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Are you in the telemarketing business? Here’s what to know about Citizens Disability

BCP Staff
The FTC is committed to fighting illegal telemarketing. For proof, look no further than the recently announced settlement with Citizens Disability, LLC and its subsidiary, CD Media, LLC (collectively, “Citizens”), which sell services to assist consumers with Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) claims. According to the FTC, Citizens was responsible for tens of millions of illegal telemarketing calls that often sought to mislead consumers seeking information about their benefits.

Help your employees avoid scams during Medicare open enrollment

BCP Staff
If you run a business, you might have employees on Medicare. Or maybe you know family or friends on Medicare or employees with family or friends on Medicare. Here’s how to help everyone avoid scams during Medicare open enrollment, which starts October 15 and runs through December 7.

Small business? Know how to stop a would-be business impersonator

BCP Staff
Small businesses are the engine of the American economy. Whether you own a bakery, an accounting firm, a local repair shop, or something else, you want to protect what you’ve built. Sometimes that means protecting it from scammers who try to use your company’s good name.

FTC takes steps to stop deceptive and unfair labor market practices

BCP Staff
Deceptive and unfair labor market practices hurt American workers and honest businesses that comply with the law. Protecting workers and ensuring fair, honest, and competitive labor markets is a top priority of Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson. In February, Chairman Ferguson made clear that the FTC would stay vigilant as he announced the formation of the agency’s Labor Task Force focused on maximizing the agency’s broad-based jurisdiction and interdisciplinary expertise to confront the challenges facing American workers. In the Bureau of Consumer Protection, this mission includes continuing to fight employment-related scams, which year on year cost Americans searching for jobs hundreds of millions of dollars.

Does your business offer subscription services? Learn about the FTC’s settlement with Chegg

BCP Staff
Nowadays people can use subscription services for almost all areas of life: entertainment, food, gifts, fitness, education. These (often monthly) charges can add up, so if someone decides they want to cancel a subscription they should, well, be able to cancel it. Too often, consumers must navigate confusing and difficult cancellation processes to stop their subscriptions — which wastes time and costs them money. The FTC is committed to stopping unlawful subscription billing and cancellation practices. For a recent example, check out today’s settlement with the education technology company, Chegg.

Is that really the United States Patent and Trademark Office?

BCP Staff
You already know how important trademarks and patents are to protecting your intellectual property. But do you know how to tell the difference between the real United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and scammers pretending to be the USPTO? Here’s how the scam is playing out for businesses.

First INFORM Consumers Act enforcement case filed against online marketplace Temu

BCP Staff
Online marketplaces and third party sellers looking for a refresher on the INFORM Consumers Act should look no further than the recent settlement with Whaleco, Inc., which operates the online marketplace Temu. The complaint alleges the company failed to provide online shoppers with required information and tools. This is the first case brought to enforce the INFORM Act.

This National Preparedness Month, make a plan for your business

BCP Staff
How will your business operate if important systems are down due to a natural disaster or weather emergency? Do you have backup files of critical data? And do your communications, IT, and operations staff know what to do during an emergency?

Protecting children watching YouTube videos: Lessons learned from FTC’s settlement with Disney

BCP Staff
Are you posting videos to YouTube that are made for kids? Are you using channels designated for adults? If you’re uploading child-directed videos to adult-designated channels, you might have a COPPA problem (or two). That’s one of the key takeaways from today’s proposed settlement with Disney, filed by the Department of Justice on behalf of the FTC, in which the FTC alleges that Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. and Disney Entertainment Operations LLC failed to properly designate its YouTube videos as directed to children. The FTC charges that Disney’s practices violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and the Commission’s Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA).