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Business Blog

It’s unwise to incentivize positive skewed reviews

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Is there anything you can’t get delivered to your front door? (And yes, home renovators will attest you can even get a front door delivered to your front door.) The burgeoning subscription model can...
Business Blog

Recipe for a ROSCA violation

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From the FTC’s perspective, a certain pattern of online business has become a recipe for consumer injury . Start with a misleading “risk-free” trial offer. Add a hefty undisclosed charge if consumers...
Business Blog

FTC to law violators: Don’t bank on bankruptcy

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A recent ruling by a Florida Bankruptcy Judge sheds light on a tenacious team within the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. But first, let’s set the time machine to 2008 when the FTC entered into a...
Business Blog

They give love a bad name

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Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the FTC staff released a Data Spotlight highlighting the category of scam with the highest amount of reported financial loss among complaint categories the FTC uses...
Business Blog

Talking turkey

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Whether it’s a spare can of cranberry sauce or an extra turkey platter, thoughtful Thanksgiving hosts make contingency plans for the holiday. This year, if the dinner discussion veers into...
Business Blog

Three films not on our Top 10 list

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In the annals of film, Citizen Kane , The Godfather , and Casablanca are among our top picks. But don’t expect our list to include TBX-FREE, Eupepsia Thin, or Prolongz, dissolving strips of film the...
Business Blog

The gift of data – and a few words about gift cards

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When people take a moment to report fraud, identity theft, or questionable business practices to the FTC, they’re giving consumers everywhere a “gift” of sorts. We use those reports – we get millions...
Business Blog

A lease on a leash? Pet stores are leasing pets

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When the legendary Patti Page sang, “How much is that doggie in the window?” she couldn’t have guessed that six decades later, the answer might depend on whether a consumer buys or leases a pet. Today...
Business Blog

District court rules on redress, ROSCA, and disclosures

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The scheme started with a Craigslist ad for a rental property and ended with a $5.2 million judgment for violations of the FTC Act, the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act, the Fair Credit...
Business Blog

Cryptocurrency webcast starts soon

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The Cubs are in Los Angeles and the White Sox have the day off, but there’s still a lot happening in Chicago today. The FTC’s workshop Decrypting Cryptocurrency Scams is set to start at 1:00 PM...
Business Blog

Credit card processing “deals” may be scams

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If you’re in a small business, you probably need a way for people to pay you – and ways to lower your costs. Scammers have been working both of those angles, promising businesses that they can save on...