At the Federal Trade Commission’s request, a federal court entered a temporary restraining order halting a deceptive work-from-home scheme that conned millions of dollars from consumers by falsely telling them they could easily earn thousands of dollars a month by purchasing bogus business coaching services and establishing their own Internet businesses. According to the FTC, […]
Monthly Archives: February 2014
Company’s Green Claims for Plastic Lumber Misleading
A Wisconsin-based manufacturer of plastic lumber products has agreed to stop making allegedly unsubstantiated claims about the recycled content and recyclability of two of its brands of plastic lumber. Under the FTC settlement, the company, N.E.W. Plastics Corp., must have credible evidence to support any recycling-related claims it makes, and is required to tell its […]
FTC Action Leads to Court Order Barring Misleading Light Bulb Claims
At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a federal court has ordered a light bulb manufacturer and its owners to pay more than $21 million for misleading consumers by exaggerating the performance of their Light Emitting Diode (LED) light bulbs. In September 2010, the FTC charged Lights of America Inc., Usman Vakil and Farooq […]
FTC Action Leads to Arrest Warrant for ‘Cash Grant Institute’ Robocaller Who Ignored Court Order to Pay More Than $20 Million in Penalties
In a case brought by the Federal Trade Commission, a federal judge ordered the arrest and incarceration of Paul Navestad, known legally as Paul Richard Jones, for violating a court order requiring him to pay more than $20 million for his role in a phony government grant scheme. The court had ordered Navestad to pay […]
FTC Shuts Down Business Opportunity Scam
Several companies and individuals have agreed to settlements with the Federal Trade Commission that ban them from selling business or work-at-home opportunities and require them to surrender assets to the FTC. As part of the FTC’s ongoing crackdown on scams that falsely promise business opportunities targeted to unemployed or underemployed people, in October 2012, the […]
Operators of Phony ‘Free $1,000 Gift Card’ Websites Will Pay $2.5 Million in FTC Settlement
Twelve defendants that allegedly operated websites enticing consumers with bogus offers of “free $1,000 gift cards” for major retailers have agreed to pay $2.5 million in settlements with the Federal Trade Commission. In an amended complaint filed with the settlements, the FTC alleged that the South Carolina- and California-based corporate defendants hired affiliate marketers to […]
FTC, FBI Warn Consumers About ‘Cryptolocker,’ A New Breed of Computer Malware
How much is everything on your computer worth to you? About $300? The criminals behind a new malware program are betting on it. The Federal Trade Commission, the FBI and other federal agencies are warning consumers and businesses about “Cryptolocker,” a malware program that holds the files on your computer for ransom, and doesn’t allow […]
FTC Announces Mobile Device Tracking Seminar Agenda
The Federal Trade Commission is hosting a Spring Privacy Series on emerging consumer privacy issues, and the first event on Feb. 19, 2014 in Washington, D.C., will explore mobile device tracking. With retailers and other businesses tracking consumers’ movements throughout and around retail stores, the FTC is exploring potential privacy concerns and questions about these […]
FTC to Host Public Workshop Examining U.S. Health Care Competition
The Federal Trade Commission will host a two-day workshop on March 20-21, 2014, at its Conference Center at 601 New Jersey Ave., N.W., in Washington, DC, to examine competition issues related to certain current developments in the U.S. health care industry. Health care spending accounts for a large part of federal, state, and consumer budgets. […]
FTC Warning: Watch Out for Online Dating Scams
If you’re looking for love, you might end up on an online dating site, where, as some people will attest, you’ll meet all kinds of people. Unfortunately, though, you might just meet some scammers. So, especially as Valentine’s Day nears, look out for warning signs of a scam, such as any request for money for […]