Markets Wired

The FTC will be mailing refund checks totaling more than $2 million to people who lost money to a Utah-based business coaching scheme that operated under the names Coaching Department and Apply Knowledge, among others.

The refunds are the result of the FTC’s settlement with the scheme’s ringleaders and the companies through which the scheme operated. According to the FTC, the defendants conned millions of dollars from consumers by falsely telling them they could earn thousands of dollars a month by purchasing their business coaching services and establishing an Internet businesses. According to the FTC, consumers who bought into the scheme lost thousands—sometimes tens of thousands—of dollars each, most of it by racking up huge credit card debt at the defendants’ urging.

As part of the settlement, the FTC will be sending 12,479 checks averaging $169 to victims of the alleged scheme. The checks will expire after 60 days, as indicated on the check. The FTC urges people to cash them before they expire. The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund check.

Consumers who have questions about the refunds should contact the refund administrator, Analytics, at 1-844-982-1005. To learn more about the FTC’s refund programs, visit www.ftc.gov/refunds.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blogs, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.