Partnering with the Federal Trade Commission, the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (“ICPEN”) recently unveiled significant enhancements to its online portal – www.icpen.org – designed to help members identify and respond to consumer challenges crossing international borders.
ICPEN is a network of consumer protection agencies from over 60 countries that strives to protect consumers
The Department of Justice announced that Bruce Kevin Hawkins, 52, of Desoto, Texas, recently pled guilty in a federal court in Texas regarding his role in a foreclosure rescue scheme that ran from February 2012 to January 2013 and bilked over $240,000 from homeowners facing foreclosures. Hawkins pled guilty to one count of mail fraud
The Acting Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Maureen Ohlhausen, has issued a statement that endorses a recent proposed rulemaking by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC rulemaking, proposed on May 18, is titled “Restoring Internet Freedom” and seeks to restore a “light-touch regulatory framework” by reversing a 2015 FCC decision that
The Federal Trade Commission recently announced the creation of Operation Tech Trap, a new joint effort among national and international partners to combat tech support scams that dupe consumers into believing their computers contain harmful computer viruses and malware and then trick these consumers into paying hundreds of dollars for unnecessary repairs to “fix” their
On January 18, Lukeroy Rose, owner of Phoenix-based Rose Marketing LLC, pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement to charges of theft, unlawful telephone solicitations, and conspiracy to commit theft. Rose was arrested in December 2016 pursuant to the newly amended Arizona Telephone Solicitations statute, Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 44-1277, which makes it a Class
On January 24, attorneys general for Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Illinois, New York, and the District of Columbia filed a motion to intervene in a case between the U.S. Department of Education and the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (“ACICS”).
ACICS, which previously has come under federal scrutiny for its accreditation practices, filed the
An operator of a mortgage relief scam and an attorney agreed to court orders banning them from the debt relief business in order to resolve allegations brought by the FTC that they swindled millions of dollars from financially distressed homeowners.
According to the FTC’s Complaint, in the scheme, Damian Kutzner and four attorneys operating
Approximately a year after filing an amended complaint and three months after settling with a group of co-defendants, the Federal Trade Commission and Florida Attorney General have filed papers seeking entry of agreed permanent injunctions and monetary judgments against a second group of co-defendants involved in an alleged nationwide debt relief telemarketing scam. The
The Federal Trade Commission has begun mailing checks totaling over $830,000 to almost 3,500 consumers who fell victim to a telemarketing debt collection scheme targeting Spanish-speaking consumers for payment of bogus debts. Centro Natural Corp, Sumore LLC, and several individuals operated a telemarketing debt collection scam that used international callers who claimed to be government
A California federal judge recently refused to approve a class action settlement jointly recommended by the parties upon a finding that the proposed settlement was not fair, adequate, or reasonable for unnamed class members.
In 2012, consumers filed suit in a California federal court against homeopathic remedy manufacturer Similasan, alleging the company’s packaging and advertising