According to an article by ABC News, the Lifestyl- Lift Company has been fined $300,000 by the New York Attorney General for posting false reviews of their facelift procedures on message boards online. According to the article:
Cuomo’s investigation revealed internal emails in which employees were encouraged by company executives to take spare time during the day to write the reviews and post to message boards. “Put your wig and skirt on and tell them about the great experience you had,” read one.
In some cases, the employees also created entire websites that claimed to independently review the company’s procedures in order to mislead consumers. Cuomo’s case was based on New York and Federal statutes designed to protect consumers. His office claimed that astroturfing constituted “deceptive commercial practices, false advertising, and fraudulent and illegal conduct,” according to the statement released Tuesday.
For more information, see ABC News and arstechnica.com.
Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.
