Universal Advertising, Inc., and its owner, Paul E. Porter, have agreed to settle charges that they misled consumers into paying thousands of dollars for a venture they claimed would generate substantial earnings, without providing legally required substantiation for their claims. The settlement is a result of last year’s Project Fal$e Hope$, an FTC-led effort that […]
Category Archives: Federal Trade Commission
Las Vegas Company, Businessman Banned from Selling Business Ventures and Asset Protection Goods and Services
A Las Vegas company and businessman, accused of deceptively marketing a business opportunity involving dubious “asset protection” services, are banned from selling business ventures and from marketing asset protection services. The Federal Trade Commission charged that Asset Protection Group, Inc. (“APGI”) and its president, William S. Reed, falsely claimed consumers would make a substantial income […]
FTC Releases Consumer Fraud Survey
The Federal Trade Commission today released a statistical survey of fraud in the United States that shows that 30.2 million adults – 13.5 percent of the adult population – were victims of fraud during the year studied. More people – an estimated 4.8 million U.S. consumers – were victims of fraudulent weight-loss products than any […]
Don’t Open Bogus Email that Claims to Come From the FTC
A bogus email is circulating that says it is from the Federal Trade Commission, referencing a “complaint” filed with the FTC against the email’s recipient. The email includes links and an attachment that download a virus. As with any suspicious email, the FTC warns recipients not to click on links within the email and not […]
FTC Challenges Owens Cornings Acquisition of Saint Gobain Assets
The Federal Trade Commission today announced a complaint challenging Owens Corning’s proposed acquisition of the glass fiber reinforcements and composite fabric assets of Compagnie de Saint Gobain (Saint Gobain), charging that the deal would lead to reduced competition in the North American market for continuous filament mat (CFM) products. Under the terms of a consent […]
Phone Bill Cramming Defendant Settles FTC Charges
One of the defendants in a massive fraudulent billing scheme has agreed to settle charges for her role in collecting more than $30 million in bogus collect call charges from millions of consumers. Mary Lou Farr and other defendants were charged with deceptive and unfair billing practices for “cramming” – the unauthorized billing of charges […]
Court Enters Final Orders and $10 Million Judgment Against Last Centurion Defendants
At the Commission’s request, a federal district court entered final orders against three remaining defendants, successfully concluding the FTC’s long-running case against the large cross-border telemarketing scheme known as Centurion Financial Benefits. The court orders require the three defendants, Frank Bellissimo, Tony Andreopoulos, and Catreena Alexandra Marchewka, to halt their illegal telemarketing activities and bar […]
Tips on Packing Financial Documents Before Evacuating and Tips for Smart Charitable Giving
For Your Information October 25, 2007 Wildfires have displaced hundreds of thousands of people in southern California. The Federal Trade Commission offers two reminders about weather emergencies and other sudden events: Having financial documents up-to-date, in one place, and portable can make a big difference at a tense time. The best way to provide immediate […]
FTC Pledges Not to Drop Any Numbers From Do Not Call Registry, Pending Final Congressional or Agency Action on Whether to Make Registration Permanent
Providing Federal Trade Commission testimony today before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Lydia Parnes addressed issues related to the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry, Internet safety, and financial services. Specifically, Parnes said that after carefully considering […]
FTC Approves Affiliate Marketing Rule Regarding Use of Consumer Information
The Federal Trade Commission today approved a final rulemaking on affiliate marketing that provides consumers with an opportunity to “opt out” before a person or company uses information provided by an affiliated company to market its products and services to the consumer. The final rule implements section 214 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions […]