Blog

Attending live performances and sporting events again is just one of the things people are looking forward to. But when that time comes, the issues raised at the FTC’s That’s the Ticket workshop will still affect consumers. The FTC just issued a Staff Perspective, highlighting key takeaways from the event. When the keynote speaker opens the day by saying, “As an economist, it’s clear that the ticket market is broken in significant ways,” you can...

FTC staff just sent letters to 45 more companies making COVID-19 prevention, treatment, or cure claims. There’s a lot to cover in this post, but it’s indicative of the breadth of questionable representations conveyed to consumers in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Musical Medicine. On Facebook and Twitter, the company has promoted a CD “of frequencies to resist the Coronavirus.” To “boost your immune system and weaken the virus,” consumers...

As companies struggle to stay afloat financially due to the economic reverberations of COVID-19, your employees are facing the same challenges at home. The FTC has something you can share with staff members in need – and it won’t cost you a thing. We’ve created a special page, Financial Impact of the Coronavirus, where we’ve compiled dollars-and-cents tips for consumers, as well as new information specifically addressing the effect of COVID-19 on...

If you’re a business owner, you may be planning to apply for a loan through the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program. These programs recently got hundreds of billions of dollars in new funding. But, while you’re focused on getting a loan, scammers may be focused on you: hoping to trick you into giving them sensitive business information, like your bank account numbers, employees’ Social Security...

It’s a case that brings together eight capital letters that are making headlines: COVID and CBD. A California marketer of a product advertised to prevent or treat COVID-19 has agreed to a preliminary order that prohibits him from making those claims. Pending the resolution of a parallel FTC administrative action, the proposed order also bars the defendant from representing that three CBD-based products he sells are effective cancer treatments...

As part of its regulatory review, the FTC announced earlier this year Information Security and Financial Institutions: An FTC Workshop to Examine the Safeguards Rule. If the Safeguards Rule is of interest to you or your clients, you’ll want to know about three new developments. First, the FTC has postponed the workshop and rescheduled it for July 13, 2020. If you’rd like to participate as a panelist on the new date, email us at...

The FTC is not the pen pal you want if you operate a multi-level marketing company but aren’t closely monitoring your distributors. In its latest round of warning letters, the FTC warns ten MLM companies that they are responsible for the claims made by their participants. The letters direct the companies to report within 48 hours what actions they’ve taken to stop their distributors from claiming their products can treat or prevent Coronavirus...

FTC staff just sent 21 more warning letters to companies that have used allegedly unsubstantiated coronavirus prevention and treatment claims to promote products and services. Many of the latest letters focus on questionable representations for high doses of vitamins, intravenous treatments, ozone, and purported stem cell therapies. Abundant Life Wellness Center. The Florida business has said its Zyto biofeedback software system can “scan...

In these unprecedented times, the Commission is working on all fronts to stop pandemic-related scams or deception – and to warn consumers and businesses about them. But our work in other areas continues, too. Today, we’re taking a minute to take stock of some of the highlights from 2019. Law and order. Fraudulent telemarketers, disreputable debt collectors, imposters, and other schemers follow the headlines and are good at what they do. That’s...

Trend-conscious buyers want the latest styles ASAP and online retailer Fashion Nova reinforced those expectations by promising “Fast Shipping,” “2-Day Shipping,” and “Expect Your Items Quick!” But according to the FTC, the California company’s shipment delays violated the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule and left consumers haute under the collar. The $9.3 million settlement is the largest ever in a case of its kind. People...