Before the COVID-19 epidemic, online scams utilizing cannabidiol were prevalent, but the virus's ambiguity, as well as what CBD is approved for, made for a particularly efficient scam.

There have been several instances where paid Facebook ads promoted dubious CBD products by using fake news articles from Fox News and other outlets in recent weeks.

These Facebook posts are allegedly linked to a website that poses as a Fox News report and promotes a bogus narrative using the names and faces of famous personalities. For instance:
 

• “Laura Ingraham with Big Pharma Following Latest Business Venture.”

• “Fox News Cutting Ties With Sean Hannity Over Breach of Contract?”
   

However, as previously stated, the headlines are false. They are essentially advertisements that incorrectly equate the network's figures with CBD products. Advertisers can't market CBD products on Facebook since it's against the terms of service.

Providing an appearance of legitimacy by impersonating false stories isn't a new strategy. The fabrications are part of a larger pattern. Another bogus "Fox News" story claimed that evangelical leader Charles Stanley sold CBD gummies. Many other influential personalities have refuted similar allegations for selling CBD products.

Scammers frequently bait their hooks with fictitious celebrity endorsements to deceive consumers’ trust. The consumer advocacy group advises people to "be skeptical of celebrity endorsements" and to "refrain from being swayed away by the use of a well-known name."

How Does the Scam Work?

After clicking on ads, users are taken to suspicious websites. Advertisements were designed to look like Fox News, with fine-type at the bottom of the page that indicated they were ads, masking what otherwise appeared to be normal blog posts.

While in some cases, it’s just the endorsement that is not real, however, the product does exist. Others have reported signing up for a "free sample" and then discovering their bank account being charged hundreds of dollars month after month.