The operators of a sweepstakes scam that appeared to target seniors have agreed to forfeit a record $30 million in cash and assets and will be permanently banned from the prize promotion business under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. The settlement with the FTC and the State of Missouri requires the defendants to […]
Category Archives: Federal Trade Commission
FTC Halts Tech Support Scam as Part of Major Initiative Focused on Older Adults Hit Hardest by These Scams
As part of a state, federal, and international crackdown on tech support scams, the Federal Trade Commission has temporarily shut down a Utah-based scheme that tricked consumers into believing their computers were infected with viruses in order to sell them costly computer repair services. Chairman Joe Simons reaffirmed FTC’s commitment to keeping older adults safe […]
FTC Seeks Comment on Proposed Amendments to Safeguards and Privacy Rules
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking comment on proposed amendments to two rules that protect the privacy and security of customer information held by financial institutions. In separate notices to be published in the Federal Register shortly, the FTC is seeking comment on proposed changes to the Safeguards Rule and the Privacy Rule under the […]
Operators of Phony Grant Scheme Banned From Selling Grants and Telemarketing
A federal district court in Arizona entered three stipulated orders on February 26, 2019, settling the FTC’s case against the operators of a sham grant scheme known as Premium Grants. The defendants targeted individuals, many of whom are elderly or have disabilities, who sought help with paying personal expenses such as medical bills, home repairs, […]
FTC to Send Refund Checks to Consumers who Lost Money in Business Opportunity Telemarketing Scam
The Federal Trade Commission is sending refund checks totaling more than $7 million to people deceived by the operators of an alleged business opportunity fraud that targeted seniors and others living on a fixed income. The refunds stem from a settlement the FTC reached in 2017 with Advertising Strategies, LLC, under which the defendants surrendered […]
FTC Announces Agenda for the 13th Session of its Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century
The Federal Trade Commission today announced the agenda for the thirteenth session of its Hearings Initiative. The session, focused on the agency’s merger retrospective program, will take place on April 12, 2019, at FTC Headquarters in Room 432. The FTC’s Bureau of Economics has a long tradition of conducting ex post evaluations of consummated mergers, […]
National Consumer Protection Week 2019 Kicks off Sunday, March 3
The Federal Trade Commission and its federal, state and local partners, together with consumer groups and national advocacy organizations, will participate in the 21st annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) from March 3-9, 2019. NCPW is a nationally coordinated campaign to help consumers understand their rights while giving them access to free educational materials. “As […]
FTC Publishes Inflation-Adjusted Civil Penalty Amounts
The Federal Trade Commission has adjusted the maximum civil penalty dollar amounts for violations of 16 provisions of law the FTC enforces, as required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. The Act directs agencies to implement annual inflation adjustments based on a prescribed formula. The new maximum civil penalty […]
FTC Issues Modified Final Order Imposing Conditions on Merger of International Industrial Gas Suppliers Praxair, Inc. and Linde AG
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a modified final order requiring industrial gas suppliers Praxair, Inc. and Linde AG to sell assets in nine industrial gases product markets in numerous U.S. geographic markets to four divestiture buyers. The nine product markets in which the Commission alleged harm in its October […]
Last Remaining Defendant Settles FTC Suit that Led to Landmark Supreme Court Ruling on Drug Company “Reverse Payments”
The Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement in FTC v. Actavis, the 2009 FTC case alleging that the brand-name drug company Solvay and three generic drug companies illegally agreed to restrict generic competition to Solvay’s branded testosterone-replacement drug AndroGel for nine years. After the district court dismissed the FTC’s complaint and the appellate court […]