FTC SENDS REFUNDS TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS DEFRAUDED BY DECEPTIVE ROBOCALLS
The FTC is sending a second round of payments to small business owners affected by an illegal robocall scheme. The defendants used several business names including Pointbreak Media, Modern Spotlight, National Business Listings, and Modern Source Media
In 2018, the FTC sued the defendants, and the defendants agreed to settle. According to the lawsuit, the defendants called thousands of small business owners, falsely claiming to represent Google and threatening that their business would be removed from Google search results unless they paid a fee. The defendants also placed follow-up calls to people who paid the fee and falsely claimed that for an additional fee they could guarantee top Google search placements for the business.
The FTC first sent checks in August 2020, which resulted in more than $440,000 in refunds. Because the FTC recovered additional money from the defendants, the agency is sending additional payments totaling more than $1.8 million.
If you get a check, please cash it within 90 days.
You can find answers to common questions about refund payments on our FAQ page. If you have any other questions, please call the refund administrator at 1-833-928-2553.