2018 Annual Report on Refunds to Consumers

The goal of FTC law enforcement actions is to halt illegal practices, and when possible, get refunds to people who lost money. Once an FTC lawsuit or settlement is final and the defendants have paid the money the court orders, the Office of Claims and Refunds develops a plan for returning that money to the right people. If there is money left over at the conclusion of the refund program, or if there is not enough money to provide meaningful refund amounts, then the FTC sends the money to the U.S. Treasury, where it is deposited into the General Fund.

In total, FTC cases resulted in more than $2.3 billion in refunds for consumers.