debt you already have. The loan you need, even if you’ve been turned down by other lenders because of a poor credit history. Loan specialists waiting to help you.
The website looks reliable, the company sounds reputable, and the offer is just what many people are looking for. Unfortunately, this is the pitch for an advance fee loan scam. Scammers promise you a loan, but you soon find out there’s a fee you have to pay first. If you pay, it’s unlikely you’ll see the promised loan, and you run the risk of someone using your personal information to steal your identity.
That’s why the FTC created the Esteemed Lending Services website. The company and site are fakes, designed to tip you off to the signs of an advance fee loan scam (and an important reminder that just because a site looks trustworthy doesn’t mean it is). Click on any link, and you’ll go straight to a page letting you in on the truth behind the site and telling you what you need to know to recognize advance fee fraud.
I hope you’ll link to, write about or talk about the site with your audience, members or anyone else in your network. It’s an opportunity for people to see what an advance fee scam looks like, and avoid losing their hard-earned money.
The FTC also offers other “teaser sites.” Learn to weigh the evidence in diet products and spot claims that signal a rip-off at our phony FatFoe site, or to evaluate health claims through Glucobate, a made-up diabetes treatment. Find them all at wemarket4u.net.
Tags: advance fee, debt, diabetes, identity theft, loans, lose weight, scams
Posted in Credit and Debt, Scam Watch | 9 Comments »
Skepticism: The Best Remedy for Miracle Cures
February 26th, 2010
by Lisa
One of my funniest memories of my dad is how he would frequently have me pick up a bottle of turpentine when I did his shopping. After ruling out the possibility that he was opening a hardware store or polishing an entire log cabin, I finally asked what the heck he was doing with that stuff. Turns out he used it for “Old Arthur,” his nickname for arthritis. Whatever turpentine’s imagined or real effect, Pop was convinced it did the trick.
As a city girl with country roots, I’ve heard of (and laughed at) lots of other outlandish home remedies and “miracle cures” for almost anything — from headaches to diabetes. And although I pressed my dad to put down the polish and see his doctor, it’s sometimes hard for me to ignore the ads for powders, pills and potions that are “guaranteed” to burn my stubborn belly fat or give me 48 hours of energy for my 18-hour day.
But, too often, these products are not effective, rob consumers (despite meaningless money-back guarantees) and, most tragically, can deceive consumers into forgoing proper medical treatment for life-threatening conditions. What’s more, they may interact dangerously with medicines that someone is already taking.
The FTC’s Health page includes red flags to look for and other advice to consider before purchasing health products. The site also tells consumers how they can file a complaint if they’ve been taken in by a company selling phony products.
If I didn’t inherit (all of) my dad’s eccentricities, thank goodness I have his sense of frugality. So “four easy payments of $59.99” is enough to turn me off. If you know someone who’s not as skeptical or cheap, pass this along. You might save their health (or, at least, a few hundred bucks.)
Tags: arthritis, diabetes, diet, infomercials, lose weight, marketing, miracle drugs, remedies, weight loss
Posted in Health | 3 Comments »
My New Year’s Resolution: Eat Less, Exercise More, and Lose a Few (or more) Pounds
December 29th, 2009
by Colleen
Sound familiar? If you’re like a lot of people (including me), you start off the new year with good intentions. You load up on healthy food at the grocery store, hit the gym a few times a week, and then a few weeks or months go by and, ouch, you’re back to some of your old ways.
Whether you want to look better, feel more energetic, or improve your health, you may be thinking that a weight loss program could help you stay on track and achieve your goals this year. But with so many weight loss products and services out there – each promising the best results – how do you navigate your way through the maze of choices? Glad you asked!
The FTC’s free publication, Weight Loss: Finding a Weight Loss Program that Works for You, has information to help you evaluate weight loss products and services, including the right questions to help you choose a safe and effective weight loss method.
Now, I’m almost certain you’ve heard this before, but it’s worth repeating: Before you begin a weight loss program, see your doctor. Ask his or her advice about your overall health and the weight loss options that are best for you.
When you start shopping for a weight loss program, get answers to questions about how the product or service works, how much it costs, how well it works and whether there are any risks in following the program. I think the Checklist for Evaluating Weight Loss Products and Services on page 9 is a handy cheat sheet when talking with representatives from weight loss programs. For more information, check out these other weight loss resources.
Please check back for more consumer tips and discussions. In the meantime, here’s to your (and my) weight loss success in the New Year!
Tags: diet, exercise, lose weight, new year's resolution, weight loss
Posted in Health | 17 Comments »