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.
Corporate Compliance Services
The operators of a scheme that targeted new businesses across the country with bogus threats of government fines will pay $1.2 million and be banned from sending unsolicited direct mail under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission and the State of Florida.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc., In the Matter of
Home products and kitchen wares company Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has agreed to stop making false, misleading, or unsubstantiated claims that all of its Goldtouch Bakeware products, its Rejuvenation-branded products, and Pottery Barn Teen and Pottery Barn Kids-branded upholstered furniture products are all or virtually all made in the United States. On July 16, 2020, the Commission announced the final consent order in this matter.
Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc., In the Matter of
Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc., settled Federal Trade Commission allegations that the company misled consumers about its participation in the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield framework.
American Student Loan Consolidators LLC
In December 2018, the operators of a student loan debt relief scheme agreed to pay approximately $1.3 million to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that they pretended to be affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or with consumers’ loan servicers, and tricked consumers into believing that illegal upfront fees were being used to pay off their student loans. In July 2020, the FTC announced it was mailing checks totaling more than $1 million to individuals who lost money to the scheme.
Charter Communications, Inc. (Spectrum Mobile)
Statement of Commissioner Rohit Chopra Regarding Private Equity Roll-ups and the Hart-Scott-Rodino Annual Report to Congress
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. and CrossAmerica Partners LP
Retail fuel station and convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. and its affiliate CrossAmerica Partners LP agreed to divest 10 fuel stations in Minnesota and Wisconsin to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that ACT’s proposed acquisition of Holiday Companies would violate federal antitrust law. The FTC later alleged that they violated a 2018 order requiring divestitures of 10 retail fuel stations in Minnesota and Wisconsin to Commission-approved buyers no later than June 15, 2018. They agreed to pay a $3.5 million civil penalty to the FTC to settle the allegations.
Miniclip, In the Matter of
In May 2020, the Commission accepted for public comment a proposed consent agreement to resolve allegations that Miniclip S.A. violated Section 5 of the FTC Act by misrepresenting its status in a Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) safe harbor program.
Statement of the Commission In the Matter of Alimentation Couche-Tard and CrossAmerica Partners, LP, Docket No. C-4635, File No. 181 0227
Ceres Turf, Inc. (Miniquad turf aeration tines)
Dissenting Statement of Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter In Re FTC-DOJ Vertical Merger Guidelines
Dissenting Statement of Commissioner Rohit Chopra Regarding the Publication of the Vertical Merger Guidelines
Statement of Chairman Joseph Simons, Commissioner Noah Joshua Phillips, and Commissioner Christine S. Wilson Regarding Joint Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission Vertical Merger Guidelines
Effen Ads, LLC (iCloudWorx)
The operators of a work-from-home scheme and the CEO of their main affiliate marketing network agreed to pay nearly $1.5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that they used misleading spam emails to lure consumers into buying work-from-home services.