Identity Theft Tops FTC’s Consumer Complaint Categories Again in 2014

Identity theft topped the Federal Trade Commission’s national ranking of consumer complaints for the 15th consecutive year, while the agency also recorded a large increase in the number of complaints about so-called “imposter” scams, according to the FTC’s 2014 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, which was released today. Imposter scams – in which con artists […]

FTC Stops Automobile Shipment Broker from Misrepresenting Online Reviews

AmeriFreight, an automobile shipment broker based in Peachtree City, Georgia, has agreed to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission that will halt the company’s allegedly deceptive practice of touting online customer reviews, while failing to disclose that the reviewers were compensated with discounts and incentives. The FTC’s complaint marks the first time the agency […]

FTC, New York Attorney General Crack Down on Abusive Debt Collectors

The Federal Trade Commission, jointly with the New York State Office of the Attorney General, has filed complaints aimed at shutting down two particularly egregious and abusive debt collection operations centered in Buffalo, New York that target consumers nationwide. According to the complaints, the separate enterprises used threats and abusive language, including false threats that […]

FTC, Partners to Promote Education During 17th Annual National Consumer Protection Week March 1-7

The Federal Trade Commission and 89 partners including nonprofit groups, businesses, and federal, state and local government agencies across the country will spotlight their efforts to protect consumers by educating people about fraud during the 17th annual National Consumer Protection Week March 1-7, 2015. To highlight the week, the FTC will host a Twitter chat […]

FTC Approves Surgery Center Holdings, Inc.’s Application to Divest Assets in Central Florida to Dr. Mark W. Hollmann

Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved an application from the owners of Surgery Center Holdings, known as Surgery Partners to divest Symbion Holdings Corporation’s ownership interest in the Blue Springs Surgery Center in Orange City, Florida, to Dr. Mark W. Hollmann. The divestiture is required by the Commission’s order, which […]

Statement by FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez on U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Regarding North Carolina Dental Board Matter

Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez issued the following statement regarding today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. Federal Trade Commission:     “Today, the Supreme Court affirmed the Federal Trade Commission’s position in recognizing that a state may not give private market participants unsupervised authority to […]

FTC Sues to Stop Deceptive Debt Relief Operation

The Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint in federal district court, aiming to stop an operation that has targeted consumers with outstanding payday loans, saying they could help resolve those debts but then providing little or none of the financial relief they promised. As a result, many consumers stopped making payments to the original […]

Interagency Guidance to Encourage Financial Institution Youth Savings Programs and Address Related Frequently Asked Questions

FIL-11-2015 February 24, 2015 Interagency Guidance to Encourage Financial Institution Youth Savings Programs and Address Related Frequently Asked Questions Printable Format: FIL-11-2015 – PDF (PDF Help) Summary: The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRB), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), and the Office of the Comptroller […]

FTC Puts Conditions on Novartis AG’s Proposed Acquisition of GlaxoSmithKline’s Oncology Drugs

Global pharmaceutical company Novartis AG has agreed to divest all assets related to its BRAF and MEK inhibitor drugs, currently in development, to Boulder, Colorado-based Array BioPharma to settle charges that Novartis’s $16 billion acquisition of GlaxoSmithKline’s portfolio of cancer-treatment drugs would likely be anticompetitive. Physicians use BRAF and MEK inhibitors separately, and increasingly in […]

FTC Cracks Down on Marketers of “Melanoma Detection” Apps

The Federal Trade Commission has challenged marketers for deceptively claiming their mobile apps could detect symptoms of melanoma, even in its early stages. In two separate cases, marketers of MelApp and Mole Detective have agreed to settlements that bar them from continuing to make such unsupported claims. The agency is pursuing charges against two additional […]