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Globe-trotting swindlers may try to evade law enforcement agencies intent on bringing them to justice. But they’re not factoring in the tenacity of public servants like Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Kopita of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. Ms. Kopita’s work in prosecuting criminals who ripped off more than 1,300 small businesses, medical providers, and schools by illegally billing them for bogus...

The FTC has been fighting COVID-related deception on multiple fronts. We’ve challenged bogus claims for “treatments.” We’ve taken action against companies that targeted cash-strapped small businesses. And we’ve sued defendants that failed to honor shipment promises for personal protective equipment. In separate actions, federal courts have entered judgments against California-based QYK Brands LLC d/b/a Glowyy and Louisiana-based American...

As the old adage goes, the three rules of real estate are “location, location, location.” But according to the FTC, online real estate company Opendoor Labs pitched its services to home sellers with “misrepresentation, misrepresentation, misrepresentation.” A proposed settlement imposes a $62 million financial judgment and requires the company to change its business practices. Arizona-based Opendoor advertised its iBuyer service to people looking...

We’ll lay our cards on the table: Protecting small businesses from deceptive and unfair practices is a key priority for the FTC. That includes taking action when payment processing companies that offer small business owners access to the credit and debit card system allegedly use illegal tactics to pitch their services. According to the FTC, Texas-based First American Payment Systems made misleading statements about fees and cost savings, used...

To paraphrase that famous question of acoustics and philosophy, if research falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it still make a sound? The FTC needs to hear from you by Friday, July 29, 2022, if you have research about consumer privacy or data security that you would like considered for the agency’s seventh annual PrivacyCon. Bringing together academics, industry representatives, consumer advocates, and government regulators, PrivacyCon...

Take a closer look at some of the companies that publicly proclaim to “Support Our Troops” and you may find illegal conduct suggesting that a more accurate slogan for them could be “Thwart Our Troops.” The FTC and 18 states just announced a settlement with Harris Jewelry, a national retailer alleged to have targeted military families with a host of deceptive and unfair practices, including violations of the Military Lending Act. Among other...

Among the most sensitive categories of data collected by connected devices are a person’s precise location and information about their health. Smartphones, connected cars, wearable fitness trackers, “smart home” products, and even the browser you’re reading this on are capable of directly observing or deriving sensitive information about users. Standing alone, these data points may pose an incalculable risk to personal privacy. Now consider the...

Kaput. Kerflooey. On the fritz. Regardless of what you call it, when products break down, consumers have a choice. They can go back to the dealer. They can visit a local fix-it shop. Or they can try some DIY. But when companies place illegal restrictions on how and where people can get their stuff repaired, consumers see red – and they aren’t alone in that concern. The FTC has announced proposed settlements with grill maker Weber-Stephen Products...

Millions of Americans look to Walmart as their go-to place to pick up essentials. According to a complaint filed by the FTC, among the people who have come to rely on Walmart for their day-to-day needs are fraudsters who have allegedly used the retail giant’s money transfer services to bilk consumers out of millions of dollars. The FTC lawsuit charges that Walmart’s practice of looking the other way in the face of massive fraud and illegal...

You’d like to think you can count on your bae to treat you right, but not if you’re doing business with an outfit called Grant Bae. According to the FTC and the State of Florida, Grant Bae and its owner Treashonna P. Graham induce minority-owned small businesses to pay for grant writing and business consulting services with the false promise of “guaranteed” grants of between $25,000 and $250,000 – depending on how much people pay the defendants...