Feds charged over a dozen in same-brand probes more than decade ago
The investigation traced the complaints to Mazal Group, a California-based company that controls dozens of skincare brands sold in independently operated stores around the world. The stores carry different names and have different owners, but share a common connection to the family business, according to the reporting.
Reporters Monika Evstatieva and Caley Fox Shannon built the connection over the past year. They interviewed more than 50 people, reviewed hundreds of consumer complaints, and examined court records and internal documents. The complaints reached from shopping malls in Michigan to hotel spas in Hawaii, where customers reported being pressured into spending thousands of dollars on skincare products they never wanted.
According to the report, sales staff offer products promising younger-looking skin and promise “special deals” that customers say resulted in thousands of dollars in unexpected charges and purchases they can’t return.
More than a decade ago, federal agents documented what they called a “credit card overcharge scheme” at stores selling some of the same brands. Those investigations also uncovered immigration and money-laundering crimes and led to more than a dozen guilty pleas. Customers continue to report similar tactics at stores across the country, according to the report.