So I'm on the Drudge Report today and I see the top banner ad is for the antioxidant resveratrol, which it claims is supposed to reduce aging.
Well, I just so happen to be taking part in a resveratrol study right now, to determine its effect on athletic performance. I clicked on the link to learn more, and it took me to this site, news3news.com. I read all about this reporter, Katie Wilson, who researched and tried resveratrol etc. etc. Hmmm, I thought, this looks like an advertisement.
So I clicked on a link. Bingo.
Supposedly "News 3 News" is out of Sacramento, California. There is even real-time weather in a sidebar and news from California at the bottom of the page. But all links take you to the ResvPure homepage. Ah ha! You got me!
It turns out there is a legitimate "News 3" in Sacramento, KCRA. But who is this Katie Wilson? After some research, I don't think that's her real name. This was the closest I found, but she parts her hair a different way.
Of course, you should be suspicious any time you click on an ad and are directed to a seemingly legitimate news or blog. But who knows who else links to this?
Saturday, June 6, 2009
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The viral link to "news3news.com" is a very sophisticated fake. The site is registered to a Cayman Islands anonymous company and all links on the supposed television station site go to an ad for the product. It is a brilliant deception.
ReplyDeleteSO...
ReplyDeleteYou order the free trial..pay .99 in shipping...and then what....
they charge your credit card nearly $90 a month indefinatley...
Is this a scam...cause I thought Resveratrol was a legtamate product in trial?
Amy,
ReplyDeleteThe Web site is a scam, definitely, but resveratrol by itself is not. Resveratrol might not be the panacea that Dr. Oz and other television personalities say it is, but it does have antioxidant properties.
Resveratrol is a "legitimate" product in that it is an antioxidant and is not illegal to consume. Whether it has any effect or not in humans is uncertain. There have been positive results in studies on mice, but its more difficult to get the same results in humans.
In any case, it's a lot easier and cheaper in the long run to get resveratrol from your local pharmacy or health shop (Rite Aid, CVS, Vitamin Shoppe, CVS, etc.)
Just a couple thoughts:
ReplyDeleteWhile a majority of the studies completed with Resveratrol have been in animals, there have been a lot in humans that show promise for a wide variety of benefits. While it is harder to get results in humans, it has been done in humans and more studies are released all the time.
While news3news.com clearly does seem like a scam, it's important to remember that just because you pick something up at your local drugstore does not make it anymore legitimate. The FDA does not regulate supplements like these, which means that there is a great difference in quality control. Whole food derivative supplements can also place outrageous claims on their bottles without the same fear of reprimand that drug companies face. I think the bottom line is to do your homework (from legitimate sources!) on what your putting in your body.
I came across your blog because I was researching the same thing. I found a "news report" by Katie Wilson for channel 7 in Sacramento, looked like a news layout (similar to the channel 3), weather, traffic, etc, but again every link goes to an order page. I like the potential of resveratrol, but it's a shame that the quasi-marketers are making it seem like a miracle-of-the-moment thing. Thanks for your post.
ReplyDeleteFebruary 5, 2010 She's back now with a "news9" channel, and a 17 year old 60 minutes video clip. Linked from the top of Drudge
ReplyDelete