The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 3,483 checks totaling more than $1.95 million to consumers who bought the NutriMost Ultimate Fat Loss System between October 1, 2012 and August 9, 2016, in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. Each consumer will receive a refund of $560.54.

According to the FTC’s April 2017 complaint, NutriMost, LLC, NutriMost Doctors, LLC, and their owner, Raymond Wisniewski, deceptively marketed the NutriMost System to consumers since fall 2012. Sold at Wisniewski’s eight locations in the Pittsburgh area and by franchisees and licensees nationwide, the NutriMost System marketed that it used a new technology that would allow users to safely lose substantial amounts of weight – typically 20 to 40 pounds or more in 40 days. The FTC alleged that this claim, and other claims that defendants made about the benefits of the NutriMost System, were deceptive and not supported by scientific evidence.

The FTC also alleged the defendants used endorsements and testimonials for the system without disclosing that the endorsers had material connections to the defendants or their franchisees. In addition, the defendants allegedly required buyers to sign a contract agreeing not to make any negative statements or comments about the NutriMost System, or face a financial penalty.

The court order settling the FTC’s charges barred the defendants from making the deceptive claims alleged in the complaint, as well as providing others with the means of deceiving consumers. It also required them to pay $2 million to provide refunds to consumers who purchased the system directly from defendants, not from franchisees.

Refund checks will be mailed to consumers starting today. Recipients should deposit or cash checks within 60 days, as indicated on the check. The FTC never requires people to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund check.

Consumers with questions about these refunds should contact the FTC’s refund administrator, Analytics, LLC at 877-884-6069. More information about the FTC’s refund program is available at ftc.gov/refunds.