Reckitt Benckiser Group plc has agreed to pay $50 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated the antitrust laws through a deceptive scheme to thwart lower-priced generic competition to its branded drug Suboxone. Suboxone is a prescription oral medication used to minimize withdrawal symptoms in patients recovering from opioid addiction. “Buprenorphine products […]
Category Archives: Federal Trade Commission
FTC Stops Student Loan Debt Relief Scheme, Charges Operators with Misleading Consumers
The Federal Trade Commission has stopped a student loan debt relief scheme, alleging it bilked more than $23 million from thousands of consumers with false claims that it would service and pay down their student loans. After the FTC filed a complaint seeking to end the deceptive practices, a federal court temporarily halted the scheme […]
After Healthcare System Sanford Health Abandons Acquisition of North Dakota Healthcare Provider Mid Dakota Clinic, FTC Dismisses Case from Administrative Trial Process
Following the decision last week of Sanford Health to abandon its proposed acquisition of Mid Dakota Clinic, the Federal Trade Commission has dismissed its case challenging the transaction through the Commission’s administrative trial process. FTC Chairman Joseph J. Simons issued the following statement: “These two physicians’ groups have competed vigorously in the Bismarck-Mandan region of […]
FTC Releases Final Agenda for Workshop that will Examine Restrictions on Third-Party Repairs of Consumer Products
The Federal Trade Commission released the final agenda for its July 16, 2019 workshop examining ways in which manufacturers may limit third-party repairs of various consumer products. Nixing the Fix: A Workshop on Repair Restrictions will examine how manufacturers may limit repairs by consumers and repair shops and whether those limitations affect consumer protection— including consumers’ […]
FTC Returns More than $380,000 to Victims of Business Coaching and Development Services Scam
The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 1,177 checks totaling more than $380,000 to people who paid for purported business coaching services that were marketed as a way to help them earn thousands of dollars a month. The refunds stem from an FTC settlement in which the Commission alleged that the defendants bought contact information for […]
D-Link Agrees to Make Security Enhancements to Settle FTC Litigation
Smart home products manufacturer D-Link Systems, Inc., has agreed to implement a comprehensive software security program in order to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations over misrepresentations that the company took reasonable steps to secure its wireless routers and Internet-connected cameras. The settlement ends FTC litigation against D-Link stemming from a 2017 complaint in which the […]
FTC and Partners Sponsor “Back-to-Basics” Advertising and Data Security Workshop in Atlanta
The Federal Trade Commission and its regional partners will hold a public workshop in Atlanta on Thursday, August 15, 2019, on truth-in-advertising basics and data security compliance. Designed for business owners, advertising and marketing executives, and attorneys, Green Lights & Red Flags: FTC Rules of the Road for Business features a roster of experts discussing […]
FTC Finalizes Settlement with Online Rewards Website That Allegedly Failed to Implement Reasonable Data Security
The operator of an online rewards website will be required to implement a comprehensive information security program before collecting personal information as part of a final settlement with the Federal Trade Commission related to allegations that he failed to take reasonable steps to protect personal data. In a complaint, the FTC alleged that James V. […]
Consumers Still Paying for Sham Insurance Products Sold by Simple Health to be Notified About the Fraud and Provided an Opportunity to Enroll in Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans During a Special Enrollment Period
At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, tens of thousands of consumers who bought medical discount plans from Simple Health Plans LLC that were deceptively marketed as comprehensive health insurance, and who are still currently paying monthly fees, will be notified that they do not currently have comprehensive health insurance, but can enroll in […]
Complaints about Government Imposter Scams Reach Record High, According to New FTC Data
As the nation prepares to celebrate the Fourth of July, the Federal Trade Commission is reminding consumers that scammers are increasingly trying to make a buck by falsely claiming to be Uncle Sam. Monthly complaints to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network about scammers pretending to be from the government reached the highest levels on record […]