FTC Testifies on Fighting Fraudulent and Abusive Telemarketing

The Federal Trade Commission today told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety that targeting fraudulent and abusive telemarketing is a top priority at the agency. Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection, told the subcommittee, “From 1991 to present, the FTC has […]

FTC Charges Puerto Rico Optometrists Group, Two of its Leaders, With Orchestrating Price-Fixing Conspiracy

A group representing all optometrists in Puerto Rico, along with two of its leaders, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they violated the FTC Act by orchestrating and carrying out agreements among the group’s members to refuse, and threaten to refuse, to deal with payors, unless the payors raised the fees paid […]

FTC Seeks Comments on the Uses of Social Security Numbers in the Private SectorGoal to Reduce ID Theft

The Federal Trade Commission is seeking comments on the uses of Social Security numbers in the private sector to reduce the overall incidence of ID theft, which often relies on SSNs. The FTC also plans to host one or more public forums on the issue in the coming months. In issuing its strategic plan to […]

FTC Stops Massive, Deceptive Telemarketer

The Federal Trade Commission, with assistance from local police and the United States Postal Inspection Service, today halted the operations of a massive, Largo, Florida-based telemarketing scheme operated by Suntasia Marketing, Inc. The FTC alleges that over the last several years, Suntasia used at least fifteen different business names to defraud consumers across the United […]

FTC Testifies Before U.S. House Subcommittee on Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Data and FTC Lending Enforcement Program

The Federal Trade Commission today told the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, that the agency is conducting several fair lending investigations of mortgage lending companies while continuing its work with other agencies to enforce laws against lending discrimination and predatory lending. “The current fair lending investigations are part of a […]

Cross-Border Telemarketers Face FTC Charges for Deceptive Phone Card Pitches

The Federal Trade Commission has charged a group of Canadian telemarketers with deceiving U.S. consumers through the sale of telephone calling cards. According to the Commission, Fusion Telekom and its principals violated the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) by misrepresenting that they were from consumers’ banks or credit card companies, falsely stating […]

FTC Testifies on Potential Risks of Peer-to-Peer File Sharing

The Federal Trade Commission today told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that consumer use of peer-to-peer file-sharing technology can be risky and discussed the work the FTC has done to address these risks to consumers. Mary Engle, Associate Director of the FTC’s Division of Advertising Practices, told the Committee, “Although P2P technology […]

Commission Approves Issuance of FY2006 HSR Premerger Notification Report

Release of Commission report: The Commission, with the concurrence of the U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, has authorized the release of the Twenty-Ninth Annual Report to Congress Regarding the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Premerger Notification Program. The report summarizes Commission and Department of Justice (DOJ) actions conducted under the HSR Act in fiscal year 2006, noting […]

FTC Releases Report on Effects of Credit-Based Insurance Scores

The Federal Trade Commission today released a report presenting the results of a study concerning credit-based insurance scores and automobile insurance. The study found that these scores are effective predictors of the claims that consumers will file. It also determined that, as a group, African-Americans and Hispanics tend to have lower scores than non-Hispanic whites […]

Business Opportunity Marketers Pay $122,000 to Consumers to Settle FTC Charges

Prohibited from Making False Earnings Claims, Similar Deceptions in the Future An operation that was charged with deceptively marketing candy vending machine business opportunities will give back $122,000 to consumers who invested in it. The Federal Trade Commission charged that the operation lured consumers by falsely promising big incomes and prime locations for the machines, […]