Tag: FTC
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FTC: Company Sold Bogus ‘Green’ Certifications To ‘Anyone Willing To Pay A Fee’; Firm Known As ‘Tested Green’ Hawked ‘Worthless Labels,’ Agency Says
A company that called itself “Nonprofit Management LLC” and did business as “Tested Green” sold bogus environmental certifications and ramped up the deception by implying it was independently endorsed by the National Green Business Association and the National Association of Government Contractors, the FTC said. Not only were the environmental certifications bogus, the purported endorsements…
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Judge Halts Alleged Sweepstakes Scam That Traded On Name Of Government And Used ‘Official Looking Seals,’ FTC Says; Schemers Tried To Dupe ‘Hundreds Of Thousands’ Of Consumers
A federal judge in California has halted a marketing scheme in which the symbols and language of government and the names of bogus government agencies with “official sounding names” were used to trick consumers into believing they’d won a sweepstakes, the FTC said. Twelve defendants have been charged in the alleged scheme, which charged consumers…
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Settlement With FTC Bans Scientist From Making Snakeoil Claims About POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice And POMx Supplements
UPDATED 2:31 P.M. ET (U.S.A.) The chief science officer of POMWonderful LLC knew as early as May 2007 that a company-funded, placebo-controlled study showed that there was “no significant difference” between consumption of pomegranate juice and a control beverage after 18 months in reducing arterial plaque and the risk of heart disease but continued to…
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FTC Shows Federal Judge Screen Shots Of Online Promos; Agency Sues Purported ‘Wellness’ Firm For Deceptive Trade Practices, False Advertising
An evidence exhibit filed by the FTC in federal court in San Francisco shows screen shots of claims made online by Wellness Support Network Inc. The agency now has sued the California company, alleging deceptive trade practices and false advertising in the marketing of products purported to treat and prevent diabetes. Included in the 25-page…
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Bogus Claims Of Google Affiliation Gave Scam ‘False Auru Of Legitimacy,’ FTC Says; Case Leads To $29.5 Million Judgment; Defendants Lose Cash, Cars, Motorcycle, Boat, Gun Collection
So, you want to plant the seed that your business “opportunity” is backed by a famous company or that the company approves of your use of its trade name in a domain name you registered? Eight defendants in a fraud case filed by the FTC have been hit with a judgment of $29.5 million in a…
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Prisoner Who Ran Scam From Florida Jail Sentenced To 21 Years In Federal Prison; Willoughby Farr of West Palm Beach Operated ‘Cramming’ Scheme
A Florida man who operated a long-distance billing scam from the West Palm Beach County Jail has been sentenced to 262 months in federal prison. Willoughby Farr, 46, used three Palm Beach companies to pull off the “cramming” scam in which consumers were billed for calls they did not make, prosecutors said. He also faces…
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BULLETIN: FTC Charges Central Coast Nutraceuticals In Acai-Berry Fraud Case That Alleges Overbilling And ‘Fake Endorsements’ From Oprah, Rachel Ray
UPDATED 4:56 P.M. EDT (U.S.A.) Calling the operations of Arizona-based Central Coast Nutraceuticals Inc. (CCN) and affiliated companies a “$30 million” scam in 2009 alone, the Federal Trade Commission has obtained a court-ordered asset freeze in an acai-berry fraud case. Charged along with CCN were Graham D. Gibson, Michael A. McKenzy and four companies that…