Announced Actions for December 3, 2004

Commission approval of amended complaints: The Commission has approved the filing of an amended complaint in the matter of FTC v. Telephone Protection Agency, Inc, et al. The original complaint in this matter, filed in April 2004, charged a set of North Carolina-based defendants with billing consumers, without their consent, and making misrepresentations, including a claim that consumers would be registered in the National Do Not Call Registry for telemarketing – before it had been set up. Through the amended complaint, the FTC has added an additional count against defendant Alex McKaughn, charging him with “assisting and facilitating” the unlawful conduct. The Commission vote to approve the filing of the amended complaint was 5-0. (FTC File No. X040045; the staff contact is Russell Deitch, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2585; see press release dated April 22, 2004.)

The Commission has approved the filing of an amended complaint in the currently pending matter concerning Direct Marketing Concepts, et al. In the original complaint, announced by the FTC in July 2004, the Commission charged the defendants with deceptively marketing a coral calcium product called “Coral Calcium Daily,” and an herbal supplement cocktail called “Supreme Greens with MSM.” Through the amended complaint, the FTC has added a new defendant, Robert Maihos, and three new relief defendants, Lisa Stern, Steven Ritchey, and BP International. The amended complaint modifies a count alleging that defendants Direct Marketing Concepts and ITV Direct, Inc. caused consumers to incur unauthorized charges in connection with the sale of Coral Calcium.

The Commission vote approving the filing of the amended complaint was 5-0. (FTC File No. X040052; the staff contact is Daniel Kaufman, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2675; see press release dated July 1, 2004.)

Copies of the documents mentioned in this release are available from the FTC's Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC's Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. Call toll-free: 1-877-FTC-HELP.