Deception is nothing new, of course, but the internet gives it new outlets. Here are a few I've spotted lately...
OPRAH IN THE SLAMMER!?
Click bait: Links that say something like, "Ten celebrities who have criminal records!" and show a picture of (for instance) Oprah Winfrey. Really? Oprah has a criminal record? Well, no (at least as far as I know). When you click, you'll see ten celebrities who have criminal records, but the person pictured won't be one of them.
BE POPULAR, PAINT YOUR HEAD BLUE!
In the crazy statistics department: "According to one study, 85% of shoppers say color is the primary reason they buy a product." I'm sure there are some contexts in which that's true (maybe socks?) but as a generic statement it's ridiculous. By the way, apparently blue is the most popular color.
FAREWELL, BIG AND PUMPED SYLVESTER?
And in the totally false category, I spotted a link that said, "Good-bye Sylvester Stallone." He died? Nope, the article says the producers of the "Expendables" series have asked him not to appear in future installments because obviously he is using too many illegal steroids. That's not true, either (at least the part about him being asked to exit the series--he started it and he is one of the producers). The site is shilling some kind of supplement that supposedly legally increases your natural human growth hormone.
I've just spotted another link that says "Judi Dench is gone," with the subhead "We bid farewell to Dame Judi." I refuse to open it but am happy to report that Dame Judi is still with us.
It's not just "buyer beware" but "reader beware"...and also advertiser beware and reviewer beware...
HEY, THAT ROBOT IS DRIVING A CHRYSLER!
Advertisers who think they are buying eyeballs often actually are getting robots. A Bloomberg Business report gave the example of a Chrysler ad on a site for a food and travel lifestyle magazine. Only two percent of their ads were seen by humans. Bloomberg writes: "Fake traffic has become a commodity. There's malware for generating it and brokers who sell it."
POST A BAD REVIEW? YOU'LL PAY!
Meanwhile, some companies are trying to force customers not to post negative reviews about their products. Techdirt.com reports that The US Federal Trade Commission is suing Roca Labs, makers of weight-loss products, for violating federal law by warning buyers that by purchasing their products they agreed not to write negative reviews --and to pay hefty fines if they do so.
Yep, Roca Labs said if you posted a negative review--even one that's honest and non-defamatory--you'd have to pay $100,000 in damages! Hmm, what were they so worried about?
Roca Labs apparently did go ahead and sue some people who complained, but dropped the lawsuits.
The FTC also alleges that Roca Labs didn't reveal that it paid users to post positive reviews.
What do they make, anyway? A "non-surgical gastric bypass"--red gunk (industrial food thickeners mainly, apparently) that "dramatically limits your stomach capacity" (because it's full of red gunk). They also have "Anti-Cravings" that, according to their site, "empowers you to easily overcome cravings for snacks" and a reinforcement red pill which the site says is "magic." Well, that last part sounds pretty honest. When somebody tries to sell you magic, you kind of know what to expect.
The FTC stated, "Unfortunately for consumers, Defendants are simply selling common, dietary fibers with exaggerated claims at a grossly inflated cost. Their weight-loss claims lack any scientific basis, and are often flat-out false."
Interestingly, when I checked the website it said "Roca Labs' site is undergoing improvements for the next few days and new customers cannot be accepted." I wonder whether deleting the requirement not to post negative reviews is part of the improvement.
PS: By reading this post, you agree not to leave any negative comments, or else you have to buy me one of those big new iPads.
