Consumer Advocacy Website Raises Awareness Against Rampant Celebrity Endorsement Scams Driven by Fake News
TEMPE, Ariz., Nov. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- RipoffReport.com, a consumer advocacy website run by Ed Magedson, is launching a campaign to speak out against the alarming prevalence of celebrity product endorsement scams. Spurious products claiming to be endorsed by celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Kate Middleton, and Melania Trump are duping consumers not just online but in malls across America, warns Mr. Magedson. RipoffReport.com's latest effort against these frauds may help consumers save hundreds of millions of dollars.
In his Vlog, Mr. Magedson produces video content that explains the tactics scammers use to mislead unsuspecting consumers out of hundreds or thousands of dollars. He's passionate about bringing more attention to this issue, and has expressed disappointment that celebrities whose names are being used to scam people are not actively speaking out on the problem.
"Their fans think they have endorsed the products being sold and therefore get scammed," Mr. Magedson said. "The operation is quite brazen and sophisticated, with call centers, websites, etc. To the untrained eye, it appears to be a legitimate business with products endorsed and represented by dozens of celebrities from Angelina Jolie, Melania Trump, Chelsea Clinton, and Kate Middleton to name just a few high-profile celebrities and public figures. In fact, these ads are bogus and fake and consumers claim the products do not do what they claim."
Many of these scams are driven by fake news stories with headlines like:
"Melania's Fortune Worth More than Donald's Because of New Anti-Aging Skin Care Line."
"Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Get a Divorce Because of a Fight over Their Multimillion Dollar Anti-Aging Wrinkle Cream Company."
Magedson says his website has received thousands of complaints of fake celebrity endorsements and most of these involve "free trials" for skin creams. The fraudulent "free trials" dupe consumers into providing credit or debit card information for "shipping and handling." Then, the swindlers regularly charge various fees without informing consumers. The "free trials" turn out to be anything but free. Many consumers have had to resort to canceling their credit cards to stop the unwanted, unauthorized, and recurring charges.
Fake celebrity endorsements have become "one of the most damaging and widespread rip-offs of our time," emphasizes Mr. Magedson. He is pressing the need for more public awareness on the issue. Mr. Magedson strongly believes that more media outlets should be covering the issue. He has pointed out that not only do these scams cost consumers millions of dollars, the frauds are also damaging the reputation of celebrities whose names are attached to the products without authorization.
Detailed information about fake celebrity endorsements can be found on RipoffReport.com.
Contact:
ED Magedson, founder of Ripoff Report
Xcentric Ventures LLC (operator of RipoffReport.com)
602-518-4357
183436@email4pr.com
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SOURCE Ripoff Report
