Get energy-smart this Earth Day with the Federal Trade Commission’s new publication, EnergyGuidance: Appliance Shopping With the EnergyGuide Label. The publication explains how consumers shopping for appliances can use the yellow EnergyGuide labels – recently revised so they are easier to use – to help them compare the energy use of different models. It even […]
Tag Archives: Consumer Protection
FTC Approves Filing of Staff Comment to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Regarding Proposed Rule to Restrict Certain Mortgage Practices Under TILA
The Federal Trade Commission has approved the filing of a staff comment to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System regarding the Federal Reserve Board’s proposed rule to restrict certain mortgage practices under the Truth in Lending Act and the Home Ownership Equity Protection Act. In the comment, the FTC staff supports the […]
Appeals Court Affirms Order Requiring Seasilver Defendants to Pay Almost $120 Million in Diet Supplement Case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has upheld a district court ruling requiring marketers of Seasilver, an alleged phony cure-all, to pay almost $120 million for failing to comply with an earlier order requiring them to pay $3 million in consumer redress. The decision, issued on April 10, 2008, affirmed a district […]
Business Opportunity Marketers Settle with FTC; Tempted Consumers with Sweet-Sounding Claims for Candy Machine Venture
Lifestyle Vending, Inc., and its owners, Michael Eisenberg and Maryann McCulloh, have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they misled consumers into paying thousands of dollars for a vending machine business venture without substantiating their claims about its earning potential. This case was brought as part of Project Fal$e Hope$, an FTC-led effort […]
Federal Court Prohibits Three Defendants from Cramming Unauthorized Charges on Consumers Telephone Bills
Three individuals have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges for their role in a massive scam that billed more than $34 million in unauthorized collect call charges to millions of consumers throughout the country. Yaret Garcia, Erika Riaboukha, and Qaadir Kaid led three companies, collectively known as Nationwide, which billed consumers for nonexistent collect […]
Defendant Settles with FTC in Cross-Border Telemarketing Fraud Case
Charles P. Farrugia, a defendant in a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit against a fraudulent telemarketing scheme based in Canada, has agreed to settle FTC charges for his role in allegedly scamming American businesses into paying for business directories and listings they didn’t order. In May 2006, the FTC charged Datacom Marketing, Inc. (Ontario Corporation No. […]
FTC Approves Federal Register Notice Reopening Public Comment Period on Petition Related to Textile Rules
Commission approval of Federal Register notice: The Commission has approved the publication of a Federal Register notice reopening the public comment period on a petition submitted to the FTC pursuant to the Textile Rules and Regulations Under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act (Textile Rules). The petition was submitted by Mohawk Industries, Inc., E. I. […]
New FTC Videos Help Consumers Spot Phishing Scams
The Federal Trade Commission has released three 60-second videos to help alert consumers to phishing scams. Phishing uses deceptive spam to trick consumers into divulging sensitive or personal information, including credit card numbers and other financial data, through an email or a link to a “copycat” site. The goal of the videos is to offer […]
FTC, Better Business Bureau to Sponsor Advertising Event in Minneapolis
A one-day “back-to-basics” workshop on complying with truth-in-advertising laws is being presented in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Thursday, April 24, 2008, by the Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota. Green Lights & Red Flags: Rules of the Road for Advertisers and Businesses features a roster of national experts discussing the […]