Tag: Consumer Protection

The Federal Trade Commission took action to halt a scheme that allegedly deceived consumers with mailers supposedly directing them how to obtain federal COVID-19 stimulus benefits, which instead lured them to a used car sale.

The mailers sent by Traffic Jam Events, LLC and its owner, David J. Jeansonne II, were labeled “IMPORTANT COVID-19 STIMULUS DOCUMENTS” and directed consumers to “relief headquarters” to “claim these stimulus incentives,” the FTC alleged in its lawsuit against the company and Jeansonne.

Kohl’s Department Stores, Inc. agreed to pay a civil penalty of $220,000 to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that the retailer violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act by refusing to provide complete records of transactions to consumers whose personal information was used by identity thieves.

In their complaint against Madera Merchant Services and B&P Enterprises, the Federal Trade Commission and the Ohio Attorney General allege that the companies generated and processed remotely created payment orders (RCPOs) or checks that allowed many unscrupulous merchants, including deceptive telemarketing schemes, to withdraw money from their victims’ bank accounts. The FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rules (TSR) specifically prohibits the use of RCPOs in connection with telemarketing sales. The court issued temporary restraining orders against Madera Merchant Services and B&P Enterprises, halting their operations and freezing their assets. The defendants and the FTC have agreed to a stipulated Preliminary Injunction in this matter. The defendants agreed to a settlement with the FTC in 2020 that permanently banned them from payment processing.

The operators of a deceptive newspaper subscriptions scheme are permanently banned from the direct mail marketing business under a federal court order obtained by the Federal Trade Commission.