Of the thousands of multi-level marketing (MLM) scams that exist today, some of the most ethically questionable involve products that claim to heal serious illness and disease. One such company is Young Living Essential Oils, founded by D. Gary Young (and no, the D. does not stand for ‘Doctor’. More on that later.) Young Living Essential Oils is a typical MLM scam; the victim signs up as...

The Federal Trade Commission has a stated goal of consumer protection and advocacy, so typically when they make a case against someone it’s on behalf of the American people. What should the American people think about someone who has been sued by the FTC not once, not twice but four consecutive times? Enter the world of Kevin Trudeau and his series of books that “they” don’t...

While the Acai berry has been used as a staple of the Brazilian diet for years, only recently has it been portrayed as a dietary supplement to consumers worldwide. The media coverage of this dark purple berry has skyrocketed in 2009, with coverage by major celebrities like Oprah and Dr. Perricone discussing the benefits of the so-called “superfood”. It seemed that the other “superfoods”...

Matthew Lesko is often seen on late night television sandwiched in between Ginzu and Shamwow spots. A paragon of professionalism, Mr. Lesko utilizes the subtle sales technique of dressing in a Riddler outfit and running around the stage giving his best Joe Cocker at Woodstock impersonation. If his strategy is to convince viewers that he is a secret idiot savant, it very well may work. His trademark...

In times of economic distress there emerges a plethora of hucksters, scamsters and snake oil salesmen seeking to take advantage of the least sophisticated and most desperate among us. Now that we have entered the digital age, most of these get rich quick scam artists have setup shop online. The sad fact is that the only people who benefit from these so called “online business opportunities”...