Every day we are bombarded by product advertising that claims to make us skinny in no time flat with a miracle pill that will melt all of our fat away, cure any disease under the sun with an all natural supplement, banish wrinkles with a miracle cream that is a virtual facelift in a jar, informs us that we have just won a dream vacation and there is no purchase required… And, this list goes on.

Not all companies make fraudulent claims. There are many fine, upstanding companies out there who spend billions of dollars researching their products and they can provide the appropriate evidence to back up their claims. They are not the problem, the unscrupulous operators are. How can we keep companies honest? Are you part of the solution or the problem? Do you just ignore these bogus ads or do you take action? Would you do something about it if you knew what to do?

The Competition Bureau of Canada
is a governmental agency with a mandate to ensure truth in advertising. Some of the issues that they tackle include:
- Mass marketing fraud
- Health fraud
- False or misleading representations
- Deceptive telemarketing
- Deceptive prize notices
- Misleading advertising and labeling
- Multi-level marketing plans
- Pyramid selling

Instead of ignoring these fraud artists, let’s take them to task and report them to the proper authorities. We can’t demand truth in advertising if we are not prepared to report fraudulent activity when we see it. The next time that you see bogus claims being made, file a complaint and be a part of the solution.