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
Memorandum of Understanding Signals Continued US-Canada Cooperation
The Federal Trade Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (“RCMP”) to strengthen cooperation regarding cross-border fraud matters. Acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen signed the MOU on behalf of the United States, and Commissioner Bob Paulson signed on behalf of the RCMP and Canada.
The MOU concerns
FTC Releases Annual Summary of Consumer Complaints
The Federal Trade Commission has released its annual summary of consumer complaints for 2016, contained in the FTC’s latest Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book. The FTC compiles the report annually based on complaints received by the Consumer Sentinel Network. Complaints include those made directly by consumers to the FTC, as well as complaints received
FTC and NJ AG Announce Settlement with Vizio over Collecting Consumer Viewing Habits
On February 6, the FTC and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General announced a $2.2 million settlement with Vizio, Inc. over allegations the TV manufacturer installed software on its TVs to collect viewing data on 11 million consumers without their knowledge or consent.
According to the complaint, Vizio manufactured smart
First Defendant Prosecuted Under New Arizona Telemarketing Law Pleads Guilty
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
FTC’s Latest Message to IoT Industry Comes as Complaint Against D-Link Alleging UDAP Violation Related to Security Vulnerabilities
On January 5, the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against D-Link Corporation, a Taiwanese corporation, and D-Link Systems, Inc., a California corporation and a subsidiary of D-Link Corporation. D-Link sells Internet of Things (“IoT”) devices and software to support such devices. Specifically, D-Link sells routers which transfer data packets along a network and which
Lead Generator Defendants Charged by FTC Will Pay $10 Million to Consumers
On December 19, 2016, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida entered a Stipulated Order for Permanent Injunction and Monetary Judgment to resolve all matters in dispute in the case of Federal Trade Commission and State of Florida v. Inbound Call Experts, LLC et al. after the parties reached a
Federal Court Grants Temporary Injunction to FTC Over Credit Bureau Center’s Allegedly Fraudulent Practices
On January 10, the FTC filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Credit Bureau Center LLC and three individuals for allegedly luring consumers into signing up for credit monitoring services using fake rental property ads and offers of free credit reports.
The complaint alleged that all the
FTC Holds Second Annual PrivacyCon
On January 12, the FTC held its second annual PrivacyCon conference in Washington. The day-long event featured presentations and exhibits by a number of scholars and privacy experts offering their research on consumer privacy and security in the digital age.
Chairwoman Edith Ramirez opened PrivacyCon by noting the myriad ways that consumer data is collected,
Attorney and Mortgage Relief Scam Operator Banned from Debt Relief Business
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