Ad Alert

Men’s Life & Health – Elite Test 360 & Ripped Muscle X

Wait is the Rock really gone?

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Ad Alert

Men’s Life & Health – Elite Test 360 & Ripped Muscle X

We saw this ad on the Huffington Post:

Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 10.55.36 AM

We’ve done LifeLock already. We clicked on the middle link to find out why “All Men Should Take This!”

The link takes us to a website that looks like the magazine Men’s Health. Except this is “Men’s Life & Health.” So, you know, it’s different. In that it’s not a real thing.

it's different

The page purports to be an article from said fitness magazine explaining the benefits of two supplements: Elite Test 360 and Ripped Muscle X.

Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 11.09.01 AMBut this is not an independent article. It’s a pitch for the two supplements — Elite Test 360 and Ripped Muscle X — that attempts to confuse consumers into thinking they’re reading a news article about celebrities who used these supplements to get ripped. But there is no evidence that The Rock or any other famous person used these supplements. And, in case there was any doubt that this isn’t a real news site, none of the links on the webpage work — that is except for the two that lead to the sign-up page for “free” trials of Elite Test 360 and Ripped Muscle X.

Elite Test 360 costs $89.99 a month, and when you order your “free trial” you are signing up for recurring monthly charges. Ripped Muscle X also costs $89.99 per month, and also bills with recurring monthly charges. You’ll be on the hook for $179.98 each month if you order both. It’s up to you to cancel within 14 days of signing up to avoid getting hit with the charges.

Think carefully about this one. Something seems off about a supplement that advertises using webpages that look like an unrelated magazine, that poses as an independent source, and that uses Recurring offers or subscriptions that continue to bill you until you take steps to shut down the account. These types of offers put the onus on the consumer to remember and to take action, allowing a company to keep gathering in cash from forgetful or busy customers. Be wary of these types of offers, and remember to stop services you no longer want.s to latch onto your credit card.

UPDATE 10/16/15: A TINA.org reader alerted us to an instance of another copycat Men’s Health magazine article after seeing this ad on Facebook.

We googled the URL the reader had sent along and no, the Rock isn’t dead, but this ad clearly make you think so. In reality, the URL can lead you to a site pretending to be something it’s not. This is one of many fake news sites shilling different supplements such as ones for body building or sexual enhancement.

The real Men’s Health magazine issued a Fraud Alert on these look-a-like sites warning that they are in fact not Men’s Health and the supplements they are selling are NOT endorsed by the Men’s Health brand. This alert also includes a list of known fraudulent URLs, and shockingly the one from the ad mentioned above is on there.

For more on supplements, click here.


Our Ad Alerts are not just about false and deceptive marketing issues, but may also be about ads that, although not necessarily deceptive, should be viewed with caution. Ad Alerts can also be about single issues and may not include a comprehensive list of all marketing issues relating to the brand discussed.


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