Consumer protection

FTC Action Leads to Industry Ban for Ringleader of Student Loan Debt Relief Scam

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Consumer protection, Education, District court, Social media, Blog, News, Student, Commission, Court, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Insurance

The ringleader of a student loan debt relief scam will be permanently banned from the debt relief industry and is required to turn over assets as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.

Key Points: 
  • The ringleader of a student loan debt relief scam will be permanently banned from the debt relief industry and is required to turn over assets as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.
  • The settlement with Marco Manzi resolves FTC charges involving the student loan debt relief scheme.
  • The FTC said that Apex operators pocketed approximately $8.8 million in junk fees by luring students with false promises of loan forgiveness.
  • The FTC has resources on how to avoid student loan debt relief scams at ftc.gov/StudentLoans.

Proposed FTC Order will Prohibit Telehealth Firm Cerebral from Using or Disclosing Sensitive Data for Advertising Purposes, and Require it to Pay $7 Million

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Online, Diagnosis, Consumer protection, Betrayal, Name, District court, Patient, Internet, Mental health, Social media, Blog, News, DOJ, Commission, ROSCA, Complaint, IP, Justice, Pharmacy, File, Language, Privacy, Marketing, Advertising, Federal Trade Commission, FTC

The order must be approved by the court before it can go into effect.

Key Points: 
  • The order must be approved by the court before it can go into effect.
  • “As the Commission’s complaint lays out, Cerebral violated its customers’ privacy by revealing their most sensitive mental health conditions across the Internet and in the mail,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan.
  • “To address this betrayal, the Commission is ordering a first-of-its-kind prohibition that bans Cerebral from using any health information for most advertising purposes."
  • Cerebral provides online mental health and related services on a negative option basis, which means consumers are automatically charged unless they cancel those services.
  • Despite promising that consumers could “cancel anytime,” Cerebral required its clients to navigate a complex, multi-step, and often multi-day process to cancel.
  • The complaint alleges that the company continued to charge consumers while it slow-walked consumers’ cancellation requests, which cost consumers millions in additional charges.
  • The proposed order, which must be approved by a federal court before it can go into effect, only applies to Cerebral.
  • The Commission voted 3-0 to refer the complaint against Cerebral and Robertson and a stipulated final order with Cerebral to the Department of Justice for filing.
  • The DOJ filed the complaint and stipulated order in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

FTC Action Leads to Industry Ban for Ringleader of Student Loan Debt Relief Scam

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Consumer protection, Education, District court, Social media, Blog, News, Student, Commission, Court, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Insurance

The ringleader of a student loan debt relief scam will be permanently banned from the debt relief industry and is required to turn over assets as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.

Key Points: 
  • The ringleader of a student loan debt relief scam will be permanently banned from the debt relief industry and is required to turn over assets as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.
  • The settlement with Marco Manzi resolves FTC charges involving the student loan debt relief scheme.
  • The FTC said that Apex operators pocketed approximately $8.8 million in junk fees by luring students with false promises of loan forgiveness.
  • The FTC has resources on how to avoid student loan debt relief scams at ftc.gov/StudentLoans.

FTC Issues Report to Congress on Collaboration with State Attorneys General

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 12, 2024
Sentinel, Consumer protection, Congress, Commissioner, Communication, AGS, Bureau, Social media, Blog, News, Commission, Fraud, Best practice, RFI, State, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Cryptocurrency

The Federal Trade Commission today issued a report to Congress detailing the FTC’s law enforcement cooperation with state attorneys general (AGs) nationwide and presenting best practices to ensure continued effective collaboration.

Key Points: 
  • The Federal Trade Commission today issued a report to Congress detailing the FTC’s law enforcement cooperation with state attorneys general (AGs) nationwide and presenting best practices to ensure continued effective collaboration.
  • The report, directed by the FTC Collaboration Act of 2021, “Working Together to Protect Consumers: A Study and Recommendations on FTC Collaboration with the State Attorneys General” makes legislative recommendations that would enhance these efforts, including reinstating the Commission’s authority to seek money for defrauded consumers and providing it with the independent authority to seek civil penalties.
  • The report is divided into three sections: 1) The FTC’s Existing Collaborative Efforts with State Attorneys General to Prevent, Publicize, and Penalize Frauds and Scams; 2) Recommended Best Practices to Enhance Collaboration; and 3) Legislative Recommendations to Enhance Collaboration Efforts.
  • Follow the FTC on social media, read consumer alerts and the business blog, and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts.

FTC Issues Report to Congress on Collaboration with State Attorneys General

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 12, 2024
Sentinel, Consumer protection, Congress, Commissioner, Communication, AGS, Bureau, Social media, Blog, News, Commission, Fraud, Best practice, RFI, State, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Cryptocurrency

The Federal Trade Commission today issued a report to Congress detailing the FTC’s law enforcement cooperation with state attorneys general (AGs) nationwide and presenting best practices to ensure continued effective collaboration.

Key Points: 
  • The Federal Trade Commission today issued a report to Congress detailing the FTC’s law enforcement cooperation with state attorneys general (AGs) nationwide and presenting best practices to ensure continued effective collaboration.
  • The report, directed by the FTC Collaboration Act of 2021, “Working Together to Protect Consumers: A Study and Recommendations on FTC Collaboration with the State Attorneys General” makes legislative recommendations that would enhance these efforts, including reinstating the Commission’s authority to seek money for defrauded consumers and providing it with the independent authority to seek civil penalties.
  • The report is divided into three sections: 1) The FTC’s Existing Collaborative Efforts with State Attorneys General to Prevent, Publicize, and Penalize Frauds and Scams; 2) Recommended Best Practices to Enhance Collaboration; and 3) Legislative Recommendations to Enhance Collaboration Efforts.
  • Follow the FTC on social media, read consumer alerts and the business blog, and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts.

Alcohol Addiction Treatment Firm will be Banned from Disclosing Health Data for Advertising to Settle FTC Charges that It Shared Data Without Consent

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 12, 2024
GoodRx, Consumer protection, Accountability Act, District court, Meta, Social media, Blog, News, Disclosure, DOJ, Commission, HIPAA, Complaint, Data collection, Advertising, IP, Justice, BetterHelp, API, File, Monument, Privacy, Government, Physician, IDS, Federal Trade Commission, FTC

The Federal Trade Commission has taken action against an alcohol addiction treatment service for allegedly disclosing users’ personal health data to third-party advertising platforms, including Meta and Google, for advertising without consumer consent, after promising to keep such information confidential.

Key Points: 
  • The Federal Trade Commission has taken action against an alcohol addiction treatment service for allegedly disclosing users’ personal health data to third-party advertising platforms, including Meta and Google, for advertising without consumer consent, after promising to keep such information confidential.
  • As part of a proposed order settling the FTC allegations, New York-based Monument, Inc. will be banned from disclosing health information for advertising and must obtain users’ affirmative consent before sharing health information with third parties for any other purpose.
  • “This action continues the FTC’s work to ensure strict limits on how firms handle sensitive health data, rather than putting the onus on consumers to protect themselves,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
  • Monument used these pixels and APIs to track “standard” and “custom events,” meaning instances in which consumers interacted with Monument’s website.
  • If the company is found to have misrepresented its finances, it will be required to pay the full amount.
  • The Commission voted 3-0 to refer the complaint and stipulated final order to the Department of Justice for filing.
  • The DOJ filed the complaint and stipulated order in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

SEC Seeks Candidates for Investor Advisory Committee

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Disclosure, Commission, Committee, Consumer protection, Letter, Security (finance)

Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - March 26, 2024) - The Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking five candidates for appointment to the Investor Advisory Committee to help protect investors and improve securities regulations.

Key Points: 
  • Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - March 26, 2024) - The Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking five candidates for appointment to the Investor Advisory Committee to help protect investors and improve securities regulations.
  • The Committee was established under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to advise the Commission, protect investor interests and promote the integrity of the securities marketplace.
  • "The Investor Advisory Committee and its diverse and talented members are key to ensuring a wide array of investor perspectives are represented in SEC policymaking," said SEC Chairman Gary Gensler.
  • "I look forward to working with the members of the Investor Advisory Committee to continue to uphold the SEC’s mission of providing transparent and fair markets for all investors."