UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION Plaintiff, v. MICHAEL F. ELTMAN, individually and d/b/a P.M. ENTERPRISES, Defendants. Civil Action No. COMPLAINT FOR INJUNCTIVE AND OTHER EQUITABLE RELIEF Plaintiff, the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC" or "Commission") for its Complaint alleges: 1. The Commission brings this action under Sections 13(b) and 19 of the Federal Trade Commission Act ("FTC Act"), 15 U.S.C. §§ 53(b) and 57b, and Section 410(b) of the Credit Repair Organizations Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1679h(b), to obtain preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, restitution, rescission, disgorgement and other equitable relief for defendant's deceptive acts or practices in connection with the sale and offering for sale of credit repair products in violation of Section 5(a) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45(a), and Section 404(a)(2) of the Credit Repair Organizations Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1679b(a)(2). JURISDICTION AND VENUE 2. This Court has jurisdiction of this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1337(a), and 1345, and 15 U.S.C. § 53(b). 3. Venue in the Western District of Washington is proper under 28 U.S.C. § 1391 and 15 U.S.C. § 53(b). THE PARTIES 4. Plaintiff, the Federal Trade Commission, is an independent agency of the United States Government created by statute. 15 U.S.C. §§ 41 et seq. The Commission is charged, inter alia, with enforcement of Section 5(a) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45(a), which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce. The Commission also enforces the Credit Repair Organizations Act. 15 U.S.C. § 1679h(a). The Commission is authorized to initiate federal district court proceedings, by its own attorneys, to enjoin violations of the FTC Act and the Credit Repair Organizations Act in order to secure such equitable relief, including consumer redress, as may be appropriate in each case. 15 U.S.C. §§ 53(b), 57b, and 1679h(b). THE PARTIES 5. Defendant Michael F. Eltman does business as P.M. Enterprises with his office and principal place of business located at 2890 Centrailia Alpha, Onalaska, Washington 98570. Michael F. Eltman resides in and transacts or has transacted business in this District. COMMERCE 6. At all times relevant to this complaint, defendant has maintained a substantial course of trade in the offering for sale and selling of credit repair products, in or affecting commerce, as "commerce" is defined in Section 4 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 44. DEFENDANT'S BUSINESS PRACTICES 7. Defendant has advertised, promoted, offered for sale, and sold credit repair products to consumers via newspaper advertising. 8. Defendant has claimed that by using his credit repair products consumers can improve their credit ratings by obtaining a new Social Security Number in place of their current Social Security Number. Defendant has further claimed that obtaining and using a new Social Security Number in this manner is legal. 9. Typical and illustrative of defendant's claims about his credit repair products are the following:
10. The cost of defendant's product is $40. The product consists of a copy of the Social Security regulations concerning the issuance of new Social Security Numbers. The regulations make explicit that a new Social Security Number will be issued only under narrowly prescribed circumstances, which expressly do not include the intent to avoid disclosure of poor credit. VIOLATIONS OF THE CREDIT REPAIR ORGANIZATIONS ACT 11. The Credit Repair Organizations Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1679a-j, was enacted on September 30, 1996, and has been in full force and effect since April 1, 1997. 12. Section 404(a)(2) of the Credit Repair Organizations Act prohibits all persons from making any statement, or counseling or advising any consumer to make any statement, the intended effect of which is to alter the consumer's identification to prevent the display of the consumer's credit record, history, or rating for the purpose of concealing adverse information that is accurate and non-obsolete to any consumer reporting agency as defined in 15 U.S.C. § 1681(f) or to any person who has extended credit to the consumer or to whom the consumer has applied or is applying for an extension of credit. 15 U.S.C. § 1679b(a)(2). COUNT ONE 13. In numerous instances, defendant has counseled or advised consumers to apply for a new Social Security Number to use with banks and to get a "credit start over." The intended effect of these statements has been to advise consumers to alter their identification to prevent the display of their credit record, history, or rating for the purpose of concealing adverse information that is accurate and non-obsolete to consumer reporting agencies, as that term is defined in 15 U.S.C. § 1681(f), or to persons who have extended credit to those consumers or to whom those consumers have applied or are applying for extensions of credit. 14. Defendants have thereby violated Section 404(a)(2) of the Credit Repair Organizations Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1679b(a)(2). VIOLATIONS OF THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ACT COUNT TWO 15. In connection with the advertising, marketing, promotion, offering for sale, or sale of credit repair products, to induce consumers to purchase their products defendant has, expressly or by implication, represented that through the use of his products, consumers can legally alter their identifications to conceal adverse credit information from consumers' credit records, credit histories, or credit ratings by obtaining alternative Social Security Numbers to use, instead of their Social Security Numbers, for credit purposes. 16. In truth and in fact, through the use of defendant's products, consumers cannot legally alter their identifications to conceal adverse credit information from their credit records, credit histories, or credit ratings by obtaining alternative Social Security Numbers to use, instead of their Social Security Numbers, for credit purposes. 17. Therefore, the representation set forth in paragraph 15 is false and misleading and constitutes a deceptive act or practice in or affecting commerce, in violation of Section 5(a) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45(a). CONSUMER INJURY 18. Consumers throughout the United States, including those in the State of Washington, have suffered or are likely to suffer substantial monetary loss as a result of defendant's unlawful acts or practices. Absent injunctive relief by this Court, defendant is likely to continue to injure consumers and harm the public interest. THIS COURT'S POWER TO GRANT RELIEF 19. Sections 13(b) and 19 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 53(b) and 57b, and Section 410(b) of the Credit Repair Organizations Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1679h(b), empower this Court to issue a permanent injunction against defendant's violations of the Credit Repair Organizations Act and the FTC Act and, in the exercise of its equitable jurisdiction, to order such ancillary relief as preliminary injunction, rescission, restitution, disgorgement of profits resulting from defendant's unlawful acts or practices, and other remedial measures. PRAYER FOR RELIEF WHEREFORE, plaintiff requests that this Court, as authorized by Section 410(b) of the Credit Repair Organizations Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1679h(b), Sections 13(b) and 19 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 53(b) and 57b, and pursuant to its own equitable powers:
Dated:_____________, 1999 Respectfully Submitted, DEBRA A. VALENTINE _______________________________ |