false advertising

You're not going to fall for the old Nigerian prince scam anymore -- but the fraudsters know that, and they've moved on, too. Here are some financial scams that made the rounds in 2011 -- and will likely be back in some form this year.

"When it comes to curing acne, there's no app for that," said Federal Trade Commission Chairman, Jon Leibowitz, in response to a settlement reached on Wednesday between the FTC and three men charged with misleading claims that their smartphone apps could get rid of pimples.

Reebok's promise that its EasyTone and RunTone shoes could shape your legs and tone your butt sounded too good to be true. That's because they were, said the FTC Wednesday, when it ordered the footwear maker to give $25 million in partial refunds to customers who bought the products based on the inflated claims.

The maker of Nivea skin creams has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges of false advertising by claiming one of its skin creams helps consumers melt away excess pounds. The settlement prohibits Beiersdorf Inc. from promoting its My Silhouette! skin cream to consumers as a weight-loss...

It's fair to say that lots of companies exaggerate the excellence of their products, but do consumers buy the hype? Do we actually eat at restaurants because they say they're "famous" or patronize a business because it has "the best" on the sign?

Nearly a quarter of a million consumers duped by the marketers of the Q-Ray "pain relief" Ionized Bracelet are being refunded more than $11 million by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC will be mailing 248,931 checks to consumers ripped off by QT Inc., Q-Ray Company, Bio-Metal Inc. and the...

Oreck Corporation has agreed to stop making false and unproven claims about the health benefits of its products and will pay a $750,000 fine to settle Federal Trade Commission charges. The FTC sued Oreck as part of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers from bogus health claims, which in Oreck's...

Scams targeting cash-strapped and unemployed Americans are on the rise, and the con artists are getting even more creative. Here's how to avoid becoming a victim.

A maker of popular guitar-lesson DVDs has agreed to pay $250,000 to settle a Federal Trade Commission complaint about sock puppetry, with the agency saying the DVD maker deceived customers by paying marketers to post glowing online reviews of its products while posing as consumers. The FTC's...

Time Warner Cable Inc. has agreed to pull ads claiming its telecommunications services are carried on a fully fiber-optic network. The cable giant's decision came in response to a recommendation by a National Advertising Review Board (NARB) panel that Time Warner discontinue advertising claiming...