Steven and Gina Merritt

The FTC alleged that Steven and Gina Merritt used false or baseless earnings claims to recruit participants to LifeWave and sell its health and wellness products. A stipulated order restricts their future earnings representations.

1Official action

Resolved. Refunded, settled, ceased operating, or the claim did not hold up. Kept for the record.

Identity

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Registrations
Steven and Gina Merritt (FTC complaint and stipulated final order, 2026)
Jurisdictions
United States (federal)

Earnings claims prompted restrictions on future representations

The Federal Trade Commission described Steven and Gina Merritt as senior-level participants in LifeWave, a multilevel marketing company that sells health and wellness products. The FTC alleged that they used false or baseless claims about income from selling products and recruiting new participants.

The complaint cited statements made at a May 2025 recruiting meeting. Gina Merritt said participants could reach the top rank and make $25,000 or more a week. Steven Merritt described money continuing to arrive even when a participant did not show up. According to the FTC, LifeWave’s 2024 income disclosure statement said 79% of active participants received no commission payments that year and, at most, 0.035% earned more than $25,000 a week.

A stipulated order settling the allegations prohibits the Merritts from misrepresenting how much people can earn from business ventures. It also restricts representations about expected earnings unless they are not misleading, are substantiated in writing when made, and can be supported with evidence when a prospective participant asks. The order also requires the Merritts to notify their downline participants about the FTC allegations and the restrictions on deceptive and unsubstantiated earnings claims.

The complaint and stipulated final order were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

What is not established

The documents do not report a consumer-loss total, a monetary judgment, or an admission by the Merritts.

Sources

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  1. Enforcement action April 27, 2026
    Merritt
  2. Enforcement action April 27, 2026
    FTC Takes Action Against High-Level MLM Participants who Deceived Workers About the Amount of Money They Can Earn

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First recorded April 27, 2026 · Last updated April 27, 2026