Scam Watch

The pitch: “Amazing Skin Patch Melts Away Body Fat!”

The scam: Slap on a skin patch and lose weight, claimed online and print ads for products sold under a variety of names by the Transdermal Products International Marketing Corp. of Bristol, Pa.

The reality: Sad to say, there’s no evidence that the patches, which primarily contain sea kelp, work even a little bit, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania agreed, approving a settlement last week that banned the sale of patches by the company. In the settlement, the company did not admit any violation of the law.

Info: For more FTC information on weight loss scams, see www.ftc.gov/redflag.

--DAVID COLKER