COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — You can’t believe everything you see online.

A Columbus man came across an ad on social media for a product to help him stop smoking, a product that appeared to be endorsed by some high-profile investors. But could the product and promotion simply be a ploy to get his money?

Like billions of people every day, Dannie Griffith was scrolling through his social media news feed one day late last year when he came across a post that caught his eye.

“I was on Facebook, and I kept seeing these advertisements for gummies,” Griffith said.

The post claimed that those gummies could help him stop smoking, and the product appeared to have the endorsement of the well-known entrepreneurs and investors from the TV series “Shark Tank.”

“They said, ‘All five of us invested in this gummy product,’” Griffith said.

With that kind of apparent approval, Griffith decided to give it a try.

“For one bottle, it was supposed to be $59.99,” Griffith said. That was for a 30-day supply. “Next thing I know, after I paid the bill and everything, it was $198!”

Griffith said there was no explanation for the price surge. He couldn’t get an answer from the company and never got the product.

So, he called his bank, canceled his debit card and told his trusted friend and neighbor Terri McGee about the ordeal.

“I sat down and I looked at the Facebook articles, and I would have believed it,” McGee said. “And that’s when I said, ‘Call Jennifer Bullock at Better Call 4.'”

Unfortunately for Griffith, this has all the makings of a popular scam, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Scammers use fake celebrity testimonials and endorsements to generate buzz and profits.

“We talked to her son, and he went and investigated, and he never found that episode at all, anywhere,” Griffith said.

And getting his money back from his bank won’t be easy, because he willingly paid for the product.

“I just felt bad,” McGee said. “You know, he talked so much about quitting smoking, he’s a Vietnam vet, he’s a senior. That chunk of money, Jennifer, was huge for him.”

To make sure it doesn’t happen to you, if you see a similar ad on social media, approach with caution. Never click on it! Instead, go directly to the source and do your research by looking for ratings and reviews on your own.

“I ain’t gonna trust it again,” Griffith said. “I don’t care what they say. I don’t care what it is.”

If you’ve spotted one of these bogus promotions, you can report it to the FTC.