The most prevarication I have witnessed in the last five years (three in a DOD uniform and two in the AI-industry) have come from very large, well-established, well-connected companies. Users can explore refund data by case or by year to learn about where refunds were sent, the dollar amounts refunded, and the number of people who benefited from FTC refund programs. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. So, many of us might be looking for alternatives, like buying gifts locally or maybe from online marketplaces or sites you find through your social media accounts, online ads, or by searching Youve opened all your gifts, and now its time to open those post-holiday credit card statements. Fake checks can take weeks to be discovered and untangled. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTCsPrivacy Act system notices. Heres how to spot it. If you get a check, please cash it within 90 days. , along with the name of the company issuing payments and a phone number for questions. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. Use our visualizations to explore scam and fraud trends in your state based on reports from consumers like you. We wont post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. Not that all human knowledge sucked in by AI is garbage . money back to them or buy stuff for them. Use our visualizations to explore scam and fraud trends in your state based on reports from consumers like you. A payment or claim form sent as part of an FTC settlement will include an explanation of and details about the case. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTCsPrivacy Act system notices. Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business responsibilities and comply with the law. Stephanie T. Nguyen, Chief Technology Officer, Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents, Refund Programs: Frequently Asked Questions, HSR threshold adjustments and reportability for 2023, A Century of Technological Evolution at the Federal Trade Commission, National Consumer Protection Week 2023 Begins Sunday, March 5, FTC at the 65th Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market - NCPW 2023, On Point Global Refunds (Fake DMV Websites), On Point Global Refunds (Fake Government Assistance Websites), University of Phoenix Settlement Payments. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business responsibilities and comply with the law. An official website of the United States government. And weve heard from many of you that you got your check and cashed it. The .gov means its official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. For generations weve told ourselves stories, using themes of magic and science, about inanimate things that we bring to life or imbue with power beyond human capacity. I'd expect the SEC, FBI, CIA, and especially the FTC to have the most advanced tools to vet and locate rule breakers. FTC attorneys and other staff are paid a salary from the agencys annual budget. When you talk about AI in your advertising, the FTC may be wondering, among other things: Are you exaggerating what your AI product can do? Spot the latest COVID scams, get compliance guidance, and stay up to date on FTC actions during the pandemic. I believe they want to make distinctions on the danger level of various deployment aims and scope of the AI implementations. The FTCs latest refund announcement involves checks totaling over $11 million going out to more than 11,000 people who paid E.M. Systems & Services, a company that falsely promised consumers with credit card debt that they would reduce their interest rates and save them thousands of dollars. Please call for details. HSR threshold adjustments and reportability for 2023, A Century of Technological Evolution at the Federal Trade Commission, National Consumer Protection Week 2023 Begins Sunday, March 5, FTC at the 65th Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market - NCPW 2023, FTC Sends Nearly $5 Million in Refunds to People who Lost Money to Cramming Scheme, Company That Placed Crammed Charges on Consumers Phone Bills Settles FTC Contempt Charges, FTC Seeks Return of $52 Million Worth of Bogus Phone Bill Cramming Charges; Agency Charges Nation's Largest Third-Party Billing Company with Contempt, Crammers Settle FTC Charges (October 1999), FTC Enforcement Actions Continue to Target "Crammers". . The irony. Looking for legal documents or records? If we do not have all the information we need to send refunds, we may request that consumers file a claim. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Generally, after the initial distribution, we process check reissues once a month. Clear case of over promising. We enforce federal competition and consumer protection laws that prevent anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices. Search the Legal Library instead. Search the Legal Library instead. Right now its a hot one. to remember what Forbidden Planet / Lost in Spaces Robby the Robot said . Wow, just noticed I have to provide labeled data for CV ML to post this. Spot the latest COVID scams, get compliance guidance, and stay up to date on FTC actions during the pandemic. Stephanie T. Nguyen, Chief Technology Officer, Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents, Refund Programs: Frequently Asked Questions, I received a payment or claim form from the FTC. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. If theres one constant among scammers, its that theyre always coming up with new schemes, like the Google Voice verification scam. Free e-filing tools are available at www.irs.gov/freefile. Or can all this be simply ignored? You need adequate proof for that kind of comparative claim, too, and if such proof is impossible to get, then dont make the claim. The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams. Memo from Chair Lina M. Khan to commission staff and commissioners regarding the vision and priorities for the FTC. The FTC is sending checks to people who lost money to a cramming scheme that added charges to their home phone bills without their permission. I feel you folks (at the FTC) have the moral high-ground to put a TEMPORARY PAUSE on the premature unleashing of what some knowledgeable people predict ** could ** result in . You must submit your request in writing by mail or email. If someone claims to be from the FTC and asks for money, its a scam. couch and chair set leather Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. Have you heard about it? We currently contract with four companies: The FTC never requires you to pay upfront fees or asks you for sensitive information, like your Social Security number or bank account information. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Just one word that e separate a 18 old driver that A.I will alway be comaoared from a experience older driver, that word is " anticipation " pro active computer are re active from 1 dimensions Cabrera and sensor. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. Its usually for more than they owe you, and its sometimes for several thousand dollars. If you have specific questions regarding FTC refunds, check out these related FAQs. The FTC and its law enforcement partners announced actions against several income scams that conned people out of hundreds of millions of dollars by falsely telling them they could make a lot of money. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. If the FTC contacts you about a refund, you'll find information about the case at ftc.gov/refunds .You can be sure the phone numbers and links on this page are legit. In cases where there is not enough money to provide full refunds, the FTC analyzes the available data to determine how best to distribute the money. . . What happens to money that isnt claimed? We work to advance government policies that protect consumers and promote competition. Whenever theres an FTC refund program, information is available at. The FTC is a federal government agency that gets its budget from Congress. We enforce federal competition and consumer protection laws that prevent anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices. Whether it's a refund scam promising to get your money back or a recovery scam claiming to get you the prize or products you were promised . Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. huge damage to the human race. Thank you to have the clarity and courage to say this, and to say it so well. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. If someone contacts you claiming that theyre from the FTC and want you to spend money in order to get a refund, its a scam. . Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission. Search the Legal Library instead. You need to know about the reasonably foreseeable risks and impact of your AI product before putting it on the market. If you are requesting a check instead of a PayPal payment, it will be at least 45 days from the initial payment date before we can issue the check. . How much money from FTC lawsuits goes to FTC attorneys. We must wait for PayPal to return the payment before we can begin processing check reissues. We use this information to send refunds. Ifyou have any otherquestions, please call the refund administrator at1-800-591-4238. For questions or to activate your card, visit the Contact information on this page. What to do about unwanted calls, emails, and text messages that can be annoying, might be illegal, and are probably scams. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect. Investors appetite for high-tech driven frenzy should not override balanced caution and common sense. Fake checks might look like business or personal checks, cashiers checks, money orders, or a check delivered electronically. But one thing is for sure: its a marketing term. Yes, the FTC sometimes uses PayPal to distribute refunds. By that time, the scammer has any money you sent, and youre stuck paying the money back to the bank. Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams. We enforce federal competition and consumer protection laws that prevent anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices. Your performance claims would be deceptive if they lack scientific support or if they apply only to certain types of users or under certain conditions. If you were a little too jolly with your holiday spending, here are some tips to help you pay down your credit card debt. They are often printed with the names and addresses of legitimate financial institutions. Like any product, you have to do your research. The FTC sends money that cannot be distributed to consumers to the U.S. Treasury. FTC court orders typically require the defendants to provide a list of customers, along with their contact information, and how much they paid. HSR threshold adjustments and reportability for 2023, A Century of Technological Evolution at the Federal Trade Commission, National Consumer Protection Week 2023 Begins Sunday, March 5, FTC at the 65th Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market - NCPW 2023, Franchises, Business Opportunities, and Investments, FTC says online counseling service BetterHelp pushed people into handing over health information and broke its privacy promises, Next step in FTCs Green Guides review: A closer look at recyclable claims, Tenant screening practices: The FTC wants to hear from you. If there is any money left in the settlement fund after the first distribution, the FTC may send a second round of payments. You need adequate proof for that kind of comparative claim, too, and if such proof is impossible to get, then dont make the claim. Click on a case name to see more details about the refund program, including whether we sent checks or PayPal payments. Yes, the FTC sometimes uses PayPal to distribute refunds. Memo from Chair Lina M. Khan to commission staff and commissioners regarding the vision and priorities for the FTC. You can find the phone numbers for FTC refund programs at, To discuss your claim or payment, call the number on the claim form, check, or email that you received from the FTC. And remember that the FTC will never require you to pay fees in advance, or ask for sensitive information, like your bank account number. The message says theres something wrong with Its Cyber Security Awareness month, so the tricks scammers use to steal our personal information are on our minds. You can find and verify the phone numbers for FTC refund programs at ftc.gov/refunds. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission. Scammers sometimes send emails that pretend to be from the FTC or a company you know. Looking for alternatives for your holiday shopping? By law, banks have to make deposited funds available quickly, usually within two days. You can find the phone numbers for FTC refund programs at ftc.gov/refunds. Our mission is protecting consumers and competition by preventing anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices through law enforcement, advocacy, and education without unduly burdening legitimate business activity. Make smart shopping decisions, know your rights, and solve problems when you shop or donate to charity. If someone contacts you claiming that theyre from the FTC and want you to spend money in order to get a refund, its a scam. Legitimate cashier's checks are nearly risk-free and harder for scam artists to abuse. In one version of the scam, you get a call and a recorded message that says its Amazon. Please tell the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. Spot the latest COVID scams, get compliance guidance, and stay up to date on FTC actions during the pandemic. It is our goal to send payments within 6 months of receiving the data and money necessary for distribution. So, many of us might be looking for alternatives, like buying gifts locally or maybe from online marketplaces or sites you find through your social media accounts, online ads, or by searching Youve opened all your gifts, and now its time to open those post-holiday credit card statements. The chart below includes recent FTC cases that resulted in refunds. They may evenbereal checks written on bank accounts that belong to someone whose identity has been stolen. Bigotry, over aggressiveness, conflicting ideologies, partisan beliefs, history revisionism and questioning fact were used as input. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. We wont post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. Consumer Sentinel data contains millions of reports from people who contacted the FTC, the Better Business Bureau, or other federal, state, and local law enforcement offices about fraud or bad business practices. If the card you used is not on this list, you might find the gift card companys contact information on the card itself. They might say they need you to cover taxes or fees for a prize, to buy supplies for a job, to send back money they overpaid, or something else. Last year, to people who lost money to companies the FTC sued. Lina M. Khan was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission on June 15, 2021. We enforce federal competition and consumer protection laws that prevent anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices. Search the Legal Library instead. Garbage-in Garbage-out. If you think youve been targeted by a fake check scam, report it to. Click on a case name to see more details about the refund program, including whether we sent checks or PayPal payments. If something goes wrong maybe it fails or yields biased results you cant just blame a third-party developer of the technology. If you believe you have been affected by an FTC case that is not listed at ftc.gov/refunds, you can file a complaint at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Whatever it can or cant do, AI is important, and so are the claims you make about it. The FTC never requires you to pay fees or asks you for sensitive information, like your Social Security number or bank account information. For more information about the FTCs refund process, see How the FTC Provides Refunds. What to do about unwanted calls, emails, and text messages that can be annoying, might be illegal, and are probably scams. It can take weeks for a bank to figure out that the check is a fake. If you receive a 1099 tax form with your check, you should report the payment as income on your tax return. You are driving down a rod you see a guy waiting to cut across to get to the other lane so you see him look the other way and see a whole line of car coming so you slow down as you know he was inching forward. BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA - The FTC is sending refund checks to more than 541,000 people who paid for repairs and technical services when they took their computers to Office Depot or Office Max. Has someone asked you for something in exchange for your AMG refund check? The FTC is sending out 541,247 checks averaging $63.35 per check. Heres how it works Acting Associate Director, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC. Marketers should know that for FTC enforcement purposes false or unsubstantiated claims about a products efficacy are our bread and butter. Over the last 5 years, more than 95% of the money collected for refunds has been returned to consumers.