CSPI Speaks Out on Acai Scams

Posted By elissa on May 18, 2010 | 2 comments

We’ve been discussing these scams for many months, but it’s not like they’ve gone away… so it’s good to see more attention being paid to the subject.

WASHINGTON—The Center for Science in the Public Interest is warning consumers not to enroll online in supposedly free trials of diet products made with the trendy Brazilian berry açai (pronounced a-sigh-EE). There’s no evidence whatsoever to suggest that açai pills will help shed pounds, flatten tummies, cleanse colons, enhance sexual desire, or perform any of the other commonly advertised functions. And thousands of consumers have had trouble stopping recurrent charges on their credit cards when they cancel their free trials.

Even web sites purporting to warn about açai-related scams are themselves perpetrating scams, according to CSPI.

“If Bernard Madoff were in the food business, he’d be offering ‘free’ trials of açai-based weight-loss products,” said CSPI senior nutritionist David Schardt, who authored an exposé of the scam in the April issue of CSPI’s Nutrition Action Healthletter. “Law enforcement has yet to catch up to these rogue operators. Until they do, consumers have to protect themselves.”

Love the line about Bernie Madoff… it’s a pithy summation of just how crooked these supp sellers are.  As noted in an earlier post, it’s not hard to find real acai pulp, if that’s what floats your boat, so it’s not like you have to hand your credit card over to some fly-by-night internet operation to get… well, whatever benefits it has to offer.  I think it’s overrated myself, but I would never attempt to dissuade anyone from using it – provided they get it from a reputable company (such as Sambazon), that is.