Prosecutor Sues Over Gas Mileage Pill
What do mothballs and toilet bowl deodorant bars have to do with drastically improving gas mileage?
Nothing, say prosecutors who are going after a company that claims a small ball made with the chemicals in those products is a “gas pill” that can boost mileage 25% or more.
Texas Atty. Gen. Greg Abbott sued BioPerformance Inc. on Wednesday, a day after a San Antonio judge signed a temporary restraining order forcing the Dallas company to cease allegedly deceptive acts and froze its assets. The pills are sold by independent distributors in several states, including California.
“It’s natural for people to look for ways to save money,” Abbott said. “Sometimes, scammers come out of the woodwork.”
The pills, which are dropped into gas tanks, are part of an illegal pyramid scheme, Abbott alleged. According to the lawsuit, the company makes money by getting consumers to purchase in bulk, then sell the pills to others.
Representatives of BioPerformance and owners Lowell Mims and Gustavo Romero of Irving, Texas, could not immediately be reached for comment.
The company’s website says “area managers,” who buy in with 13 bottles for $499, can earn as much as $730,000 a year. If found in violation of state deceptive trade laws, the owners of BioPerformance could be fined $20,000 per violation.
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