Two debt brokers have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they exposed highly sensitive information about tens of thousands of consumers while trying to sell portfolios of consumer debt on a public website. The agreements with the FTC require the defendants to abide by strict new requirements to protect consumers’ sensitive information. In […]
Monthly Archives: April 2015
Court Temporarily Halts Company From Offering Mortgage Relief Services
Continuing to crack down on phony mortgage relief programs, a federal court has temporarily halted Los Angeles-based Wealth Educators, Inc. and its president from offering mortgage relief services at the Federal Trade Commission’s request. The agency charged the defendants with failing to provide the help they promised homeowners, while charging a hefty up-front fee. The […]
FTC, Illinois Attorney General Halt Chicago Area Operation Charged With Illegally Pressuring Consumers to Pay ‘Phantom’ Debts
The Federal Trade Commission and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office have obtained a court order temporarily halting a fake debt collection scam located in Aurora, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. The defendants are charged with illegally using threats and intimidation tactics to coerce consumers to pay payday loan debts they either did not owe, […]
FTC Approves Final Order Barring Company from Making Unsubstantiated Claims Related to Products’ “Brain Training” Capabilities
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final consent order barring Focus Education, the company that sold the Jungle Rangers “brain training” game, from making unsupported claims regarding Jungle Rangers’ ability to permanently improve children’s cognitive abilities, school performance, and behavior, including for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). […]
FTC Staff Offers Guidance on Promoting Competition in Health Information Technology Interoperability to Enhance Health Care Delivery
Federal Trade Commission staff submitted comments to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), offering guidance on promoting competition, and the privacy and security of consumer data, in ONC’s plan to increase the adoption of interoperable health information technology (health IT) systems by 2024. The comment, submitted by staff of the […]
FTC Approves Final Order Preserving Competition in Market for BRAF- and MEK-Inhibitor Oncology Drugs
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges that Novartis AG’s $16 billion acquisition of GlaxoSmithKline’s portfolio of cancer-treatment drugs likely would be anticompetitive. Under the order, first announced in February 2015, Novartis has agreed to divest all assets related to its BRAF- and MEK-inhibitor drugs, currently […]
FTC Settles with Two Companies Falsely Claiming to Comply with International Safe Harbor Privacy Framework
Two U.S. businesses have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges they falsely claimed they were abiding by an international privacy framework known as the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor, which enables U.S. companies to transfer consumer data from the European Union to the United States in compliance with EU law. FTC complaints against TES Franchising, LLC, and […]
FTC Obtains Settlement From Network Solutions LLC for Misleading Consumers About Refunds
Network Solutions LLC has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it misled consumers who bought its web hosting services by promising a full refund if they canceled within 30 days. In reality, the company withheld substantial cancellation fees from most refunds. In an administrative complaint, the FTC alleged that Network Solutions, a domain […]
Federal Court Rules Affiliate Marketing Network and its Parent Company Must Turn Over $11.9 Million They Received From Deceptive Marketing Scheme
(CORRECTED) A U.S. district court has ruled that LeadClick Media, an affiliate marketing network, and its parent company, CoreLogic, Inc., must turn over $11.9 million in ill-gotten gains they received from a deceptive marketing scheme that sold purported weight-loss products. In granting the FTC’s request for summary judgment, the court ruled that LeadClick was responsible […]
Regulatory Capital Rules: Frequently Asked Questions
FIL-16-2015 April 6, 2015 Regulatory Capital Rules: Frequently Asked Questions Printable Format: FIL-16-2015 – PDF (PDF Help) Summary: The FDIC has issued the attached frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to the revised regulatory capital rules. The FAQs are based on questions received from the banking industry, many of which came from community banks. The release […]