The Quebec-based marketers of a supposed weight-loss treatment have agreed to pay $500,000 to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they deceived consumers with bogus claims that their Double Shot pills would cause rapid, substantial, and permanent weight loss, without diet or exercise. According to the FTC’s complaint, Manon Fernet and the company she controls, […]
Monthly Archives: July 2014
FTC Will Keep Negative Option Rule In Its Current Form
The Federal Trade Commission has completed its review of the Negative Option Rule and will keep the Rule in its current form. The “Trade Regulation Rule Concerning Use of Prenotification Negative Option Plans” requires sellers to clearly disclose the terms of any such negative option plan for the sale of goods before consumers subscribe. In […]
FTC Approves Amended Applications by Fidelity National Financial Inc. to Divest Oregon Title Plant Assets
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved two amended applications by Fidelity National Financial Inc. to sell Oregon real estate title plant assets, as required by the FTC order settling charges that Fidelity’s acquisition of Lender Processing Services, Inc. (LPS) was likely to harm competition. On April 24, 2014, Fidelity filed […]
FTC Approves Modified Final Order in Four Loko Deceptive Advertising Case
The Federal Trade Commission has approved a modified order with the marketers of the supersized, high-alcohol malt beverage Four Loko – Phusion Projects, LLC. Phusion Projects settled with the FTC in 2013 to resolve FTC charges of deceptive advertising. The Commission alleged that Phusion Projects, LLC and its principals falsely claimed that a 23.5-ounce, 11 […]
FTC Obtains Court Orders Banning Defendants From Selling Timeshare Resale Services
The defendants behind three deceptive timeshare resale operations are banned from selling timeshare property resale services under settlements resolving charges that they lured consumers into paying hefty up-front fees, falsely claiming they had prospective buyers for properties they wanted to sell. The settlements stem from a crackdown on travel and timeshare resale fraud last year […]
Federal Court Orders Tech Support Scammers to Pay More Than $5.1 Million
A U.S. District Court has ordered the operators of several international tech support scams to pay more than $5.1 million, acting on Federal Trade Commission charges that they masqueraded as major computer companies, tricked consumers into believing their computers were riddled with malware and then charged consumers to “fix” them. The U.S. District Court for […]
TicketNetwork and Marketing Partners Ryadd and Secure Box Office Settle Charges of Deceptively Marketing Resale Tickets
Online resale ticket exchange TicketNetwork, Inc., and two of its marketing partners, Ryadd, Inc. and SecureBoxOffice, LLC, have settled Federal Trade Commission and State of Connecticut allegations that their advertisements and websites misled consumers into thinking they were buying event tickets from the original venue at face value. Instead, the complaint alleges, the defendants’ websites […]
Federal and State Agencies Stop Phony Mortgage Relief Schemes
Note: A conference call for media with Katie Fallow, FTC Deputy Director for Consumer Protection, and CFBP Deputy Director Steve Antonakes was held on July 23, 2014.Katie Fallow and FTC staff took questions from the media about the case. The Federal Trade Commission has taken action against six mortgage relief operations charging that defendants preyed […]
Made in USA Brand, LLC Agrees to Drop Deceptive Certification Claims
A company that provides a “Made in USA” certification seal to marketers has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived consumers by allowing companies to use the seal without either independently verifying that those companies’ products were made in the United States, or disclosing that the companies had certified themselves. The company, […]
Scammer Settles FTC Charges He Sent Consumers Millions of Unwanted Texts
A text message spammer and his company have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they were responsible for sending millions of unwanted messages to consumers across the country, which contained false promises of “free” $1,000 gift cards for major retailers like Walmart, Target and Best Buy. Under the terms of the settlement with […]