"Mr. X is in Jail!"

Saw a thread with this title on a popular online marketing forum.  It seems that one of the guys involved with the current online marketing "hot product of the week" had some recent legal problems when criminal charges were filed against him, alleging fraud and imitation of a licensed professional. 

According to a press release by the arresting sheriff's department, this guy was selling ebooks by "medical experts," with claims to treat attention deficit disorder, irritable bowl syndrome, head lice, female and male infertility, chronic body odor, yeast infections, scabies, ringworm infections, poison ivy, depression and anxiety, shingles, high blood pressure, hives, eczema, vertigo, pink eye, warts, and migraines, among others. The press release says that these books were not written by medical professionals.

Once the word got out, people started questioning the online marketing product.  They also started to question people promoting the online marketing product.

I'm not here to discuss the guilt or innocence of Mr. X.  The court will figure that out just fine.

What I want to know is your thoughts on the ethics of online marketing...

Is there anything you won't do for money?

Are there some products you just won't sell?

Are there some people you don't associate with or promote products for?  Why?

Post responses below...

Comments

[Web Loony]

Unethical behavior is suicide for any business.

IM is not different...

You can make a buck here and there, but if you want to go for the big prize, you better do things right.

Web Loony reporting... and putting my head everywhere that calls my attention... ;)

[Kristine]

This must be fate because I personally just posted a rant on my blog about online ethics.

As an online marketer, there are products that I refuse to promote and even certain marketers online that I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.

What really gets me is that some very well-known names online fall into the trap of marketing unethically.

It's unfortunate that due to some of these tactics, those of us who do online marketing tend to be grouped in with the "bad apples".

Thanks for the post...it's nice to see that there are others out there who still focus on ethical standards.

- Kristine