Displaying 1 - 20 of 136
ACRO Services
The FTC has temporarily shut down a credit card debt relief scheme operated by Sean Austin, John Steven Huffman, and John Preston Thompson and their affiliated companies that allegedly took millions from people by falsely promising to eliminate or substantially reduce their credit card debt.
Since 2019, Austin, Huffman, and Thompson have operated a network of companies incorporated in Tennessee, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming that have worked together as a common enterprise to support the defendants’ deceptive credit card debt relief scheme, the FTC alleged. Their companies have operated under multiple names such as ACRO Services, American Consumer Rights Organization, Consumer Protection Resources, Reliance Solutions, Thacker & Associates, and Tri Star Consumer Group.
Vonage
In November 2022, the FTC announced it stopped internet phone service provider Vonage from taking consumers’ money without their consent and creating obstacles to those who try to cancel their service. Under a proposed court order agreed to by Vonage, the company will be required to pay $100 million to refund consumers harmed by its actions, make its cancellation process simple and transparent, and stop charging consumers without their consent.
FTC Action Against Vonage Results in $100 Million to Customers Trapped by Illegal Dark Patterns and Junk Fees When Trying to Cancel Service
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request (Telemarketing Sales Rule)
FTC Takes Action Against Frontier for Lying about Internet Speeds and Ripping Off Customers Who Paid High-Speed Prices for Slow Service
Frontier Communications Corporation
The FTC along with law enforcement agencies from six states, sued Frontier Communications alleging that the company did not provide many consumers with Internet service at the speeds it promised them, and charged many of them for more expensive and higher-speed service than Frontier actually provided.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request (Pay-Per-Call Rule)
FTC Staff Report Finds Many Internet Service Providers Collect Troves of Personal Data, Users Have Few Options to Restrict Use
FTC Stops Deceptive Prison Calling Scheme, Requires Operator to Notify Consumers About Unlawful Conduct as Part of Settlement
FTC Sends Nearly $5 Million in Refunds to People who Lost Money to Cramming Scheme
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Extension (Pay-Per-Call Rule)
Broadcom Incorporated; Analysis of Agreement Containing Consent Order To Aid Public Comment
FTC Sues Frontier Communications for Misrepresenting Internet Speeds
Associated Community Services, Inc.
The Federal Trade Commission, along with 46 agencies from 38 states and the District of Columbia, has stopped a massive telefunding operation that bombarded 67 million consumers with 1.3 billion deceptive charitable fundraising calls (mostly illegal robocalls). The defendants collected more than $110 million using their deceptive solicitations. Associated Community Services (ACS) and a number of related defendants have agreed to settle charges by the FTC and state agencies that they duped generous Americans into donating to charities that failed to provide the services they promised.