By: Lesley Fair | Jul 31, 2012 11:00AM
“I just want to say one word to you, Benjamin. Plastics.”
During the cocktail party scene in the classic movie “The Graduate,” that’s the advice Ben Braddock got for mapping out his future. It wasn’t such a bad tip after all since so much stuff — including the pocket money we use for day-to-day expenditures — has gone plastic.
Identity Protection: It's Everybody's Business
By: Carol Kando-Pineda | Jul 27, 2012 3:19PM
Identity theft has been the top complaint that consumers have reported to the FTC for 12 years in a row. We’ve also heard from companies that ID theft can cause huge headaches in the form of unauthorized charges, worthless receivables, and customer service snafus. That’s why business executives should be at the forefront in the drive for identity protection.
Continue Reading Identity Protection: It's Everybody's Business
By: Lesley Fair | Jul 26, 2012 10:34AM
How would you like to listen in when federal agencies talk to each other about policies that could have an impact on your company? If your business is breaking into the mobile marketplace, lend an ear.
By: Lesley Fair | Jul 24, 2012 10:40AM
It’s not an easy time to be a timeshare owner. And the last thing they need is a company making false promises that corporate buyers and renters are clamoring for their timeshares — if owners will just pony up a “registration fee” between $500 and $2,000. According to a lawsuit filed by the FTC and Florida AG, that’s what was going on with an Orlando-based outfit called Information Management Forum.
By: Kate Resnevic and Lesley Fair | Jul 20, 2012 10:45AM
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 keep your organization up and running. They're also a critical line of defense between your company and the onslaught of data thieves and scammers. The BCP Business Center has a special page to make their job a little easier.
Court finds litany of violations in alcoholism "cure" case
By: Lesley Fair | Jul 19, 2012 11:35AM
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 they got was a shopping list, instructions to take handfuls of unproven supplements, and a particularly troubling surprise when they tried to cancel their membership.
Continue Reading Court finds litany of violations in alcoholism "cure" case
By: Lesley Fair | Jul 12, 2012 4:01PM
Fineprint footnotes: Kryptonite for advertisers?
By: Lesley Fair | Jul 11, 2012 4:24PM
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 Injustice League of America. It made for fun reading, but you wouldn’t want him crafting your ad claims.
Continue Reading Fineprint footnotes: Kryptonite for advertisers?
By: Kati Daffan | Jul 10, 2012 11:29AM
Consumer complaints about robocalls have multiplied. New technologies make it cheaper to send pre-recorded messages and con artists have gotten trickier about obscuring the origin of their calls. But businesses shouldn’t be tempted to take telemarketing short-cuts because the FTC is cracking down on illegal robocalls.
Debt-icated to protecting consumers
By: Lesley Fair | Jul 5, 2012 1:36PM
Never underestimate the creativity of marketers attempting to separate cash-strapped consumers from their last dollar. And never underestimate the FTC’s resolve to protect people from deception in tough economic times. Those are just two points to take from recent FTC law enforcement actions.
By: Lesley Fair | Jul 3, 2012 10:29AM
Ask any golfer. How you address the ball matters, but don’t underestimate the importance of the follow-through. In law enforcement, too, follow-through can be key. A recent development in the FTC’s action involving Neil Wardle illustrates that point.
By: Lesley Fair | Jun 29, 2012 1:45PM
Unless you’re playing Scrabble and use QI or ZA on a triple letter square, two-letter words usually don’t count for much. A consumer perception study released by the FTC suggests that two common two-letter words often used in ads may not have the effect of qualifying product claims that some marketers and copywriters think they have. Any guess what those words are?
Up to.
By: Lesley Fair | Jun 28, 2012 11:54AM
Square cut or pear shape,
These rocks don’t lose their shape.
FTC lodges complaint against Wyndham
By: Lesley Fair | Jun 26, 2012 12:10PM
The FTC's law enforcement action against hotel company Wyndham Worldwide Corporation and three of its subsidiaries alleges that a series of security breaches — three within two years — resulted in fraudulent charges, millions of dollars in fraud loss, and the export of hundreds of thousands of people's account information to an Internet domain address registered in Russia. According to the lawsuit, a number of the defendants' practices, taken together, unreasonably and unnecessarily exposed consumers' personal data, including their cred
By: Colleen Tressler & Karen Hobbs | Jun 22, 2012 1:33PM
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 of work. If your company accepts checks or online payments, you’ll want to be on the look-out for a scam that could leave you with a stack of worthless paper.
The drive to improve FTC rules and guides
By: Lesley Fair | Jun 21, 2012 4:29PM
If your business is geared toward automotive products, two FTC developments may be in your wheelhouse.
Older Americans and ID Theft: When It Hits Home
By: Steve Toporoff | Jun 20, 2012 11:48AM
When it comes to identity theft, older Americans face unique risks. While all age groups may be vulnerable, older consumers are more likely to have to share personal data with doctors, hospitals, lawyers, financial advisors, and others. Some may face physical limitations or health challenges that could make it more difficult to safeguard their information — like securing decades of financial paperwork or managing the learning curve as life moves online. How does this issue affect you? As the business person or attorney in the family, your relatives may look to you to take the lead in se
Continue Reading Older Americans and ID Theft: When It Hits Home
By: Lesley Fair | Jun 15, 2012 11:02AM
The terms of the FTC’s Spokeo settlement apply just to Spokeo, but that case and other recent law enforcement actions offer insights for a much broader audience.
Speaking of Spokeo: Part 2 — The company’s allegedly bogus endorsements
By: Lesley Fair | Jun 13, 2012 12:25PM
The lawsuit against data broker Spokeo is the FTC’s first Fair Credit Reporting Act case addressing the collection of online info — including data from social networking sites — when used in the context of employment screening. But that’s not the only way the Spokeo settlement touches on social media. The FTC also charged that Spokeo violated Section 5 by having employees post glowing recommendations of the company’s services on news and technology websites without di
Continue Reading Speaking of Spokeo: Part 2 — The company’s allegedly bogus endorsements
By: Lesley Fair | Jun 12, 2012 10:28AM
Like chicken and waffles or ham and pineapple on pizza, some combos don’t sound like they’d go together, but make sense once you find out more. Put the FTC’s settlement with Spokeo on that list. According to the FTC, data broker Spokeo violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act and used deceptive endorsements in violation of Section 5. A closer look at the pleadings explains how those two hot topics found their way into one FTC complaint.
