“The Federal Trade Commission has moved to close down a multi-million dollar telemarketing fraud that targeted U.S. seniors across the nation, scamming tens of thousands of consumers,” according to an FTC press release. The defendants used a telemarketing boiler room in Canada … to cold-call seniors claiming to sell fraud protection, legal protection, and pharmaceutical […]
Author Archives: Allison Zieve
After the collapse of the housing market in 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice and other agencies coordinated enforcement activites to target mortgage fraud schemes. This week, DOJ’s Office of Inspector General released an “Audit Of The Department Of Justice’s Efforts To Address Mortgage Fraud.” The Washington Post summarizes the report’s conclusions as follows: “When […]
Last week, Brian noted that DropBox has added a forced arbitration clause with a class-action ban to its terms of use, and observed that the "opt-out" provision was a "public relations gambit," not a serious effort to allow consumers to make an informed choice about whether to give up the right to go to court. […]
March 2-8 is National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW). NCPW is a campaign of a group of non-profit organizations (including AARP and Consumers Union) and federal and state government entities (including the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), aimed at helping consumer to “take advantage of their consumer rights and make better-informed decisions.” […]
The National Center for Access to Justice has released the "Access to Justice Index," an online resource presenting data on the "performance of state-based justice systems in assuring access to justice." Going state by state, the index looks at four elements of state-based justice systems: • the number of civil legal aid attorneys serving the […]
The Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has issued orders to stop the sale and distribution of four tobacco products currently on the market. The orders are the first time that the FDA has used its authority under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act to order a manufacturer to stop selling […]
Fifteen years ago, the Department of Justice sued the major cigarette companies, alleging that the companies conspired to mislead consumers about the risks of tobacco products. The US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled for DOJ, and the ruling was upheld on appeal. Among other things, to remedy the companies’ misleading statements, the […]
For several years, consumers have brought suit against manufacturers of processed foods (for example, bottled teas, granola bars, and cereals) advertised as “all natural.” In these lawsuits, the consumer alleges that the all-natural claim is false and misleading because the foods are not in fact “all natural.” Early cases often focused on the use of […]
The Federal Trade Commission announced today a law enforcement initiative, called “Operation Failed Resolution,” aimed at stopping marketers that use deceptive advertising claims to sell weight-loss products. At the same time, the FTC announced settlements in cases it brought against four different weight-loss companies. For example, ads Sensa promised that, with their product, consumers could […]
The CFPB’s mortgage servicing rule will take effect on January 10. That same day, the Bureau will host a training for housing counselors, legal aid attorneys, and other advocates on the new rule. The training, called “Protecting homeowners: New tools for empowering consumers and advocates,” will be held in Phoenix. You can watch live at […]