January 28, 1999

• For Release: January 28, 1999
  FTC Workshop on International Consumer Protection Concerns to Be Held June 8 & 9
  Agency Also Extends Comment Period

January 27, 1999

• Media Advisory: January 27, 1999
  Law Enforcers Crack down on Credit Fraud
  Scam Turns Consumer-Victims Into Felons
  
  
• For Release: January 27, 1999
  Two Floridians Banned from Selling Business Opportunities; Two Others must Post Performance Bonds
  Hart Marketing defendants used "singers" to promote profitability of Internet Bus Op
  
  
• For Your Information: January 27, 1999
  Effective Date of Hart-Scott-Rodino Rules about Limited Liability Companies Postponed
  The Commission has postponed the effective date of the Formal Interpretation under the Hart- Scott-Rodino (HSR) rules setting forth the conditions under which the creation, or acquisition of an interest in, a Limited Liability Company will be reportable under the HSR Act.
  
  
• For Release: January 27, 1999
  "Operation Eraser" Defendants Settle Deceptive Credit Repair Charges
  The Federal Trade Commission has announced the settlement of another four of the nineteen cases filed in March 1998 as part of "Operation Eraser" -- a federal-state crackdown on fraudulent credit repair companies -- as well as the entry by the court of a final order in a fifth.
  
  
• For Release: January 27, 1999
  Federal Trade Commission Dismisses Joe Camel Complaint
  The Federal Trade Commission today announced that it has dismissed the case against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for its Joe Camel advertising campaign.
  

January 26, 1999

• For Release: January 26, 1999
  First Annual National Consumer Protection Week Highlights Credit Fraud
  Consumers In Every Walk Of Life Affected By Credit Scams
  
  
• For Release: January 26, 1999
  Apple Computer Settles FTC Charges That its "Apple Assurance" Program Was Deceptive
  Company Agrees to Refund All Fees Wrongly Collected from Consumers
  
  
• For Release: January 26, 1999
  D. Michael Chappell Appointed FTC Administrative Law Judge
  D. Michael "Mike" Chappell has been appointed an Administrative Law Judge for the Federal Trade Commission.
  

January 25, 1999

• For Your Information: January 25, 1999
  Announced Actions for January 25, 1999
  The Federal Trade Commission today announced the results of a surf of 100 Internet websites advertising and selling jewelry, finding that many of the sites were not providing consumers with information required under the FTC's Jewelry Guides.
  

January 21, 1999

• For Your Information: January 21, 1999
  Announced Actions for January 21, 1999
  The Federal Trade Commission today announced the following actions.
  

January 19, 1999

• For Release: January 19, 1999
  Settling Defendants Named in "Project Field of Schemes" Sweep Agree to Monetary Judgments in Excess of $11 Million to Settle FTC Charges
  Ten individuals named as defendants in a Federal Trade Commission law enforcement action filed in July 1997 as part of "Project Field of Schemes" have agreed to pay monetary judgments ranging from $76,811 to $11.178 million to settle charges.
  
  
• For Release: January 19, 1999
  Major U.S. Manufacturers Agree to Settle Charges of Making Misleading "Made in USA" Claims
  The Federal Trade Commission today announced settlements with six companies that would resolve allegations that the companies made misleading "Made in USA" claims for a variety of products.

January 15, 1999

• For Release: January 15, 1999
  FTC Announces Proposed Consent Agreement Permitting Service Corporation International to Acquire Equity Corporation International; SCI Agrees to Make Divestitures
  Service Corporation International (SCI), the largest owner of funeral homes and cemeteries in the world, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its proposed acquisition of Equity Corporation International (ECI), the fourth largest funeral home and cemetery company in the United States, would substantially lessen competition among funeral home or cemetery establishments in 14 local markets.
  
  
• For Your Information: January 15, 1999
  FTC Releases Statements on BP/Amoco Case
  The following is an excerpt from the statement of Federal Trade Commission Chairman Robert Pitofsky and Commissioners Sheila F. Anthony and Mozelle W. Thompson explaining why they believe the consent agreement accepted on December 29, 1998, protects the interests of U.S. consumers and clarifying the "narrow" grounds of their disagreement with their colleague, Commissioner Orson Swindle, with respect to wholesale gasoline markets in the southeast:
  

January 13, 1999

• For Your Information: January 13, 1999
  Announced Actions for January 13, 1999
  The Federal Trade Commission today announced the following actions.
  

January 12, 1999

• Corrected For Release: January 12, 1999
  Internet "Crammers" Face FTC Charges
  To combat the latest wrinkle in hi-tech fraud on the Internet, the Federal Trade Commission has charged three individuals and eight businesses with billing or debiting consumers’ credit card accounts for unordered or fictitious Internet services.
  
  
• For Release: January 12, 1999
  FTC Report to Congress Shows Increases in Smokeless Tobacco Revenues, and Advertising and Promotional Expenditures
  Advertising and promotional expenditures for smokeless tobacco products reached $150.4 million dollars in 1997, according to a biennial Federal Trade Commission Report to Congress.
  

January 11, 1999

• For Release: January 11, 1999
  Company to Divest Assets to Settle FTC Charges That Acquisition of its Chief Competitor Would Violate Antitrust Laws
  ABB, one of the world's leading manufacturers of analytical instruments used in process manufacturing applications, has agreed to divest certain assets it would acquire in its $1.1 billion purchase of Elsag Bailey Process Automation N.V., to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the acquisition would violate antitrust laws.

January 7, 1999

• For Immediate Release: January 7, 1999
  New 1-888 Line Provides Free Y2K Information to Consumers
  • Statement of Jodie Bernstein, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection
    
    
• For Release: January 7, 1999
  Jeremy Bulow Named New Director of FTC's Bureau of Economics
  Federal Trade Commission Chairman Robert Pitofsky has named Jeremy Bulow, Ph.D., to head the agency's Bureau of Economics.
  
  
• For Your Information: January 7, 1999
  Announced Actions for January 7, 1999
  The Federal Trade Commission today announced the following actions.
  

January 6, 1999

• Media Advisory: January 6, 1999
  Year 2000 (Y2K) Conversion
  The President's Council on Year 2000 (Y2K) Conversion and the Federal Trade Commission, chair of the Council's Consumer Affairs Working Group, will hold a press conference to launch a toll-free consumer Y2K information line and to announce other Council initiatives for providing consumers information about the Y2K computer problem.

January 4, 1999

• For Release: January 4, 1999
  Settlements with Canada-Based Telemarketing Company and U.S. Credit Card Laundering Operation Nets $1,381,000 in Redress
  The Federal Trade Commission today announced landmark settlements with foreign scam operators netting more than $1.3 million in redress for American consumers.