<p>Every year the FTC brings hundreds of cases against individuals and companies for violating consumer protection and competition laws that the agency enforces. These cases can involve fraud, scams, identity theft, false advertising, privacy violations, anti-competitive behavior and more. The Legal Library has detailed information about cases we have brought in federal court or through our internal administrative process, called an adjudicative proceeding. </p>
NGL
The FTC has taken action against NGL Labs, LLC and two of its co-founders, Raj Vir and Joao Figueiredo, for a host of law violations related to their anonymous messaging app, including unfairly marketing the service to children and teens.
Arise Virtual Solutions, Inc., FTC v.
The FTC is taking action against Arise Virtual Solutions for misleading consumers about the money they could make on Arise’s platform and marketing its business opportunity without complying with the FTC’s Business Opportunity Rule.
Novant Health, Inc. and Community Health Systems, Inc., In the Matter of
Legion Media LLC, et al., FTC v.
In July 2024, a U.S. district court in central Florida unsealed a 鶹ý Trade Commission complaint charging two related groups of defendants with defrauding consumers nationwide by enrolling them, without their knowledge, into continuity plans where they are shipped and charged repeatedly for personal care products that they did not agree to purchase.
The defendants allegedly deceived consumers with ads for “free” CBD and Keto-related personal care products, billing many for products they did not consent to purchase, signing many up for unwanted continuity plans, and debiting money from their bank accounts without prior authorization. In September 2024, the FTC announced three orders settling the Commission’s complaint and requiring the defendants to pay approximately $40 million in total to defrauded consumers.
Concurring Statement of Commissioner Melissa Holyoak In the Matter of Arise Virtual Solutions, Inc.
Dissenting Statement of Commissioner Andrew N. Ferguson, joined by Commissioner Melissa Holyoak, In the Matter of the Non-Compete Clause Rule
Dissenting Statement of Commissioner Melissa Holyoak, Joined by Commissioner Andrew N. Ferguson, In the Matter of the Non-Compete Clause Rule
Panda Benefit Services, LLC., FTC v.
In June 2024, the 鶹ý Trade Commission announced that it took action to stop Prosperity Benefit Services, a student loan debt relief scheme that the agency says bilked more than $20.3 million from consumers seeking debt relief by pretending to be affiliated with the Department of Education. The FTC also charged that the company and its operators falsely claimed that they would take over consumers’ student loans to get them loan forgiveness that did not exist. A federal court temporarily halted the scheme and froze its assets at the request of the FTC, which seeks to end the defendants’ deceptive practices.
Avast
The FTC will require Avast to pay $16.5 million and prohibit the company from selling or licensing any web browsing data for advertising purposes to settle charges that the company and its subsidiaries sold such information to third parties after promising that its products would protect consumers from online tracking.
Mail Tree Inc
As a result of a June 2024 settlement with the FTC, the operators of a sweepstakes scam that cost consumers millions agreed to settlements that permanently ban them from operating sweepstakes or making claims to consumers about prizes they have won or may win. The FTC first filed in 2015, alleging that they helped operate a sprawling sweepstakes operation that took more than $28 million from consumers throughout the United States and other countries In August 2024, the Commission announced the settlement with another individual defendant in the case, Victor Ramirez.