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In June 2022, the FTC took action against California-based Gravity Defyer Medical Technology Corporation and its owner Alexander Elnekaveh, filing a complaint in federal district court to permanently stop their allegedly deceptive pain-relief claims for Gravity Defyer footwear. In its complaint the FTC alleged that Elnekaveh violated a 2001 order barring him from such allegedly deceptive advertising by making scientifically unsupported claims and using misleading consumer testimonials to sell Gravity Defyer products. In February 2025, the FTC announced a final order setting the case, in which the defendants were barred from the allegedly deceptive advertising and required to pay a civil penalty of $175,000.

The FTC alleged that the Florida-based scam falsely told consumers that by selling memberships in the defendants’ programs, consumers were likely to earn large sums of money. For example, the website stated, “Consumers will earn between $500 and $12,500 per sale,” and “Every time one of our professionals closes a sale on your behalf, we will send you a huge commission check right to your doorstep.” The defendants allegedly charged consumers a substantial amount of money, ranging from $1,000 to $25,000. The complaint states, however, that the vast majority of consumers who paid the defendants never earned substantial income, and in fact many consumers earned nothing.

The Federal Trade Commission is sending 1,064 checks totaling more than $542,000 to consumers who were harmed by the bogus business and investment scheme.