False product capabilities
“Does everything the premium model does” when key functions, sensors, compatibility, or safety features are missing.
Independent consumer guide
Saw an ad that feels fake?
Don’t argue with the seller. Preserve the claim, check the facts, and send a clear report to the people who can act on it.
Free to use. No account. No evidence uploads. Not affiliated with the FTC or any social platform.
Do this before the ad disappears
Save. Verify. Report.
A direct path from suspicious claim to well-documented complaint.
Save the evidence
Capture the exact claim, seller, product page, price, date, and sponsorship disclosure.
Evidence checklistVerify the claim
Compare measurable promises with the manufacturer, manual, test results, or another primary source.
Verification guideReport the ad
Report it on the platform, then send the documented pattern to the FTC when appropriate.
Choose where to reportKnow what you’re looking at
What counts as a deceptive claim?
A bad opinion is not automatically a deceptive ad. Focus on a factual statement—or an important omission—that could affect someone’s decision to buy.
Unproven health or safety promises
Claims that a product diagnoses, treats, prevents, or cures a condition without reliable support.
Hidden paid relationships
A creator receives money, commission, free merchandise, discounts, or another benefit but fails to make that connection clear where viewers will notice it.
Fake reviews or testimonials
Purchased reviews, invented experiences, review suppression, or testimonials that do not reflect the endorser’s honest experience.
Misleading price and urgency
Permanent “limited-time” sales, fake countdowns, unavailable advertised prices, or important fees hidden until checkout.
Edited or staged demonstrations
A demo hides conditions, substitutes another product, manipulates results, or presents exceptional results as typical.
Opinion vs. evidence: “I love this watch” is subjective. “This watch has cellular service, ECG, and contactless payments” is objective and can be checked. Report the second kind when the facts do not support it.
Preserve the evidence
Preserve the ad before engaging.
Sellers can edit captions, remove listings, or delete videos. Save neutral evidence first. Do not crop away the username, date, product link, or disclosure language.
Evidence checklist
0 of 8 savedCheck the facts
Check the claim, not the personality.
A strong report identifies the exact words used, explains what is wrong, and links to evidence. Avoid insults, assumptions about intent, and unrelated complaints.
Start with primary sources
Use the manufacturer’s specification page, instruction manual, warranty, regulatory filing, or the seller’s own listing. Archive or screenshot what you find.
Separate “can” from “sort of”
Receiving a notification is not the same as replying. Bluetooth calling is not independent cellular service. Wellness tracking is not a medical-grade diagnostic claim.
Describe the likely impact
Explain why the missing fact matters: it changes compatibility, safety, total price, expected performance, or whether a reasonable buyer would purchase.
Take action
Send the report to the right place.
Platform reports can remove or restrict a specific ad. Government reports help agencies identify patterns. If you paid money, use the seller’s refund process and contact your payment provider promptly.
Report the ad on the platform
Use the menu attached to the ad, video, post, or product listing. Choose the closest available reason—such as scam, fraud, misleading information, prohibited claims, counterfeit goods, or undisclosed branded content. Menus change, so describe the factual claim in any text field provided.
TikTok / TikTok Shop
Open Share or the listing menu → Report → select the closest fraud, scam, or misleading-content reason.
Instagram / Facebook
Open the three-dot menu on the ad or post → Report ad/post → select the closest scam or misleading reason.
YouTube / Google Ads
Use the ad’s information or three-dot menu → Report ad. For a broader complaint, use Google’s ad-reporting form.
Online marketplaces
Report both the listing and seller when possible. Keep your order confirmation and request a refund separately.
Report deceptive practices to the FTC
Use the FTC’s official reporting portal for fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Include the company, seller, influencer, platform, exact claim, product, amount paid, dates, and links.
Your report may be shared through the Consumer Sentinel Network with authorized law-enforcement partners. An FTC report is not a personal refund request.
Report undisclosed influencer advertising
Document the financial or material connection you observed: affiliate link, commission, free product, discount, employment, family connection, or paid partnership. Note where the disclosure appeared—or that no clear disclosure appeared in the video or endorsement itself.
The FTC says disclosures should be clear and hard to miss. A disclosure buried after “more,” hidden among hashtags, or placed only in a profile may not adequately inform viewers.
FTC: Disclosures 101 for Social Media InfluencersIf you bought the product
- Save the order confirmation, listing, packaging, serial numbers, and photos or video of what arrived.
- Request a refund in writing and state the specific advertised claim the product failed to meet.
- Use the marketplace’s buyer-protection process before its deadline.
- If the seller will not resolve it, contact your card issuer or payment provider and ask about disputing a charge for goods not as described.
- Report the business to the FTC and, when appropriate, your state consumer-protection office.
Make your report specific
Turn your facts into a report.
Fill out a private form, preview the resulting email, then copy it to your email client. Nothing is uploaded or sent by this site.
Claim. Evidence. Impact. The builder turns those details into a concise, factual complaint.
Open the report builderPrimary sources
Read the rules yourself.
Federal Trade CommissionReportFraud.ftc.gov↗
Federal Trade CommissionAdvertising and marketing guidance↗
Federal Trade CommissionInfluencer disclosure guidance↗
Federal Trade CommissionConsumer Sentinel Network↗
USAGovState consumer-protection offices↗
Sources reviewed September 2026. Platform menus can change; use the closest available reporting category.