On February 26, the FTC announced a settlement with a weight-loss pill company that is alleged to have purchased 5-star Amazon reviews from a third party. The settlement includes a judgment of $12.8 million (which will be suspended upon payment of $50,000 to the FTC and payment of outstanding taxes), and ongoing compliance requirements for 10 years. Notably, the settlement also requires the company to have competent and reliable scientific evidence substantiating any appetite suppressant, weight loss, "blocks fat," or disease-treatment claims in the form of human clinical testing supporting the claims. This is the FTC's first case challenging fake reviews purchased by a marketer and posted to an independent retail site.
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