FTC Returns Money to Consumers Conned into Paying for Business Directory Listings

The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 774 checks totaling more than $444,000 to consumers who lost money to a business directory scam.

In 2013, the FTC charged the Online Public Yellow Pages defendants, based in Montreal, with billing small businesses and churches in the United States for unwanted directory listings. The court temporarily halted the scheme and froze their assets, and in 2014, the court entered a default judgment that ended the operation.

Affected consumers will receive checks representing the full amount they paid; the average amount is $574.66. Consumers should deposit or cash the checks within 60 days of the mailing date. The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or to provide information before refund checks can be cashed.

Consumers who receive checks and have questions can contact the FTC’s refund administrator, Analytics, at 844-828-4439. Learn more about the FTC’s refund program.

Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.