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The Federal Trade Commission is mailing refund checks to consumers who lost money buying dietary supplements, Speak and Speak Smooth, deceptively marketed as proven effective at treating childhood speech disorders, including those associated with autism. These are legitimate checks, and the FTC encourages consumers who receive them to cash them before they expire on October 23. Each of the 6,936 checks will be for $25.18.

The refunds are from money collected through a settlement, under which the NourishLife, LLC defendants agreed to stop making allegedly deceptive claims that their products develop and maintain normal, healthy speech and language capabilities in children.

Rust Consulting, Inc., the refund administrator for this matter, will mail refund checks to eligible consumers beginning today. The checks must be cashed within 60 days of the date they are issued or they will become void. Recipients should note that the FTC never requires consumers to pay money or provide information before redress checks can be cashed.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.