A Texas-based distributor of pulley block systems will stop making misleading unqualified claims that its products are made in the United States, under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. In its complaint against Block Division, Inc., the FTC alleges that the company deceived consumers with false, misleading, and unsupported claims that its pulley blocks […]
Monthly Archives: March 2017
FTC to host FinTech Forum on March 9 on Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Technology
The Federal Trade Commission will host its third FinTech forum on Thursday, March 9 in Berkeley, California, focusing on artificial intelligence and blockchain. The event is free and open to the public. It will be webcast live at https://www.youtube.com/citris/live. More details can be found on the event’s web page. WHAT: FinTech Forum on Artificial Intelligence […]
FTC Reaches Settlement With Nationwide Debt Relief Provider
A debt relief company and its principals who allegedly misled consumers and charged illegal advance fees will be banned from those practices under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. According to the FTC’s complaint, United Debt Counselors LLC exaggerated how much money people would save using its services. The company’s direct mail ads, which […]
Statement from Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition Acting Director on District Court Ruling to Enjoin Advocate/NorthShore Hospital Merger
“The FTC is delighted with today’s district court ruling, which enjoined this merger, and the parties’ subsequent decision to abandon the transaction,” said Tad Lipsky, Acting Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition. “Advocate and NorthShore’s merger would likely have reduced the quality, and increased the cost, of health care for residents of […]
FTC Offers Tips for Businesses Impersonated as part of a Phishing Scam
Think consumers are the only ones harmed by phishing scams? It’s not just a problem for computer users but also for the businesses that the scammers are impersonating. And people who have been scammed may look to the business that was impersonated for help. The Federal Trade Commission has long provided advice to consumers about […]
FTC Approves Final Order Settling Charges that Puerto Rico Ophthalmologist Group Agreed to an Illegal Boycott of Health Plan
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges that OFTACOOP, a Puerto Rican ophthalmologist cooperative, unlawfully orchestrated an agreement among competing ophthalmologists to refuse to deal with a health plan, MCS Advantage, Inc., and its network administrator, Eye Management of Puerto Rico, LLC. First announced in January […]
Online Businesses Could Do More to Protect their Reputations and Prevent Consumers from Phishing Schemes
In a study released today, the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Technology Research and Investigation (OTech) reports that most major online businesses are using proper email authentication technology to prevent phishing emails, but few of these businesses are taking full advantage of the latest technologies to combat phishing. Phishing is a type of online scam […]
FTC Releases Annual Summary of Consumer Complaints
Imposter scam complaints surpassed identity theft for the first time as the second most common category of consumer complaints received by the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network in 2016, according to the agency’s new Data Book. Although debt collection complaints declined slightly between 2015 and 2016, they remained the top consumer complaint category, comprising […]
Banker Webinar on Revisions to the Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income (Call Report)
FIL-11-2017 March 3, 2017 Banker Webinar on Revisions to the Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income (Call Report) Summary: The federal banking agencies will conduct a webinar for bankers on March 8, 2017, to discuss the new FFIEC 051 Call Report for eligible small institutions and changes to the existing FFIEC 031 and FFIEC […]
Joint Statement of Acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on Protecting Americans’ Online Privacy
Acting Federal Trade Commission Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement today on the FCC’s issuance of a temporary stay of a data security regulation: “The Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission are committed to protecting the online privacy of American consumers. We believe that […]