Court Orders Judgment of Nearly $515,000 Against Mortgage Relief Pitchman

A federal district court in Southern California has ordered a judgment of nearly $515,000 against Mark Nagy Atalla, a defendant in a 2013 Federal Trade Commission action targeting deceptive mortgage and debt relief pitches. The court imposed the judgment after finding Atalla had hid assets and misrepresented his financial condition to the agency. The judgment […]

At FTC’s Request, Court Shuts Down New York-Based Tech Support Scam Business

(CORRECTED) At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a federal court has shut down a company that scammed computer users by tricking them into paying hundreds of dollars for technical support services they did not need, as well as software that was otherwise available for free. According to the FTC’s complaint and other court […]

FTC Staff Advises New York State Public Service Commission To Increase Competition in Proposal to Transform Electric Distribution System

The Federal Trade Commission staff submitted a reply comment in response to certain comments filed with the New York State Public Service Commission (NY PSC) regarding the NY PSC staff’s proposal to transform the function of the electric distribution system that serves residential, commercial, and industrial electricity customers in New York. The comment, submitted by […]

FTC Publishes Agenda for Every Community Fraud Workshop

How fraud affects different populations and what scams prey on specific groups will be the topic of the Federal Trade Commission’s “Fraud Affects Every Community” workshop on Oct. 29th in Washington. Chairwoman Edith Ramirez will deliver opening remarks. A complete agenda of presenters and speakers is now available, and includes consumer advocates, regulators, fraud prevention […]

FTC Takes Action to Stop Phantom Debt Scam That Targeted Spanish-Speaking Consumers Nationwide

At the Federal Trade Commission’s request, a U.S. district court in Miami has temporarily shut down a fraudulent phantom debt collection operation that deceived and abused thousands of Spanish-speaking consumers across the country in an attempt to collect money they did not even owe. According to the FTC, the defendants behind Centro Natural Corp. and […]

Defendants in Massive Spam Text Message, Robocalling and Mobile Cramming Scheme to Pay $10 Million to Settle FTC Charges

A series of defendants will pay approximately $10 million to the Federal Trade Commission to settle charges that they operated a massive scam that sent unwanted text messages to millions of consumers, many of whom later received illegal robocalls, phony “free” merchandise offers, and unauthorized charges crammed on their mobile phone bills. The settlement marks […]

Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to Host Roundtable on “Debt Collection & the Latino Community” Tomorrow

The Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will co-host a joint roundtable tomorrow in Long Beach, California, titled “Debt Collection & the Latino Community.” Participants will examine how debt collection and credit reporting issues affect Latino consumers, especially those with limited English proficiency (LEP). The roundtable will bring together consumer advocates, industry […]

More than 20 Current and Former FTC Officials Will Participate in Agency’s 100th Anniversary Symposium on Nov. 7

More than 20 current and former Federal Trade Commission officials will take part in a public symposium on Nov. 7, 2014 to celebrate the FTC’s 100th anniversary in Washington, D.C. The symposium will feature panel discussions examining the Commission’s history of protecting consumers and promoting competition, as well as the agency’s future. Among those participating […]

FTC Action Results in Court Order Requiring Work-At-Home Scammers to Pay More Than $25 Million for Consumer Refunds

A federal district judge has ordered a business opportunity company and its president to pay more than $25 million in refunds to consumers who were conned with bogus claims that they could earn substantial income working at home. In granting the FTC’s motion for summary judgment, the court found that more than 99.8 percent of […]

Federal Trade Commission Appoints Ashkan Soltani as Chief Technologist

Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez has appointed Ashkan Soltani as the agency’s Chief Technologist, succeeding Dr. Latanya Sweeney, who is returning to Harvard University, where she founded and directs Harvard’s Data Privacy Lab. Soltani will join the FTC in November and advise the Commission on evolving technology and policy issues. He is a technology […]