Paula Bennett targeted in 'sickening' weight loss scam online

Former National MP Paula Bennett has been targeted in a weight loss scam. Photo / Dean Purcell

Former National MP Paula Bennett has been targeted in a bizarre online weight loss scam.

A fake Facebook page is circulating online with photos of the former deputy party leader before and after her gastric bypass surgery, which she has spoken openly about.

But this page claims she used a product called Via Keto, supposedly a "natural product" that offers a "simpler, faster and safer method of losing weight".

The image on the left is an original sponsored post from Bennett's Instagram, while the image on the right shows the Photoshopped version. Photos / @paulabennettmp

When contacted by the Herald for comment, Bennett said scams like this were "sickening".

"They are playing on overweight people's insecurities and illegally using my image and endorsement.

"I have been very open in the past about having weight loss surgery, which was not an easy path."

Bennett said she had been contacted by several people over the scam and was doing all she could to have it shut down, including getting legal advice.

She said that while Facebook had been very helpful, every time the scam page was shut down a new one would appear.

The article, titled, "How to lose 65kg without diet and exercise?" claims that she lost weight "quickly and easily in two and a half months".

The post claims Bennet lost weight due to a pill called Via Keto. Photo / Facebook

In the article, "Bennett" writes, "I started looking online for information on Via Keto and I found reviews from reputable Filipino ciestologists who claim that this product is a real breakthrough in nutrition".

Several photos of Bennett appear on the website, including a Photoshopped image of her holding the product, taken from a sponsored post on her Instagram page and altered.

The post includes comments from others who have supposedly taken the product and lost weight as a result.

Bennett is not the first high-profile Kiwi to be targeted in a scam like this.

A fake Facebook page pretending to be Newstalk ZB's Kate Hawkesby circulated earlier this year, telling people they'd won a share of $20,000.

Hawkesby said it was "concerning" that Facebook, owned by Meta, initially didn't believe the scam was fake.

And in 2020, photos of radio host Mike Hosking were used to trick people into falling for cryptocurrency scams. Countless fake Twitter accounts popped up, showing as "promoted" on people's timelines.

"He explains how to take control of your earning power and create your own windfall by doing the following," one tweet read.

AM presenter Bernadine Oliver-Kerby's Instagram page was hacked in April this year, using her account to solicit money from people.

She said on AM at the time that it had left her feeling like she'd been "burgled".

"There is no safe place to go to say 'someone has stolen my identity and they're trying to solicit money from people using my image. And that's my biggest concern."

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