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(NEXSTAR) – Thousands of people who used a weight-loss supplement will be receiving a portion of more than $400,000, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The FTC claims Roca Labs, the marketer behind the Roca Labs Formula or “Gastric Bypass Alternative,” not only duped customers when it came to the efficacy of the supplements, but also threatened to sue those who notified the Better Business Bureau or complained online.
The July payments are the result of a 2018 court decision in Tampa, Florida ruling against Roca Labs that found the weight loss company “falsely claimed that use of their products is scientifically proven to have a ninety-percent success rate in forcing users to eat half their usual food intake and cause substantial weight loss.”
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Court documents say Roca also “deceptively failed to disclose their financial relationship to testimonialists who worked for them.”
What to know about payments
The FTC is sending at least 7,481 payments totaling more than $409,000 to Roca Labs customers, along with nearly three dozen claim forms to people who bought Roca products before Oct. 2015.
To be eligible for a refund, you must return one of the mailed FTC forms by October 7, 2025. While the mailing date for the payments has not yet been decided, the FTC says it will post it to its website once finalized.
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The amount of each payment “depends on several factors,” according to the FTC, including the ultimate number of claimants. If the refund money was divided evenly across 7,481 checks, the amount would be roughly $55.
The FTC encourages anyone who receives a check to cash it within 90 days. PayPal recipients should accept it within 30 days.
Avoiding weight loss scam ads
Marketers hawking weight loss products often claim their wraps, creams, supplements, pills, powders, patches and even earrings have the potential to strip away fat quickly.
They may even seek to gain trust by advertising on TV, social media or elsewhere, sometimes claiming to have been featured on the hit-show “Shark Tank,” according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
One customer complained to the BBB of losing over $700 buying supposed weight loss gummies that appeared to be endorsed by celebrity Kelly Clarkson.
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“I trusted her; however, they used her AI likeness to scam people,” the customer recalled. “I contacted the company to cancel my account and any transactions. They keep charging my account.”
The BBB has the following advice for avoiding a weight loss scam:
Be wary of advertisements and endorsements promising quick or “miracle” results.
Verify any supposed endorsements or appearances on popular television shows.
Make sure there is an ingredients list and double check the contents with the FDA.
Research the company and be wary of free trial offers and other “subscription traps”
See the BBB and FTC websites for more information on avoiding misleading – and potentially harmful – weigh loss products.
