In testimony before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government of the Committee on Appropriations, the Federal Trade Commission today described the agency’s continuing work to promote competition and protect American consumers, including initiatives to stop fraud targeting financially distressed consumers, protect privacy, and prevent anticompetitive practices such as “pay-for-delay” in the […]
Monthly Archives: May 2010
FTC Settlement Reins in New York-based Prepaid Calling Card Distributor
The Federal Trade Commission reached its third settlement as part of a recent agency crackdown on fraud in the prepaid calling card industry that has forced companies to pay more than $4 million. The agreement requires New York-based Diamond Phone Card, Inc. and its principals to pay $500,000. It also bars them from misleading consumers […]
FTC Permanently Shuts Down Notorious Rogue Internet Service Provider
At the Federal Trade Commission’s request, a district court judge has permanently shut down a rogue Internet Service Provider that recruited, hosted, and actively participated in the distribution of spam, spyware, child pornography, and other malicious and illegal content. The ISP’s computer servers and other assets have been seized and will be sold by a […]
Victims of Work-at-Home Medical Billing Fraud Being Reimbursed $95,000
This week, an administrator working on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission mailed checks to 3,500 consumers nationwide who were defrauded by a group of marketers accused of hawking phony business opportunities. Consumers who were victims of this scam will receive a total of $95,000 in redress. These are legitimate checks, and the FTC urges […]
FTC Approves Final Settlement Order Regarding Indoor Tanning Association; Complaint Charged That ITA Deceived Consumers About Skin Cancer Risks
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final settlement order in the matter of the Indoor Tanning Association, and sent letters to members of the public who submitted comments on the order. The final order settles charges that the association exaggerated the benefits of indoor tanning, and falsely denied that […]
FTC Order Preserves Competition Threatened by Agilent’s Acquisition of Varian
Agilent Technologies, Inc. and Varian, Inc., two leading global suppliers of high-performance scientific measurement instruments, have agreed to sell three of their product lines in order to proceed with their merger, under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. The settlement resolves the competitive concerns created by the proposed merger and allows Agilent to proceed […]
FTC Testifies on Measures to Protect Consumers Who Sell Their Jewelry and Consumers Who Want to Avoid Buying Fur
The Federal Trade Commission today told the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Energy and Commerce that it supports proposed legislation designed to protect cash-strapped consumers who sell their jewelry and precious metals to online buyers. The FTC also supports another piece of legislation that would help consumers […]
Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to Hold Workshop on Promoting Innovation
The Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of Commerce’s U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced today that they will hold a joint public workshop on the intersection of patent policy and competition policy and its implications for promoting innovation. Assistant Attorney General for the department’s Antitrust Division Christine Varney, Under […]
FTC Challenges Dun & Bradstreet’s Purchase of Competing Education Data Provider
The Federal Trade Commission today sued The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation, challenging its February 2009 acquisition of Quality Education Data (QED) and alleging that the deal hurt consumers by eliminating nearly all competition in the market for kindergarten through twelfth-grade educational marketing databases. The data sold by these companies is used to sell books, education […]
Phony Audits: A New Twist on Foreclosure Rescue Scams
If you are facing default on your mortgage or foreclosure on your home, watch out for the latest scam: phony “forensic mortgage loan audits.” Con artists claim that for an upfront fee, their audits can help you hold onto your home. Don’t believe them. In a new consumer alert, Forensic Mortgage Loan Audit Scams: A […]