Shoppers across the U.S. report being pressured into thousands of dollars of unwanted skincare purchases at stores linked to a California-based company.
Key facts
- •Shoppers report being pressured into thousands of dollars of unwanted skincare purchases.
- •NPR's investigation involved over 50 interviews and a review of hundreds of consumer complaints.
- •Mazal Group is a California-based company that controls dozens of skincare brands.
- •Federal agents previously investigated the same brands for a credit card overcharge scheme.
- •Past investigations into the brands led to more than a dozen guilty pleas for immigration and money-laundering crimes.
Customers at various skincare stores nationwide report facing high-pressure sales tactics that result in thousands of dollars of unexpected charges. An investigation by NPR found that these independently operated stores, spanning locations from Michigan to Hawaii, share connections to a California-based company called Mazal Group.
Investigation into sales practices
NPR reporters interviewed over 50 individuals and reviewed hundreds of consumer complaints, court records, and internal documents. The investigation identified Mazal Group, a company run by a family originally from Israel, as the entity controlling dozens of skincare brands sold at these locations.
History of regulatory scrutiny
Federal agents previously documented a credit card overcharge scheme at stores selling some of the same skincare brands more than a decade ago. Those investigations resulted in more than a dozen guilty pleas related to immigration and money-laundering crimes.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by NPR Health.
