Francine Lafontaine Named Director of FTC’s Bureau of Economics

Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez has appointed Francine Lafontaine as Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Economics, succeeding Martin Gaynor, who is returning to Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. The Director supervises economic analysis at the Commission and advises the agency on economic policy matters. “We are very pleased that Francine Lafontaine will join the […]

Norm Thompson Outfitters and Wacoal America Settle FTC Charges Over Weight-Loss Claims for Caffeine-infused Shapewear

Two marketers of women’s “shapewear” undergarments have settled Federal Trade Commission charges that slimming claims for their caffeine-infused products were false and not substantiated by scientific evidence. The proposed orders settling the FTC’s complaints bar Norm Thompson Outfitters, Inc., and Wacoal America, Inc., from making false and unsubstantiated claims about their shapewear and require them […]

Technology Alert: GNU Bourne-Again Shell (Bash) Vulnerability

FIL-49-2014 September 29, 2014 Technology Alert: GNU Bourne-Again Shell (Bash) Vulnerability Printable Format: FIL-49-2014 – PDF (PDF Help) Summary: The FDIC, as a member of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), is issuing the attached alert advising financial institutions of a material security vulnerability with Linux and Unix operating systems that could allow an […]

FTC Approves Final Order Settling Charges that L’Oréal USA, Inc. Made Deceptive Advertising Claims for its Anti-Aging Cosmetics

Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges that cosmetics company L’Oréal USA, Inc. made deceptive advertising claims about its Lancôme Génifique and L’Oréal Paris Youth Code skincare products. According to the FTC’s complaint, announced in June 2014, L’Oréal made false and unsubstantiated claims that its Génifique […]

FTC Approves Final Amendments to Guides to Help Businesses Comply with Law Regarding Promotional Allowances and Services

The Federal Trade Commission has approved final changes to its “Fred Meyer Guides,” which explain how suppliers can provide advertising allowances and other promotional payments and services to retailers without running  afoul of certain provisions of the Robinson-Patman Act. In December 2012, as part of its systematic review of all FTC rules and guides, the […]

Federal Appeals Court Upholds District Court Order that Permanently Bars Telemarketers From Pitching Mortgage and Debt Relief Programs and Awards $5.7 Million for Consumer Redress

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has issued a decision upholding a district court ruling that several defendants based in the United States and Canada deceived consumers through a telemarketing scheme designed to sell them phony mortgage assistance and debt relief programs. The district court’s order permanently bars the defendants from […]

At FTC’s Request, Court Halts Bogus Bitcoin Mining Operation

At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a federal court has shut down Butterfly Labs, a Missouri-based company that allegedly deceptively marketed specialized computers designed to produce Bitcoins, a payment system sometimes referred to as “virtual currency.” The FTC’s complaint against the company and its corporate officers alleges that Butterfly Labs charged consumers thousands […]

Operation ‘Full Disclosure’ Targets More Than 60 National Advertisers

After reviewing numerous national television and print advertisements, staff of the Federal Trade Commission has sent warning letters to more than 60 companies – including 20 of the 100 largest advertisers in the country – that failed to make adequate disclosures in their television and print ads. The initiative – Operation Full Disclosure – is […]

FTC Stops Abusive Debt Collection Operation That Threatened Consumers with Legal Action and Arrest for Not Paying ‘Phantom’ Debts

The Federal Trade Commission has halted the abusive debt collection practices of an operation that used fictitious names and threatened consumers into paying debts they may not have owed. Under settlements with the FTC and a default judgment by the court, Pinnacle Payment Services, LLC and its principals have been barred from debt collection activities […]

Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Announce Agenda for “Debt Collection & the Latino Community” Roundtable

The Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have announced the agenda for the roundtable the agencies will co-host in Long Beach, California, on October 23, 2014. The event, titled “Debt Collection & the Latino Community,” will examine how debt collection and credit reporting issues affect Latino consumers, especially those who have limited […]