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Before you spend money on that “Shark-approved” miracle invention, weight loss product, or keto diet pill, are you sure it’s really been through the Tank? Really sure? Scammers are using fake Shark Tank celebrity testimonials and endorsements — complete with doctored photos and videos — to generate buzz and profits. Before you click and buy, follow this advice and check it out.

Here’s what to do if you’re wondering whether something is Shark-approved:

  • Approach celebrity testimonials with caution. Look for product reviews on your own. Search the product online and put words like “scam” or “problems” or “complaints” to see what others are saying about the products.
  • Go directly to the source. Don’t click on a link or ad. Instead, check out a full list of all businesses that have been on the show at abc.com/SharkTank.
  • Remember: the government doesn’t review or evaluate supplements for safety or effectiveness before they’re put on the market. Your health care professional is the most important person to ask whether a supplement is safe for you. Even a natural supplement can be risky depending on your health and the medicine you take.

Have you spotted one of these bogus promotions? Report it to the FTC. Find out more about common health scams at ftc.gov/miraclehealth.

Scams
Health and Weight Loss Scams

It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.

The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

Marnix A. van…
February 21, 2023

As I recall, some of these ads show pictures of celebrities and quote them. Never mind that the celebrity never made the quote, isn't it illegal to use someone's picture commercially without their consent?

Gerry P
February 27, 2023

In reply to by Marnix A. van…

If these celebrities are not getting a financial kick back, why haven't they sued these companies?

Tandy Bills
February 21, 2023

Hi ftc.gov administrator, Your posts are always well-received by the community.

Gerald M Jacobs
February 27, 2023

There has been a steady steam of weight loss ads on the net. By answering one and whether or not you purchase , it opens the flood gates with similar offers

Muriel Martinelli
February 27, 2023

Dear ftc.gov administrator, You always provide valuable feedback and suggestions.

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