Prominent Kiwi figures Hilary Barry and Dai Henwood are once again under attack by unscrupulous scammers peddling weight loss supplements. Both celebrities have faced off against this deceit before, making it necessary to alert their fans to evade the swindle convincingly designed to appear as their endorsements.
Barry, a respected broadcaster for TVNZ, used social media to raise the alarm, revealing that the same fraudulent group responsible for a similar offense in July has resurfaced. This time, the scammers have escalated their methods, distorting her image using Photoshop to create the illusion of her having lost weight by consuming the “keto gummies.” Today, she assured her devoted audience: “Please don’t buy any products claiming to be weight loss pills. I haven’t lost 50kg eating keto gummies, as they claim. If I had, I’d be dead.” She accompanied her plea with a comparison – the original and the manipulated photos.
Amid this rampant scamming spree, the acclaimed comedian and TV personality Dai Henwood also addressed his followers, warning them of counterfeit endorsements involving his name and manipulated videos. In his message, Henwood clarified: “I don’t sell supplements, I don’t endorse supplements.” His stern request to his followers was to immediately report such scams upon spotting them online.
This scam takes root again following its first wave in July, which saw warnings issued by other celebrities including Samantha Hayes of Newshub and radio star Toni Street of the Coast. Street admonished the scam accounts in her Instagram post, urging her followers to not submit to their trickery. “Please do not give these people your money,” she asserted, while exposing the deceiving accounts by name.
The same deceitful scheme targeted Street and Hayes in April, provoking their outrage and prompt dismissal of any association with the weight loss scam. Both firmly champion body positivity and the use of authentic content, vehemently denying any endorsement for quick-fix weight loss methods. As Hayes has stated in the past, “For the record, I do not endorse keto gummies… If you see the ad, please send it to me and please report it.”
Such deceptive incidence sheds light on the necessity of treading the internet with caution. While legitimate businesses abide by ethical standards ensuring customer trust and satisfaction, others resort to deceitful methods to turn a profit.
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