Blog Posts Tagged with Advertising and Marketing

You’ve heard about the deceptive tactics of government imposters. According to a proposed FTC settlement, a Florida company made misleading Made in USA claims, falsely described itself as “veteran...

It used to be that family legends about background and heritage had to stay legendary. But the popularity of genetic test kits have made them a hot topic around the Thanksgiving table. A proposed FTC...

A consumer spots a social media post from a dietician stating – for example – “Aspartame increasing cancer risk?! Nope! Let’s talk about it” and “It’s okay to still enjoy your non-sugar-sweetened...

Junk fees – those hidden and bogus charges that have found their way into a wide variety of transactions – are on consumers’ minds. Based on what they’ve told us, junk fees are on their last nerve...

Consumers speak many languages and unfortunately scammers are conversant in all of them. That’s why the FTC has reinforced its fraud fighting capabilities by collecting scam reports in multiple...

We’re ba-aack. Last year we offered our Top 10 “Nightmare on Main Street” consumer protection horror movies. Just in time for Halloween, the FTC Multiplex has reopened with ten more scary screens of...

According to a proposed settlement and a complaint filed by the FTC , two corporations, their President, and their CEO pitched a product called 1Virus Buster Invisible Mask, claiming that wearing the...

Gimme an F! Gimme an A! Gimme an L! Gimme an S! Gimme an E! What’s that spell? “False,” of course, which – along with deceptive and unsubstantiated – is how the FTC describes claims made by Sollers...

We’ve warned professionals about online job scams involving phony “recruiters” who falsely claim to represent big-name businesses. Employment impersonators are still at it, but this time they’re...

Many consumers describe them as annoying, injurious, invisible, and all too common. They could be talking about pernicious pests and in some ways, junk fees – hidden or falsely advertised charges that...

Sometimes being the “Home of . . .” is an honorific to be proud of. Kudos, Cleveland, for rock ‘n’ roll, and thank you, Buffalo, for your contribution to chicken wings. But the Birthplace of Frauds...

The people behind online business coaching outfit Lurn promised that consumers could become “Stay-At-Home Millionaires.” But according to the FTC, Lurn, Inc., CEO Anik Singal, Tyrone Cohen, and David...

Businesses, platforms, social media influencers, and others who advertise or promote products to children online all have a role to play in ensuring that the boundary between advertising and...

In the words of Jeff Bridges’ character in the cult classic "The Big Lebowski," “I’m the Dude or His Dudeness or Duder or El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.” He’d also probably...

Advertising keywords are the carnival barkers of the internet. Their job is to shout, “Me, me, me, me, me!” to people searching online for a product or service. If successful, they’ll get prospective...

The Initial Decision in the administrative action challenging allegedly deceptive “free” claims for Intuit’s TurboTax product was just released, and the meticulous 237-page opinion is a must-read for...

What’s on at the FTC? Today – September 7, 2023 – the FTC is hosting a public workshop to consider proposed changes to the Funeral Rule.

The FTC is continuing its assessment of how the Funeral Rule is working for consumers and businesses. The next step: a September 7, 2023, workshop, Shopping for Funeral Services. Check out the just...

Even with four months to go, we predict the 2023 Phrase of the Year will be “artificial intelligence.” But like a discount utensil packaged in one of those pale blue gift boxes, some marketers are...

The INFORM Consumers Act took effect on June 27, 2023. The FTC has issued staff guidance for online marketplaces and now we have advice for online sellers whose businesses may be affected by the new...