FTC Comes Down Hard on Spammers

In separate cases, agency slaps complaints on defendants for identity trafficking, bogus product claims
In the past two days, the Federal Trade Commission has filed two cases that could make spammers think twice about the lists they use and the claims they make.Earlier today, the FTC slapped a complaint against eHealthylife.com, an international group of companies and individuals that has been using email to market Hoodia as a means of weight loss and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) as a method of reversing the aging process. In both cases, the FTC said the claims are unsubstantiated and ordered the company to stop making them.
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=136032Also see:FTC targets spammers hawking weight-loss products [IDG]
An international enterprise must stop sending unsolicited e-mail advertising human growth hormone (HGH) and weight-loss products using the hoodia gordonii plant under a court order obtained by the Federal Trade Commission.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9042061FTC Stops International Spamming Enterprise that Sold Bogus Hoodia and Human Growth Hormone Pills [news release]
Agency Brings First Action Using US SAFEWEB Act
Spammers must stop sending unwanted and illegal e-mail messages about hoodia weight-loss products and human growth hormone anti-aging products that the Federal Trade Commission alleges don’t work. At the FTC’s request, a district court judge ordered a halt to the e-mails and to product claims that the FTC charges are false and unsubstantiated. The law enforcement action, announced today at an international meeting of government authorities and private industry about spam, spyware, and other online threats, is the first brought by the agency using the U.S. SAFE WEB Act to share information with foreign partners.
http://ftc.gov/opa/2007/10/hoodia.shtmFTC Charges Seven Online Sellers of Alternative Hormone Replacement Therapy with Failing to Substantiate Products’ Health Claims [news release]
The Federal Trade Commission today announced complaints against seven online sellers of alternative hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products, alleging that they made health claims for their natural progesterone creams without supporting scientific evidence. Six of the sellers have signed consent orders barring them from making such unsubstantiated claims in the future. The seventh did not respond to staff’s repeated contacts, and the case will now be heard by an administrative law judge.
http://ftc.gov/opa/2007/10/hormonethrpy.shtm