Operators of Bitcoin Mining Operation Butterfly Labs Agree to Settle FTC Charges They Deceived Consumers

Butterfly Labs and two of its operators have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they deceived thousands of consumers about the availability, profitability, and newness of machines designed to mine the virtual currency known as Bitcoin, and that they unfairly kept consumers’ up-front payments despite failing to deliver the machines as promised. Under […]

Data Broker Defendants Settle FTC Charges They Sold Sensitive Personal Information to Scammers

A group of defendants have settled Federal Trade Commission charges that they knowingly provided scammers with hundreds of thousands of consumers’ sensitive personal information – including Social Security and bank account numbers. The proposed federal court orders prohibit John Ayers, LeapLab and Leads Company from selling or transferring sensitive personal information about consumers to third […]

Federal Antitrust Agencies Submit Joint Statement Encouraging Massachusetts to Consider Expanding Treatment Options for Glaucoma Patients

In response to a request by Massachusetts State Representative Bradley H. Jones, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division have submitted a statement encouraging the Massachusetts legislature to consider expanding the services that optometrists can provide to glaucoma patients. Specifically, Representative Jones asked the agencies for views on the possible competitive […]

FTC Amicus Brief Urges Appeals Court to Correct District Court Holding that Proving Injury-in-Fact Is Necessary to Establish an Antitrust Violation

The Federal Trade Commission filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit urging the court to correct the district court’s holding that a plaintiff must prove an injury-in-fact in order to establish an antitrust violation. The amicus brief, which was filed in the case of Nexium (Esomeprazole) Antitrust Litigation, […]

FTC Reports on 2015 Activities to Combat Illegal Debt Collection Practices

During the past year, the Federal Trade Commission has continued its efforts to stop unlawful debt collection practices, including vigorous law enforcement, education and public outreach, and research and policy initiatives. The FTC sent a summary of its 2015 work on debt collection practices to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for inclusion in the […]

FTC Returns Money to Consumers Harmed in Payday Loan Ploy

The Federal Trade Commission is mailing checks to consumers who lost money to a scam that promised to help consumers get payday loans, then debited their bank accounts instead, in increments of $30, without their authorization. In July 2014 at the FTC’s request, a federal court halted the operation run by Sean C. Mulrooney, Odafe […]

FTC Staff: West Virginia Should Consider the Competitive Impact of Legislation Affecting Advanced Practice Registered Nurses

Federal Trade Commission staff submitted written comments on the competitive impact of a legislative proposal to modify the supervision requirements imposed on Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in West Virginia, permitting some APRNs, under limited conditions, to write prescriptions without a formal agreement with a particular supervising physician. The Bill would also place the regulation […]

Tech Support Operators Settle FTC, State of Florida Charges They Misled Consumers

The Federal Trade Commission and the State of Florida have obtained settlements with a group of defendants who participated in a tech support scheme that allegedly defrauded thousands of consumers out of millions of dollars. The defendants who have agreed to settle the action against them are Amit Mehta; Boost Software Inc.; Success Capital, LLC […]

Payment Processor Involved in The Tax Club Telemarketing Scheme Settles FTC Charges

Capital Payments LLC, an Independent Sales Organization (ISO), has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it enabled a telemarketing scheme called The Tax Club to use merchant accounts to process consumers’ credit card payments. The Tax Club allegedly bilked consumers who were trying to start a home-based business. As alleged in the FTC’s […]

FTC Files Federal Court Actions Against Two Office Supply Schemes That Targeted Nonprofits and Small Businesses

The Federal Trade Commission has charged two separate office supply operations with targeting non-profit organizations and small businesses, such as child care centers, educational institutions, churches, and hospitals, and tricking them into paying for overpriced office and cleaning supplies they never ordered. At the FTC’s request, federal courts in California and Maryland have temporarily halted […]