At the Federal Trade Commission’s request, a federal court halted a sham operation that allegedly told financially distressed homeowners it would help get their mortgages modified, but instead effectively stole their mortgage payments, leading some to foreclosure and bankruptcy. The FTC seeks to permanently stop the scheme and its participants’ illegal practices. It also filed […]
Monthly Archives: April 2015
Minimum Requirements for Appraisal Management Companies
FIL-19-2015 April 30, 2015 (Revised August 2015) Minimum Requirements for Appraisal Management Companies Printable Format: FIL-19-2015 – PDF (PDF Help) Summary: The agencies1 issued a final rule to implement the minimum requirements in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act for the registration and supervision of appraisal management companies (AMCs). An AMC is […]
FTC Approves Final Order Preserving Competition in Generic Drug Market for Treating Dry Mouth and Biliary Cirrhosis
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges that Impax Laboratories Inc.’s acquisition of CorePharma, LLC would likely be anticompetitive. Under the order, first announced in March 2015, the pharmaceutical companies have agreed to divest CorePharma’s rights and assets to generic pilocarpine tablets, which are used to […]
FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez to Participate in International Competition Network Conference in Sydney, Australia
Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez and Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division will participate in the 14th annual International Competition Network (ICN) conference in Sydney, Australia from April 28-May 1, 2015. At the conference, antitrust officials and private sector antitrust experts from around the world and representatives of intergovernmental […]
FTC Staff Expresses Concern that New York’s Certificate of Public Advantage Regulations Can Harm Competition
In a letter to the New York State Department of Health, Federal Trade Commission staff expressed concern that the New York State’s Certificate of Public Advantage regulations – which purport to provide antitrust immunity to certain approved health care collaboratives – are unnecessary because antitrust law already permits health care collaborations that benefit consumers. “We […]
Retail Tracking Firm Settles FTC Charges it Misled Consumers About Opt Out Choices
Nomi Technologies, a company whose technology allows retailers to track consumers’ movements through their stores, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it misled consumers with promises that it would provide an in-store mechanism for consumers to opt out of tracking and that consumers would be informed when locations were using Nomi’s tracking […]
Court Bars Brooklyn Company from Using Threats and Intimidation to Coerce Elderly Consumers into Paying for Unwanted Medical Alert Devices
At the Federal Trade Commission’s request, a U.S. district court has prohibited Jason Abraham, a repeat offender, and his company, Brooklyn-based Instant Response Systems (IRS) from calling elderly consumers and bullying and tricking them into paying for unordered medical alert devices. The court also imposed a $3.4 million judgment against the defendants for their misconduct, […]
FTC and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to Host Dialogue with Debt Collection Industry in Buffalo, NY
The Federal Trade Commission and the Office of the New York Attorney General will host an event on June 15, 2015, in Buffalo, New York, to discuss consumer protection issues with the debt collection industry. This will be the first of several “Debt Collection Dialogues” the FTC will hold around the country. Representatives from the […]
FTC Staff: Missouri Should Consider Changing Physician Supervision Requirements for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
Federal Trade Commission staff submitted written comments regarding the competitive impact of a legislative proposal to modify the collaborative practice arrangements that are imposed on Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in the state and that limit the services they can provide. The comments are in response to a request from Missouri State Representative Jeanne Kirkton. […]
National Mortgage Servicing Company Will Pay $63 Million to Settle FTC, CFPB Charges
A national mortgage servicing company will pay $63 million to resolve Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau charges that it harmed homeowners with illegal loan servicing and debt collection practices. The FTC and CFPB allege that Green Tree Servicing LLC made illegal and abusive debt collection calls to consumers, misrepresented the amounts people […]