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An administrator working for the Federal Trade Commission is mailing checks to 360 consumers who were victims of Innovative Systems Technology doing business as Briggs & Baker, an operation that claimed it could “drastically” reduce consumers’ debt by negotiating directly with creditors. The FTC charged that Briggs & Baker’s ads were false and misleading and that as a result of purchasing its debt negotiation services, consumers’ credit ratings suffered, their total debt increased, and that some consumers even became the target of legal action.

The FTC is sending refund checks for $104.09 to Briggs & Baker customers.

These consumer refund checks can be cashed directly by the recipients of the checks. The FTC never requires the payment of money up-front, or the provision of additional information, before consumers cash refund checks issued to them.

Consumers who have questions or believe they were victims of Briggs & Baker, but who did not receive a refund check from the FTC may contact the fund administrator at 1-866-535-1622.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,800 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

(Briggs&Baker)