Every year the FTC brings hundreds of cases against individuals and companies for violating consumer protection and competition laws that the agency enforces. These cases can involve fraud, scams, identity theft, false advertising, privacy violations, anti-competitive behavior and more. The Legal Library has detailed information about cases we have brought in federal court or through our internal administrative process, called an adjudicative proceeding.
Yodel Technologies
NTS IT Care, Inc. and Jagmeet Singh Virk, FTC v.
The FTC alleged that NTS IT Care and its CEO, Jagmeet Singh Virk, tricked consumers into buying expensive and unnecessary tech support services and often claimed to be affiliated with Microsoft, Apple, and other tech companies.
Consumer Health Benefits Association, et al.
The Federal Trade Commission is sending nearly $7 million in refunds to consumers who paid for health insurance but instead got medical discount plans pitched by Consumer Health Benefits Association (CHBA).
According to the FTC’s complaint against CHBA, related entities, and their owners, the company targeted consumers who searched online for information about affordable health insurance plans. CHBA telemarketers allegedly pitched consumers with a long list of false claims about the benefits of the discount plans, including that the plans were as widely accepted and would provide the same cost savings as legitimate health insurance companies, and also misled consumers about the company’s refund policies.
The FTC recovered almost $7 million pursuant to the terms of six final orders with defendants Guarantee Trust Life Insurance, Vantage America Solutions, Inc., Century Senior Services, Richard Holson, III, Barbara Taube, and Jeffrey Burman; Ronald and Rita Werner; John Schwartz; Louis Leo; Wendi Tow; and Consumer Health Benefits Association, National Benefits Consultants LLC, National Benefits Solutions LLC, and National Association for Americans.
Rhinelander Auto
The Federal Trade Commission and State of Wisconsin are taking action against Wisconsin auto dealer group Rhinelander Auto Center, its current and former owners, and general manager Daniel Towne for deceiving consumers by tacking hundreds or even thousands of dollars in illegal junk fees onto car prices and for discriminating against American Indian customers by charging them higher financing costs and fees.
The defendants have agreed to proposed court orders that will require Rhinelander’s current owners and Towne to stop their unlawful practices and provide $1.1 million to be used for refunds to consumers.
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc./Black Knight, Inc., In the Matter of
In August 2023, the FTC approved a proposed consent order to resolve antitrust concerns surrounding Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.’s (ICE) proposed $13.1 billion acquisition of Black Knight, Inc. The proposed settlement ensures Black Knight’s divestiture of Empower and Optimal Blue, two businesses that provide critical services in the mortgage origination process. The FTC also secured other concessions to promote the success of the divested businesses. On November 3, 2023, the FTC approved the final consent order.
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. In October 2023, the FTC sent nearly $100 million in refunds to consumers who lost money as a result of internet phone service provider Vonage imposing junk fees and creating obstacles to those who try to cancel their service.
Lurn
The Federal Trade Commission is taking action to stop Lurn, a Maryland-based online business coaching seller, from making unfounded claims that consumers can make significant income by starting an array of online businesses. The company, its CEO Anik Singal, and spokespeople Tyrone Cohen and David Kettner have agreed to court orders that will require them to stop their unlawful practices, and require Lurn and Singal to turn over $2.5 million to the FTC to be used to refund money to consumers they harmed.
Milton Pineda, In the Matter of
Lorenzo Ruiz, In the Matter of
K W Technology Inc., et al. (1 Invisible Mask), FTC v.
The Federal Trade Commission sued to stop four related defendants from deceptively marketing their 1 Virus Buster Invisible Mask (Invisible Mask) that purportedly creates a three-foot barrier of protection against 99.9 percent of all viruses and bacteria, including COVID-19 – without any scientific proof that the product actually works.
TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions, Inc. and Trans Union, LLC., FTC and CFPB v.
Retail Services & Systems, Inc. d/b/a Total Wine & More, FTC v.
Sollers Education, LLC, FTC v.
Voyager Digital, LLC., et al., FTC v.
The Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement with bankrupt crypto company Voyager that will permanently ban it from handling consumers’ assets and is filing suit against its former CEO, Stephen Ehrlich, for falsely claiming that customers’ accounts were insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and were “safe,” even as the company was approaching an eventual bankruptcy. The complaint also names Stephen Ehrlich’s wife, Francine Ehrlich, as a relief defendant.
In the federal court complaint, the FTC charges that from at least 2018 until it declared bankruptcy in July 2022, Voyager used promises that consumers’ deposits would be “safe” to entice them to hand over their funds. When the company failed, consumers lost access to significant assets they had saved, including ongoing salary deposits, college tuition funds, and down payments for homes, according to the complaint, which notes that consumers were locked out of their cash accounts for more than a month and lost more than $1 billion in crypto assets.
F9 Advertising LLC
The FTC today announced another case in a series of recent actions targeting allegedly deceptive online “free-trial” offers that tricked consumers into enrolling in negative option plans.
TruthFinder, LLC, FTC v.
The FTC will require background report providers TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate to pay $5.8 million to settle charges that they deceived consumers about whether consumers had criminal records and that the companies violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by operating as consumer reporting agencies.