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20th Jun 2018

Miriam O’Callaghan contacts legal team over ‘scam’ beauty ads using her photo

Have you seen these ads?

Anna O'Rourke

Miriam O'Callaghan contacts legal team over 'scam' beauty ads using her photo

Miriam O’Callaghan has said that online ads using her image are a scam.

The ads, promoting skincare products, feature a photo of Miriam.

Clicking on them takes internet users to an article claiming that she is taking time away from her broadcasting career to launch an anti-aging product, TryVix.

The issue came to light when a member of the public who had been duped by one of the ads contacted RTÉ’s Liveline.

“It showed pictures of Miriam with other colleagues from RTÉ, well-known colleagues. There were testimonials,” Vicky McNulty told host Joe Duffy.

Not realising the ad was fake, Vicky signed up for a free sample of the product and paid €5 for postage via her debit card.

Miriam O'Callaghan contacts legal team over 'scam' beauty ads using her photo

She received the product but said she was contacted by her bank last week over unusual transactions.

The account that had charged Vicky for the postage of the anti-aging product had charged her for a number of other transactions.

The bank returned Vicky’s money to her account but she said she was concerned that other people might fall for the ads.

In response, Miriam O’Callaghan told Liveline that the ads are a scam and that she had not given permission for her image to be used.

She said that she has contacted her lawyers, who are attempting to have the ads taken down.