Call them contrepreneurs — marketers who use hyped-up promises to sell business opportunities to people eager to be their own boss. As part of a federal-state blitz on bogus bizopps, the FTC announced...

Some things you’d expect to find in a trash can: last night’s potato peelings, the casserole that looked so promising in the cookbook photo, and Oscar the Grouch. But if you run a business, the one...

The biggest decision facing a DIYer in the paint store used to be whether Dusting of Snow or Wistful Beige was right for the dining room. But nowadays more businesses are making express claims about...

Paranoid delusion from 80s R&B artist Rockwell? Not necessarily, if he had used a computer from a rent-to-own store. Because according to lawsuits filed by the FTC, many stores — including franchisees...

"Hey, I've never met you. So don't get clever . T hat's my number. Robocall me never." When consumers are struggling with their finances, is there anything worse than getting solicitations from debt...

No one is going to amend the nursery rhyme, but if you market products aimed at fighting bed bugs or head lice and are itching to keep your promotions in line with the law, two FTC lawsuits merit your...

If you use consumer testimonials in your ads or have clients who do, check out the FTC’s settlement with Jason Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of the diet company, Medifast, Inc. But to really explore...

Earlier this year, the FTC settled five law enforcement actions against companies making allegedly deceptive energy savings claims for their replacement windows. Now the FTC has sent letters to 14...

The FTC’s multimillion dollar settlement involving the Ab Circle Pro exercise device is great news for consumers. But what does it say to businesses? Inc.-orporate compliance. Yes, there are good...

If you haven’t heard of the Ab Circle Pro, you need to spend more time in your recliner. Between the infomercial blitz, the online presence, and a retail campaign that promoted the product with a...

Whether you’re a full-pads athlete or a quarterback of the Monday morning variety, you’ve read reports about sports-related concussions. But before marketing a product advertised to reduce the risk of...

After two weeks of talk about track, the trending topic is track ing, including the FTC’s $22.5 million settlement with Google for violating an earlier order. Google told users of the Safari browser...

There’s been a lot of talk about breaking records these past few weeks. But here’s one you won’t see on the sports pages: the FTC’s $22.5 million settlement with Google, the largest civil penalty ever...

Most job seekers are familiar with the basics: Wear a clean shirt, extend a firm handshake, and don’t ask about vacations in the first 10 minutes of the interview. But these days more businesses are...

HR could use better PR. Say "human resources" and some people think of Dunder Mifflin’s joy-deficient Toby Flenderson from "The Office." But you know better and appreciate the job your HR team does to...

People who signed up with the Jacksonville-based Alcoholism Cure Corporation were promised a “scientifically proven” program that “cures alcoholism while allowing alcoholics to drink socially.” What...

Remember the character from the Superman comic books who was the exact opposite of the Man of Steel? He said no when he meant yes, his alter ego went by the name "Kent Clark," and was part of the...

At the BCP Business Center, we offer tips on how to stay on the right side of the law. But we also do our best to spread the word about the latest frauds targeting businesses — and this one’s a piece...