Effective July 1, the Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection is moving administratively to the Office of the Georgia Attorney General. At that point and thereafter, the office will be known as the Consumer Protection Unit (CPU) of the Law Department. According to its announcement concerning this move, the unit will continue to perform essentially
Virginia Governor Vetoes Outside Counsel Transparency Bill
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe recently vetoed a bill that would have required public posting of most state contracts with private lawyers. The bill’s sponsor, Mark Obsenshain (R-Harrisonburg), wrote that “the legislation would have enhanced transparency for the procurement of outside counsel through the Office of the Governor or the Attorney General.” Governor McAulliffe disagreed and
New York Auto Dealers Pay $14 Million to Settle “Jamming” Claims
On June 17, New York’s state attorney general announced a $14 million settlement to resolve claims of illegal “jamming” sales practices from 2010 to 2014 with Paragon Honda, Paragon Acura, and White Plains Honda, three New York City-area dealerships owned by the same individuals. The state’s press release defines jamming as “unlawfully charging consumers for
Virginia Attorney General Announces Agreement to Keep Sweet Briar Open
On June 20, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced that an agreement had been reached to keep Sweet Briar College open, ending months of litigation over the future of the College. The agreement will both provide money for the next year of operation and create a wholesale change of school leadership.
In March of this
FTC Holds Inaugural Debt Collection Dialogue
On June 15, the Federal Trade Commission and the Office of the New York State Attorney General hosted a “Debt Collection Dialogue” in Buffalo, New York. FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Jessica Rich and New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman delivered opening remarks, and officials from the New York State Department of Financial
Connecticut Attorney General Applauds General Assembly’s Passage of Data Breach Notification Legislation
On June 1, the Connecticut legislature passed a bill that would require businesses exposed to a data breach to notify victims within 90 days of the breach. The bill would also require businesses to provide victims with one year of identity-theft protection if their Social Security number is compromised. Senate Bill 949, An Act
FTD and Classmates.com Agree to Pay $11 Million to Settle Multistate AG Unfair Trade Practices Investigation
Attorneys general from twenty-two states today announced that Classmates, Inc. which runs the website classmates.com, and Florists Transworld Delivery, Inc. and FTD.com, Inc. (collectively, “FTD”) have agreed to settle allegations that the companies were involved in misleading, unfair, and deceptive trade practices. Although FTD and Classmates did not admit to wrongdoing, they agreed to pay
Ohio Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Debt Collectors
On May 19, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the filing of a lawsuit against the alleged operators of a fictitious debt collection enterprise that threatened and harassed consumers, many of whom were not actual debtors.
The Attorney General’s lawsuit, filed in Cuyahoga Common Pleas Court, names Mohan Bagga of Duluth, Georgia; Marcus Brown of
Three National Consumer Reporting Agencies and Thirty-One State Attorneys General Strike Deal
On May 20, the three national consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) – Equifax Information Services LLC, Experian Information Solutions Inc., and TransUnion LLC – inked a deal with thirty-one state attorneys general to end an investigation initiated in 2012 by the Ohio Attorney General’s office.
Under the multistate settlement, which is in the form of
FTC and State Attorneys General Charge Cancer Charities With Bilking Over $187 Million from Consumers
On May 19, the Federal Trade Commission and all fifty state attorneys general and the District of Columbia charged four cancer charities and their operators with bilking more than $187 million from consumers. The alleged fraud, detailed in a complaint filed in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, is said to