Frenchwoman who sold ‘fake magic cheese’ for luxury cosmetics goes on trial

A Frenchwoman went on trial on Monday for allegedly conning thousands of Chileans into buying a kit to make “magic cheese” they could sell back to French cosmetics companies for use in luxury beauty products.Gilberte Van Erpe, 74, allegedly told her victims the prized ingredient was even used in creams favoured by celebrities such as Michael Jackson.However, the end product was worthless and the scam became one of the biggest pyramid schemes ever seen in South America, it is alleged.The “case of the magic cheese”, as it is known in France, began in 2005 when the businesswoman dubbed “Madame Gil” began holding conferences around Chile urging people to become home producers of the fermented product.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11660040/Frenchwoman-who-sold-fake-magic-cheese-for-luxury-cosmetics-goes-on-trial.html