“Flab to Fabulous Pageant” Fades Away

It seems unlikely that the “Flab to Fabulous Pageant” will go off as announced at the end of May or sometime in August or whenever, it was never all that certain just WHEN this thing was happening. The pageant’s Facebook page has not had a “Like” in months and there are just a handful of posts. The organizer’s Twitter account tweeted once last October. I used a fake email to sign up for the “FabMail” updates and got nothing. Still just the one video on “teeth tips.” No sponsors were ever announced. The website discussion forum is empty. The list of Field Directors never posted even one name. The website is still listing the early registration fee that was supposed to have gone up on March 1. Registration was closed on March 31 so I assume anybody who did sign up has lost their money.

The site advertised cash prizes for three rounds of pre-pageant winners. I’ve wondered if anyone signed up will the organizers have to award the prizes? Or will they tell those unfortunate folks that somebody else won? There were two preliminary rounds worth $200 and $300 to the winners and then 50 state winners who got a prize package, sash, crown, and $500. Yes, FIFTY people were supposed to get $500. That’s $25,000 in prize money even before the pageant was to take place.

There was also a “Crown Contest” drawing for an iPad mini that invited the public to vote on the winner’s crown. Voting was closed on Feb 9. So who got the iPad?

This whole thing smacked of SCAM to me from the first minute I discovered it. It seemed very opportunistic overall but two things glared at me: There were no sponsors or seemingly any connection to a known, legitimate company or organization from within the bariatric business community and the organizer’s description of their “non-profit” charitable activities was extremely vague to say the least. The organizer insists she has a well-established reputation built on “worldwide” appearances as a speaker and author but I could find no media footprints for her anywhere on the Internet. A “testimonials” page used photos of people taken from other websites.

When I first spoke out about the pageant I was very shocked at how many people attacked ME for being skeptical. But many saw the red flags that I did and I knew time would prove the event and its organizer were never legitimate. I wasn’t about to stay quiet on this.

I’d be interested to know if anyone out there knows someone who sent in money to enter this pageant. Did anyone apply to be a Field Director or Volunteer? Anybody?