Crooks becoming richer & fools becoming poorer?

Few weeks back there were furor in the media and the wires were burning with the news of frauds through Emus. Among the many charges made, a section of the irate losers also mentioned that they had invested in this dubious scheme only because some of the popular film actors came on the Ads and vouched for the returns. I was wondering and even expressed in some other place about the ownership   of the actors in such Ads against whose words only some of the innocent people invest.  

On the same lines, when the popular singer SPB was making a strong pitch for investments in a housing scheme, I was wondering whether he is fully aware of the consequences of the blemish to his otherwise clean image, when things do not go on the expected lines.

In another recent instance, my wife was looking at an Ad in today's TOI and pointed to an advt regarding Internet based work from home jobs (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/AdPrimView.asp?BaseHref=TOICH/2012/08/28/6/Img/Ad0061609.png) . 

When we browsed the website, http://www.allindianetgroup.com/, things appeared so genuine and convincing that would have prompted anyone to proceed further. But, having seen many such ads whose aim was to cull out fat upfront money in the name of Registration fee, the cautious part in me prompted to dig further deep. When searched for feedback & opinions through Google, I came to know from many postings that it is a bogus company aimed at extracting initial amounts.

But what caught my attention was a feeble cry of anguish from a victim as to why popular newspapers should encourage such advertisements which ultimately fool the public and was wondering whether the newspapers have any social responsibility in publishing such Ads (http://www.consumercomplaints.in/complaints/all-india-net-group-fraud-job-c716475.html )

This has rekindled my initial thoughts/doubts on the accountability in such promotions as to what is the responsibility of such newspapers? They may not be conniving explicitly with the advertisers of such dubious products but are the newspapers not obliged to do some background research before they publish these claims, purely to safeguard the interest of their readers? Or are they empowered to publish whatever material is being given for Ads?

On the part of individuals such as film artistes, singers and other reputed/ popular persons in the eyes of the public, though most of them participate in such advertisements more for commercial gains, what is their moral responsibility in protecting the interest of their fans, who go by their word?

Also when the Government is keen on curbing malicious news impacting the security of the country by putting an embargo on social networking websites, is it not for the authorities to pull such erring companies and caution the newspapers about the release of such advertisements? When the complaints are available in dozens on the internet, are the Police not obliged to put a watch on such advertisements? Over to the authorities and Cyber law experts to mull over.

It is time some legal minds look into the matter and clarify to the gullible public about heeding to the words of the "reputed" personalities and their stake, if the proposed project goes bust. It should also help the popular personalities to think twice before participating in such advertisements.

Bottom line is, so far as public are innocent and naïve, there are always new people with newer ideas to take them for a ride.