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Watch
for wrinkle cream rip-offs
By Melissa Martin
Enchanted emollients. Dream cream promises. The spell of the gel.
Well it happened. Scammers used Judge Judy’s notoriety to bilk and
bamboozle consumers. With deception and deceit, greedy cons created a
fake website to hoodwink the public. The TV icon of the legal system
does not endorse or sell skin care products. Ointment for oldsters is
not her bag.
Have you been scammed by a skincare company using Robin McGraw's name?
She does endorse her own skin care line of products, but was the victim
of a scam-machine in the past.
“Celebrities aren’t the only victims of a long-running Internet scam
that uses fake celebrity endorsements to peddle skin care products
online. Ordinary individuals who fall for the advertorials
(advertisements written to look like articles) in some cases wind up
bilked out of hundreds of dollars.” www.snopes.com/.
Buyers must beware of free trials of wrinkle creams. “It’s free! And
you only have to pay for is shipping,” is what the tricksters proclaim.
Don’t believe it. Lies. Lies. And more lies.
In order to receive the “free” sample you need to agree to the terms
and conditions. Whammy! If you do not cancel the order and return the
product within the number of days specified, you are charged full
price. And the con artists of cream hold your credit card hostage with
automatic monthly charges for more products. Because you didn’t read
the fine print or the hidden print or the makeup print.
Greedy scammers prey on women’s insecurities. Bogus beauty claims for
bucks. The cons of crime use networks of technology, phony web sites,
and social media as tools of trickery. Scrupulous scoundrels who would
sell their grandma’s dentures for a profit.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken legal action against some
of the skincare scammers in the past, but new tactics pop up on the
Internet often. “Twenty-nine defendants who sold Auravie, Dellure, LéOR
Skincare, and Miracle Face Kit branded skincare products have agreed to
court orders with the FTC or had default orders entered against them,”
is reported on the FTC website. www.ftc.gov/.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center provides the public with a reliable
reporting mechanism to submit information to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) concerning suspected Internet-facilitated criminal
activity. www.ic3.gov/.
Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet. Scammers are savvy
at mimicking official-looking language. Dishonesty is alive and well on
the web.
Be aware of high-pressure sales tactics. Any skincare product with a
limited-time offer needs to be questioned. Be a cautious consumer.
Folks, turn on your scam detectors. There is no fountain of youth for
wrinkles in a jar, a tube, or in a container. Don’t be held hostage by
hype. Don’t fall for the before and after pictures. Stop. Breathe.
Think. Use your rational brain. Press the pause button in your mind.
Evaluate your emotions. Assess your attraction reaction to looking
younger.
I buy my favorite skincare concoctions: cleanser, face serums, toner,
lotion with sunscreen, moisturizer. But I stay alert for scams and
rip-offs.
But, what makes us vulnerable to scams? Prone to product propaganda?
Gullible to gimmicks? The psychology of persuasion is utilized by
politicians, priests, and perpetrators. Humans are taught to listen to
voices of authority. And not to question voices of authority.
But, what makes us obsess over the skin on our faces? The culture of
glamour magazines, supermodels, and celebrities? The longstanding vice
of vanity? Feeling vulnerable to aging and the subsequent changes? We
give meaning to our wrinkles. Death is on the horizon and wrinkles
remind us of the elephant in the room.
TV commercials, movies, and social media influence the perceptions,
opinions, and beliefs of females. You are your looks: that’s what
society teaches and preaches to girls. From the cradle to the grave we
punish and pamper our skin.
“How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you,” writes
Rupi Kaur in her book of poetry and prose, Milk and Honey.
Melissa Martin, Ph.D., is an author, columnist, educator, and
therapist. She lives in Southern Ohio.
www.melissamartinchildrensauthor.com.
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