The weight loss success stories on TLC "My 600-lb Life" are awe-inspiring and in some cases, scam-inspiring. Amber Rachdi of Season 3 lost nearly 450 pounds or two-thirds of herself. Now the young woman is being trolled by a fake Youtube account selling a diet scam called "The 3 Week Diet." The issue proves there's money to be made on weight loss, and that many people want a piece of the pie, even if they have to go to fraudulent lengths.

Amber Rachdi 'face' of weight loss

So what's wrong with a Youtube tribute to the "My 600-lb Life" celebrity? She is certainly attractive which is probably why Amber was picked.

Lots of people create fan Instagram sites, Twitter feeds, Facebook pages and Youtube videos around Celebrities. Some Duggar family members have multiple fan sites. But it's fraudulent to pose as the person. The "my weight loss journey" channel represents as Amber's own. A link goes to a website run by Brian Flatt advertising the "3 Week Diet."

Unpaid advertorial plays on TLC show popularity

It's identity theft, just like "19 Kids and Counting" star Josh Duggar did to Matthew McCarthy by stealing his profile pic for Ashley Madison. Like the DJ (who is suing Duggar), Amber Rachdi is falsely linked to something. She's unwittingly become an unpaid spokesperson for a product she's probably never heard of.

By linking her images, many people will assume the reality television star lost weight with this diet and not from Dr. Younan Nowzardan's gastric bypass surgery diet. So how many people even viewed let alone bought into this hoax?

Youtube users confuse fake video with real Amber

The video has over 200,000 views, 100 comments and hundreds of likes.

Granted, many are from months ago, but Youtube organizes videos by views. So this one will come up first in searches for the celebrity because of the high number. Also, most all of the commenters believe that this is the Reality TV star's channel. They comment directly to her unlike they do in videos about celebrities which are clearly fan-made.

Weight loss story is intellectual property

Is the "My 600-lb Life" fraud site really a threat? It is if the reality television celeb decides to sell her story. If Amber Rachdi makes her own blog or website, this video, and website, although copies, could misrepresent as originals because they appeared first. Folks may be confused about how the young woman actually lost weight. It could pose issues with TLC or Dr. Now. Bottom line is, shedding obesity is a lot of work. If there's any money to be made from explaining how you did it, that belongs to you, not some troll who stole your identity for monetary gain.
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