If you have reached this page because you're wondering whether a smart-pill called Adderin is a scam, the answer is, yes it is. Like a number of other smart-pills (all of which probably share similar worthless formulas), Adderin is being sold to unsuspecting senior citizens and others by means of a fake news report -- i.e. a report that looks like it might actually be from CNN, or from Forbes, or from Discover Magazine (and doubtless others as well), but which is actually totally fake. You can tell that it's totally fake because the exact same ad is used to sell products with different names. This blog documents the ones that I have seen, or that readers have pointed out to me. Below is the Adderin scam.
[update July 7, 2016 -- I'm still getting tons of hits for my posts on Geniux, Neurocell, Adderin, and Synagen, which suggests that they are still perpetrating this scam. Today, I happened to run across a May 7, 2015 Forbes article by Matthew Herper addressing a similar scam involving a fake Forbes story with fake testimonials by Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and a guy from Shark Tank (Mark Cuban). Forbes actually took the trouble to interview Buffet and the Shark Tank guy and confirmed that they had never taken the supplement at issue (something called BrainStorm Elite). And someone even reported the matter to the Federal Trade Commission:
Mr. Cleland's contact info is readily available on the internet here: For convenience here is his phone number and email address:
If you're annoyed by this scam -- or have been victimized by it -- I suggest you call or email Mr. Cleland and point him to this site. You can mention FTC Complaint Ref. No. 65703157, although that doesn't seem to have gone anywhere.
---end of update--]
I spotted this one myself. I saw the following ad on a random website that I had surfed to:
I assume the software was smart enough to know that I was in Virginia. What luck, it's banned everywhere but here!
Clicking on either link brought me to:
http://forbes.com-neuroscience.tech/brain/research/index.php
In my browser window, it looked like I was looking at a CNN Report on Forbes.com.
Here's a screenshot of what I'm looking at:
And here is the screenshot showing the product:
And even though there are only 18 bottles left, they even offer a free bottle along the way:
Interestingly, my browser thinks this is a Geniux ad. They really are sloppy about updating the software for the new names, although at least this time the right name is on the bottle.
And now I'll just copy and paste my "basic name-change post, where I've changed the name to Adderin:
This is getting old. The fake CNN report featuring Anderson Cooper, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates, Denzel Washington and others talking about how much smarter they have become for taking a certain smart pill is now being used for something called "Adderin" If you've been here before, you know that the same ad has been used to sell Neurocell, Synagen, Cogniq, Alpha ZXT, Intellux, and others.
If they can copy their old ads, I guess I should be able to copy my old posts. I need to simply have a standard post every time a new drug is the subject of this scam "report."
I'm copying the below from my January 28 post, which addressed the use of the report for Addium (or maybe Synapsyl -- they were very sloppy in their use of the report that time):
For posterity's sake, here is the text of the Adderin ad (for some reason, the pictures didn't copy over).:
·
------
It occurred to me that perhaps this could be considered trademark infringement. Consumers glancingly familiar with ADHD medication might have heard of Adderall, which is used to treat ADHD, and which is a real thing. I'm not saying Adderall is any better than any other ADHD medication, I'm just saying that it is a real drug, with methampetamines and everything, and helps improve concentration in ADHD sufferers, so it really is a smart pill. Anyway, that's for the makers of Adderall to worry about.
[update July 7, 2016 -- I'm still getting tons of hits for my posts on Geniux, Neurocell, Adderin, and Synagen, which suggests that they are still perpetrating this scam. Today, I happened to run across a May 7, 2015 Forbes article by Matthew Herper addressing a similar scam involving a fake Forbes story with fake testimonials by Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and a guy from Shark Tank (Mark Cuban). Forbes actually took the trouble to interview Buffet and the Shark Tank guy and confirmed that they had never taken the supplement at issue (something called BrainStorm Elite). And someone even reported the matter to the Federal Trade Commission:
“That’s something that we typically see,” says Richard Cleland, assistant director in the Division of Advertising Practices at the Federal Trade Commission. “A lot of fingerpointing. ‘I’m not to blame, they’re to blame, I didn’t get the money, they got the money, I didn’t write the ad, they wrote the ad.’ I think from our point of view it’s not a legal defense. We can and have and will go after the manufacturer and the affiliates.”By the same logic, the FTC should be going after the sellers of Geniux, Neurocell, Adderin, and Synagen, as well as all the other fake pills documented here.
Mr. Cleland's contact info is readily available on the internet here: For convenience here is his phone number and email address:
Richard Cleland
Assistant Director Division of Advertising Practices
Phone: 202-326-3088
Email: rcleland@ftc.gov
If you're annoyed by this scam -- or have been victimized by it -- I suggest you call or email Mr. Cleland and point him to this site. You can mention FTC Complaint Ref. No. 65703157, although that doesn't seem to have gone anywhere.
---end of update--]
I spotted this one myself. I saw the following ad on a random website that I had surfed to:
I assume the software was smart enough to know that I was in Virginia. What luck, it's banned everywhere but here!
Clicking on either link brought me to:
http://forbes.com-neuroscience.tech/brain/research/index.php
In my browser window, it looked like I was looking at a CNN Report on Forbes.com.
Here's a screenshot of what I'm looking at:
And here is the screenshot showing the product:
And even though there are only 18 bottles left, they even offer a free bottle along the way:
Interestingly, my browser thinks this is a Geniux ad. They really are sloppy about updating the software for the new names, although at least this time the right name is on the bottle.
And now I'll just copy and paste my "basic name-change post, where I've changed the name to Adderin:
This is getting old. The fake CNN report featuring Anderson Cooper, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates, Denzel Washington and others talking about how much smarter they have become for taking a certain smart pill is now being used for something called "Adderin" If you've been here before, you know that the same ad has been used to sell Neurocell, Synagen, Cogniq, Alpha ZXT, Intellux, and others.
If they can copy their old ads, I guess I should be able to copy my old posts. I need to simply have a standard post every time a new drug is the subject of this scam "report."
I'm copying the below from my January 28 post, which addressed the use of the report for Addium (or maybe Synapsyl -- they were very sloppy in their use of the report that time):
In case this is your first encounter with this scam, I don't really have time to explain it to you right now in any detail. Just let me assure you that it's obviously a scam, since the same ad has been run again and again, with different names for the supplement. I.e. in one article, Anderson Cooper tries out Neurocell and comes out twice as smart, and in another, it's Synagen. And then there's Cogniq, Intellux, etc. Just check out the other posts on this blog and you'll see the other examples.
The FTC has been notified -- Ref. No. 65703157, phone no. 877-382-4357 -- but apparently doesn't care. None of the major internet entry points where this fake ad appears -- MSN, Cox, CNN, Aol, to name a few -- have cared enough to do anything. Neither have any of the celebrities whose names, likenesses, and reputations are being used.
Note that by putting the ads on entry points like these, they are clearly preying on elderly people -- maybe your aging parents or grandparents -- who aren't quite savvy enough to do the google search that you did to find this blog. Do all those poor elderly victims a favor and take some action -- if only to call the FTC and get them to start moving on this matter.
All I can do is try, whenever I become aware of a new name, to copy the new scam ad and post the name here. The current list is (I think):
Synapsyl
Adderin
Geniux
Addium
BrainPlus IQ
Neurocell
Synagen
Cogniq
Alpha ZXT
Intellux
Brainfire
Brainstorm
Here's my post on Neurocell: http://pricefixer.blogspot.com/2015/09/neurocell-fake-cnn-report-scam.html
And here's my post on Synagen: http://pricefixer.blogspot.com/2015/08/synagen-iq-scam.html
And here's the list of fake celebrity endorsers:
Stephen Hawking
Anderson Cooper
Ashton Kutcher
Denzel Washington
Tom Brady
Bradley Cooper
Kanye West
Tiger Woods
Will Smith
George Clooney
Quentin Tarantino
Daniel Craig
Bill Gates
Dr. Oz
Sir Isaac Newton
For posterity's sake, here is the text of the Adderin ad (for some reason, the pictures didn't copy over).:
·
·
FEBRUARY 21, 2016 @ 08:31 AM 570 VIEWS
Stephen Hawking
Predicts, "This Pill Will Change Humanity"
Special editorial by Jon Stewart from Forbes.
Recently Hawking made
some comments in an interview with Anderson Cooper about a brain booster that
would become the biggest event in human history
Stephen Hawking credits his ability to
function and maintained focused on such a high level to a certain set of
"smart drugs" that enhance cognitive brain function and neural
connectivity, while strengthening the prefrontal cortex and boosting memory and
recall.
In an interview with Anderson Cooper, Stephen
Hawking said that his brain is sharper than ever, more clear and focused and he
credits a large part to usingAdderin.
Hawking went on to add "The brain is like a muscle, you got to work it out
and use supplements just like body builders use, but for your brain, and that’s
exactly what I’ve been doing to enhance my mental capabilities".
Everyone that has taken this, from athletes
like Tom Brady to musicians like Kanye West have nothing but praise for the
brain booster, which doubles IQ, skyrockets energy levels and connects areas of
the brain not previously connected.Adderin works so well for these guys, we had to ask...
Is it safe?
After 7 years Harvard Scientists Finally Break
New Ground & Usher In The Future Of Brain Science With Invention Of New Smart Drug That
Increases IQ, Memory And Focus Up To %100
Over a decade ago ago Harvard assembled a team
of neuroscientists to work on coming up with a natural brain supplement that
could effortlessly
boost IQ.
Today, those scientists made the breakthrough
they were seeking and made thediscovery of a lifetime.They came up with a brain boosting smart drug
that surpasses all limits of known science.
The Supplement they created is now THE best
treatment available to improve memory, sharpen attention, increase focus and boost overall
IQ.
After
numerous rounds of testing results were
astonishing. One test subject was quoted as saying:
"As soon as I took it started working
within minutes of taking it. All of a sudden, it felt like a dark cloud
had been lifted up from in front of me. I was more alert, more
focused, had long lasting energy, and experienced a mental clarity that I’d
never felt before" – Ben Lishger Harvard Sophomore."
The Lead Researcher on the team Dr.Rosenhouse
gave us an exclusive inside look at the ingredients that make up this
revolutionary smart drug:
"It is engineered with all the
ingredients containing vitamins and essentials that your brain needs to ensure
improvement in all aspects of cognitive growth, while including short and long
term memory, focus, energy, problem solving capabilities and total
brain performance.
We are all very grateful to have this now, as I believe it can help everyone on the planet and take us to the next stage of evolution.We’re very proud."
We are all very grateful to have this now, as I believe it can help everyone on the planet and take us to the next stage of evolution.We’re very proud."
His associate Dr.cortigan went on to say:
"This revolutionary brain booster enables your brain to
be the most efficient it can. It energizes the tissue and functions deep at a
cellular level. It makes your brain cells perform their task genuinely
and keeps away all kinds of mental fatigue or weakness. Its truly a
remarkable breakthrough."
But what does this all mean for the rest of
us?
Could this pill help ordinary people like you and me?
The only way to find out is to try it an
luckily The Harvard team has patented and sold the rights to major
manufacturers who currently have a limited 3 month supply.
For me, my major concern is my work. I feel
taking this brain supplement could help improve my work and increase my income.
Sometimes, just one simple decision can drastically change the course of your
life. Literally, one click could be the difference between living paycheck to
paycheck and taking a bus to work to owning mansions, yachts, private jets andnever ever having to
worry about money ever again.
As Warren Buffett famously says "the
more you learn, the more you earn".
Are you ready to take the next step in improving
your life, feeling sharper and smarter than ever before and making millions or
billions in the process?
"I wouldn’t have developed my patent
formula if not for this amazingly incredible brain supplement ." – says
Dr. Rosenhouse
Are you ready to find out if this can work for
you? We already ordered ours and will be writing a follow up piece on the
results, we encourage you to do the same.
The
only thing you have to do is try it and see for yourself. Who knows, maybe this could be the one little
decision that changes your life. Write us and let us know. Best of luck!
STORY UPDATE: Sunday, February
21, 2016
Experts call this new supplement the biggest advancement in brain
science to date...
CNN broke the news first and uncovered that Adderin raises levels of focus and performance every day
by 300%.
As we researched, we began to see that this
supplement has been quickly gaining traction around the world. Celebrities and
athletes alike are already rumored to be taking the pill with the full scale
public release expected shortly. The company and product is called Adderin. The
site claimed that Adderin contained a very unique formulation of natural
vitamins and minerals which together unlock untapped parts of the human brain.
Our resident brain scientist Dr Raqif conducted his own independent analysis of
the supplement and his findings seemed to mirror Adderin's claims. According to
Dr Raqif, "he's never seen a food based supplement deliver such a profound
upward lift in brain function before".
We tested it ourselves - did it live up to the
hype?
After our research led to such positive
reviews, we simply had to try Adderin ourselves to verify whether this was all
hype. Almost every single man in the building volunteered to test it out but we
chose our very own Anderson Cooper. Below is his account of using Adderin over
a 4 week period.
Anderson has been with us for years."The Adderin pills were extremely hard to come by"
says Cooper. He goes on to say, "If you can get your hands on these pills
- get them right away." We had to wait 2 weeks before we got a bottle to
test as it was sold out almost everywhere or over $300 a bottle from people
trying to sell it for profit eBay People were paying top dollar for them on
there.
The free trial bottle of Adderin was delivered in a few days from ordering and
with surprisingly inexpensive shipping. Before putting Cooper on the test, our
team ran a little bit of our own research before we put Cooper on the test and
found:
·
Sky-rocket
Concentration by 312%
·
Improve Creative Thinking
·
Boost Energy
·
Enhance Memory Recall
·
Increase IQ Scores by
77%
Adderin arrived within 4 days of having placed
my order Online for the free trials and were inexpensive to ship. To test out
the product, I took one Adderin pill every morning for 4 weeks.
Anderson Cooper's 14 DAY Adderin EXPERIENCE
DAY 1:
"I took one and
forgot all about it. Maybe 20-30 minutes later I felt odd. I can only describe
it by saying my mind felt calm and still. I was playing a Men's mind game' and
scored 100% on every answer. It was like that feeling you get when you have
just woken up. Light headed so to speak but this was different. I was light
headed and spaced out but in the zone at the same time. Can't explain it - but
it was awesome."
DAY 5:
"I was shocked at
the drastic results. Over the course of the next 5 days I found myself bouncing
out of bed and felt ready to take on the day - usually I need to snooze 3
times. I felt motivation to get stuff done and often power through.."
DAY 14:
After 14 days, not
only had all my doubts and skepticism absolutely vanished - Thing's that
annoyed me were no longer an issue. I hardly got stressed and when I did, I was
able to control my emotions and get back into peak performance and state.
"Adderin is the real deal. The
increase in focus, creativity and overall mental performance was a little bit
scary to be honest - I felt like a different person. I didn't notice any side
effects at all either. I need to order a box of these before they are released
into stores." - Anderson Cooper
"The results were
unbelievable. Every aspect of my mental performance accelerated from day 1. A
must try" - Bill Gates's Last
Interview With CNN
With the full market release of the supplement
scheduled for later this year, Adderin is bound to make a splash. Experts say
government intervention is likely to limit the release of the supplement due to
its potent effects. That said, the company is offering limited bottles of the
supplement for the next few weeks. See below a men's health special promotion
for you to get a discounted bottle of Adderin today. Try it and please do write
in to let us know what you think.
After Sunday,
February 21, 2016 these incredible offer will no longer be available.
Update: Only 18 Bottles Still Available. Promotion Ends: Sunday, February
21, 2016
* Get Free Shipping
For Today Only *
Recent Facebook
CommentsAdd a comment
Kevin Austin
I have been using
Adderin for 3 weeks now, and I can say it`s a true miracle! Thank you so much
for reporting on this!
Reply - Like - 20 Likes - about 1 hour ago
Karen Reynolds
I saw this on CNN a
while ago and still using the Adderin. I've been using the product for about 6
wks. Honestly, this is unbelievable, all I have to say is WOW.
Reply - Like - 25 Likes - about 2 hours ago
Willie Morales
A friend of mine used
and recommended it to me 2 weeks ago. I ordered the products and received them
within 3 days (although I didn't get the discounted prices). The results have
been incredible and I can't wait to see what weeks 3 and 4 bring.
Reply - Like - 19 Likes - about 2 hours ago
Donald Williamson
I am amazed after
using Adderin.
Reply - Like - 10 Likes - about 1 hours ago
Judith Gilbert
I saw this on the
news. How lucky is Jon Stewart to have found this opportunity!?!?! Thank you
for sharing this tip! I just ordered.
Reply - Like - 8 Likes - about 3 hours ago
Nicholas Kim
probably I'm a bit
older than most of you folks. but this worked for me too! LOL! I can't say
anything more exciting.Thanks for your inspirations!
Reply - Like - 32 Likes - about 4 hours ago
Amanda Stone
My sister tried this a
few months ago and after seeing results on her I went ahead and order myself.
Best decision ever!
Reply - Like - 27 Likes - about 4 hours ago
Timothy Romero
I'm going to give
these products a chance to work their magic on me. I've tried everything out
there and so far nothing has been good enough to help me.
Reply - Like - 39 Likes - about 5 hours ago
Shirley Kennedy
worked for me! It
worked just like I thought it would. It was easy enough and I just want others
to know when something works.
Reply - Like - 41 Likes - about 5 hours ago
Albert Davis
Thanks for the info,
just started mine.
Reply - Like - 16 Likes - about 5 hours ago
Jeffrey Thomas
Been so busy with the
kids lately that never able to find deals like this. Clever idea whoever came
up with it!
Reply - Like - 37 Likes - about 5 hours ago
Rebecca Phillips
Always impressed with
the deals you guys dig up. Can't wait to see what you've got lined up next
week.
Reply - Like - 41 Likes - about 6 hours ago
Donald Miller
Hey Jon Stewart, i just
placed my order. I can't wait to get them!! Thanks, Aimee xoxoxo.
Reply - Like - 43 Likes - about 6 hours ago
Teresa Lynch
My mom just e-mailed
me this, a friend at work had told her about it. i guess it works really well
Reply - Like - 15 Likes - about 6 hours ago
Thomas Wright
Telling all my friends
about this, thanx for the info
Reply - Like - 11 Likes - about 7 hours ago
Jean Warren
wasn't sure about
ordering online but this deal seals it for me, didn't want to miss out. checked
out the pages and all is encrypted and good. looking forward to my new looks
Reply - Like - 31 Likes - about 7 hours ago
Julia Oliver
I've gone ahead and
placed an order. I can't wait to get started and see what happens.
Reply - Like - 27 Likes - about 8 hours ago
Patricia Jacobs
As a realtor it's
important to look and feel my best, unfortunately the housing market isn't
doing that great so cash has been a little tight lately. Thanks for the info,
looking forward to receiving my order.
Reply - Like - 20 Likes - about 9 hours ago
Elizabeth Fields
I have tried so much
of this kind of stuff, in one sense I want to try it but in the back of my mind
I am thinking, yeah right!! Someone please reassure me it works.
Reply - Like - 29 Likes - about 9 hours ago
Mark Reynolds
For once I was able to
do something nice for myself without feeling guilty about the cost.
Reply - Like - 42 Likes - about 9 hours ago
Leave a comment
------
It occurred to me that perhaps this could be considered trademark infringement. Consumers glancingly familiar with ADHD medication might have heard of Adderall, which is used to treat ADHD, and which is a real thing. I'm not saying Adderall is any better than any other ADHD medication, I'm just saying that it is a real drug, with methampetamines and everything, and helps improve concentration in ADHD sufferers, so it really is a smart pill. Anyway, that's for the makers of Adderall to worry about.
Thanks for your diligence with exposing these false news reports. I really wish more people would Google these claims that are too good to be true before "spreading the word" on social media & getting ripped off.
ReplyDeleteYou haven't answered the question why the celebrities have not objected to their names being falsely used. In many ways your arguments are weak
ReplyDeleteI think most readers see the point, as demonstrated by the comments of most commenters.
DeleteJust to recap, the most obvious point is that the same "CNN report" is being run for about 10 different pills -- obviously Stephen Hawking isn't taking and promoting all 10 of them in exactly the same way, and Anderson Cooper didn't do 10 identical trials with 10 different drugs.
So that means that at least 9 of the 10 drugs are scams, and the celebrities' names are being used without permission. But really, it's all 10. It's obviously a completely fake report, for a whole bunch of reasons.
Why aren't the celebrities objecting? Probably because to do so would be more trouble than it's worth for them. And quite possibly there's not much they can do to stop these fake reports. I don't know.
I sure wish they would do something -- maybe we can somehow shame them into taking action.
i pressed on the button to order 1 bottle and they charged me for 5 bottles $174.95 now I'm in the process of trying to get this order stopped....its a shame how these people are able to rip folks off...I live on a fixed income of $730 a month but i thought if it could help me get some clarity it would be worth the $39.99 so what the heck i will try it. So imagine my shock when I check my account and seen $174.95 had been deducted from my monthly $730. but thats not the only thing it did, they also charged me $44.42 for a subscription to 'GameSpace' which thank god there was a phone number by that charge...so I called the number and it was an enrollment into a brain exercise site, which no where does it say anything about charging you for this amount or enrolling you in such a site, I was able to talk to a person when calling the phone number and supposely have terminated this and should be getting credited back the $44.42 that was deducted from my account....as of today 4/2/2016 its been 3 days since this happens they still havent credited my account back but she said it would take 7-10 business days...which leads me also to question why is it that the money can be deducted right off your account but takes 7-10 days to posted back on....all these sites should be banned.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this -- if the FTC ever gets its act together and starts investigating this scam, this sort of thing is what will get the scamsters in the biggest trouble. Let us know if you ever get your money back.
DeleteThanks for posting this -- if the FTC ever gets its act together and starts investigating this scam, this sort of thing is what will get the scamsters in the biggest trouble. Let us know if you ever get your money back.
DeleteI took this daily for 3 months and nothing changed. My question is what did I really put in my system? What's in this product?
ReplyDeleteThere are various websites that purport to tell you what is in some of these products, but there is no way to tell for sure. The good news is that I doubt there is anything truly harmful in the products -- just like there probably isn't anything -- other than possibly a bit of caffeine -- that is actually effective.
DeleteThere are various websites that purport to tell you what is in some of these products, but there is no way to tell for sure. The good news is that I doubt there is anything truly harmful in the products -- just like there probably isn't anything -- other than possibly a bit of caffeine -- that is actually effective.
DeleteThank you, my family nearly got fooled in until I found this article.
ReplyDeleteI say we all ban together, go after the scum-bag low-lifes that pull this crap, and put them in shackles and flog them publicly -- daily.
ReplyDeletesounds like a plan. If only we could find out who they are. Where is the FTC and the rest of the government watchdogs on this sort of thing?
Delete