Every year the FTC brings hundreds of cases against individuals and companies for violating consumer protection and competition laws that the agency enforces. These cases can involve fraud, scams, identity theft, false advertising, privacy violations, anti-competitive behavior and more. The Legal Library has detailed information about cases we have brought in federal court or through our internal administrative process, called an adjudicative proceeding.
Statement of Chair Lina M. Khan, Joined by Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Commissioner Alvaro M. Bedoya Regarding JAB Consumer Fund/SAGE Veterinary Partners
Concurring Statement of Commissioners Noah Joshua Phillips and Christine S. Wilson
Elegant Solutions, Inc. (Mission Hills Federal)
The Federal Trade Commission has stopped Mission Hills Federal, a student loan debt relief scheme, alleging it bilked more than $23 million from thousands of consumers with false claims that it would service and pay down their student loans. After the FTC filed a complaint seeking to end the deceptive practices, a federal court temporarily halted the scheme and froze its assets. The FTC filed an amended complaint on August 27, 2019, adding Labiba Velazquez as an alleged defendant. On July 20, 2020, the court granted final summary judgment.
In June 2021, the defendants appealed the District Court’s granting of summary judgment. In June 2022, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision, rejecting the defendants’ arguments and affirmed the District Court’s grant of summary judgment, ruling in favor of the FTC. In March 2024, the FTC sent more than $4.1 million in refunds to consumers harmed by the defendants.
Gravity Defyer, FTC v.
In June 2022, the FTC took action against California-based Gravity Defyer Medical Technology Corporation and its owner Alexander Elnekaveh, filing a complaint in federal district court to permanently stop their allegedly deceptive pain-relief claims for Gravity Defyer footwear. In its complaint the FTC alleged that Elnekaveh violated a 2001 order barring him from such allegedly deceptive advertising by making scientifically unsupported claims and using misleading consumer testimonials to sell Gravity Defyer products.
Concurring Statement of Commissioners Noah Joshua Phillips and Christine S. Wilson Regarding 6(b) Study of Pharmacy Benefit Managers
Statement of Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter Regarding 6(b) Study of Pharmacy Benefit Managers
Statement of Alvaro M. Bedoya Regarding 6(b) Study of Pharmacy Benefit Managers
Statement of Commissioners Noah Joshua Phillips and Christine S. Wilson in the Matter of Buckeye Partners/Magellan Midstream Partners
Digital Income System
The FTC alleged that the Florida-based scam falsely told consumers that by selling memberships in the defendants’ programs, consumers were likely to earn large sums of money. For example, the website stated, “Consumers will earn between $500 and $12,500 per sale,” and “Every time one of our professionals closes a sale on your behalf, we will send you a huge commission check right to your doorstep.” The defendants allegedly charged consumers a substantial amount of money, ranging from $1,000 to $25,000. The complaint states, however, that the vast majority of consumers who paid the defendants never earned substantial income, and in fact many consumers earned nothing.
The Federal Trade Commission is sending 1,064 checks totaling more than $542,000 to consumers who were harmed by the bogus business and investment scheme.
Twitter, Inc., U.S. v.
The FTC alleged that Twitter’s deceptive use of user email addresses and phone numbers violated the FTC Act and the 2011 Commission order.
Publishers Business Services, Inc., et al.
Publishers Business Services, Inc., along with other defendants previously settled FTC allegations that the defendants deceptively telemarketed magazine subscriptions. The defendants also allegedly harassed consumers at work and at home, in an attempt to get them to pay for the subscriptions, and engaged in other threatening conduct over the phone. In May 2022, the Commission announced a settlement of the monetary component of the order.
Concurring Statement of Commissioner Christine S. Wilson and Commissioner Noah Joshua Phillips in the Matter of Twitter, Inc.
Statement of Chair Lina M. Khan Joined by Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter in the Matter of Twitter, Inc.
R360, FTC v.
In May 2022, the FTC took action against R360 LLC and its owner, Steven Doumar, for deceiving people seeking help for addiction about the evaluation and selection criteria for the treatment centers in their network. The case is the FTC’s first under the Opioid Addiction Recovery Fraud Prevention Act of 2018. The agency secured a $3.8 million civil penalty judgment against the defendants and an order prohibiting them from continuing to make the same kinds of misrepresentations.