The skincare scheme that led to consumer complaints, lawsuits and a federal investigation

[u/npr]

https://www.npr.org/2026/10/14/nx-s1-5550974/skincare-scheme-mazal-group-investigation

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[u/npr]

It's a familiar experience for anyone who has walked through an American shopping mall: A friendly salesperson approaches with a free sample of skincare cream, offering the promise of younger-looking skin. 

As you pass, they launch into a stream of chatter — a compliment on your handbag or a question about what's in your shopping bag. It's the kind of encounter that shoppers often walk away from without a second thought.

But behind this familiar mall ritual, NPR uncovered something far more costly: customers hit with thousands of dollars in charges they never authorized and products they didn't want and can't return.

Over the past year, NPR spoke with more than 50 people impacted by this enterprise, including customers who say they were taken advantage of, their family members and former employees. 

The stories from the people we spoke with share a common thread: The stores they visited have contracts to buy skincare products from Mazal Group, a California-based company that manages dozens of brands sold in thousands of stores worldwide. And those brands are all owned by one family.

This investigation draws from state and federal court lawsuits, hundreds of online reviews and nearly 500 consumer complaints that NPR obtained from agencies via Freedom of Information Act requests. NPR staff visited stores selling products from Mazal Group in Virginia, Maryland and California, as well as the company's Chatsworth, Calif., headquarters.

Read the full story at the link above.

[u/Grimke42]

I really wish law enforcement would investigate these kinds of cases instead of focusing solely on street crime. There have ways been scams but it seems like grifting is just business these days. It’s impossible to trust anyone.

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