February 28, 2019
A Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) investigation of Cure Encapsulations, Inc. and its owner, Naftula Jacobowitz (the “Defendants”), has ended in a settlement that awaits court approval. In its complaint, the FTC alleges that Defendants made false and unsubstantiated claims concerning the efficacy of garcinia cambogia (the “Product”) as a weight-loss supplement and paid a third-party website operator (www.amazonverifiedreviews.com) to post fake Product reviews on Amazon.com. Pursuant to the terms of the FTC investigation settlement agreement, Defendants are prohibited from publishing weight-loss, appetite-suppression, fat-blocking, and disease-treatment claims concerning any dietary supplement, food or drug, unless those claims are substantiated by third-party clinical studies. In addition, the Defendants must notify consumers who purchased the Product of the FTC’s allegations/investigation and pay a judgment in the amount of $12.8 million (which will be suspended upon payment of $50,000 and certain unpaid income tax obligations).
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