We must wait for PayPal to return the payment before we can begin processing check reissues. And at the FTC, one thing we know about hot marketing terms is that some advertisers wont be able to stop themselves from overusing and abusing them. Start small, then add on. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. If theres one constant among scammers, its that theyre always coming up with new schemes, like the Google Voice verification scam. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. We wont post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity. 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. humans will need to be able to peer into what is now not transparent, the invisible gut. We wont post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups. How do I file a claim? You don't have to pay for an FTC refund, and you don't have to give any information to cash a refund check. Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams. Its not uncommon for advertisers to say that some new-fangled technology makes their product better perhaps to justify a higher price or influence labor decisions. An official website of the United States government. After letting those initial feelings subside, I think it is a great article and I have sent it to several DOD friends. 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. If you have questions about your AMG refundcheck, go to the FTC'sAMG refundspage, or call the refundsadministrator at 1-866-730-8174. Fake calls from Apple and Amazon support: What you need to know, The Google Voice scam: How this verification code scam works and how to avoid it, Show/hide Shopping and Donating menu items, Show/hide Credit, Loans, and Debt menu items, Show/hide Jobs and Making Money menu items, Money-Making Opportunities and Investments, Show/hide Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts menu items, Show/hide Identity Theft and Online Security menu items. The FTC first sent checks in September 2021, which resulted in more than $2.9 million in refunds. Liable for $280 Million in Consumer Harm Caused by the IWorks Scheme, IWorks Billing Scheme Ringleader Agrees to Settle FTC Charges, I Works Billing Scheme Defendant Agrees to Settle FTC Charges. They are often printed with the names and addresses of legitimate financial institutions. Its not uncommon for advertisers to say that some new-fangled technology makes their product better perhaps to justify a higher price or influence labor decisions. We work to advance government policies that protect consumers and promote competition. 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. Popular banking scams. We review all comments before they are posted, and we wont post comments that dont comply with our commenting policy. Got questions about your refund? 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. Are you promising that your AI product does something better than a non-AI product? 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. If you think you can get away with baseless claims that your product is AI-enabled, think again. After settling with First Data Merchant Services the payment processor that made it possible for this company to collect credit card payments the FTC is sending customers of E.M. Systems & Services 100% of their lost money back. If so, information about how to file a claim will be available at, If you believe you have been affected by an FTC case that is not listed at, For more information about the FTCs refund process, see, Data on FTC refunds are available in interactive online dashboards. The FTC provides answers to common questions about refund payments on. 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. Its safer to go to the website by typing the URL into your browser: Never pay money or give sensitive financial information to get a refund payment from the FTC. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy. Fake checks might look like business or personal checks, cashiers checks, money orders, or a check delivered electronically. If you were a little too jolly with your holiday spending, here are some tips to help you pay down your credit card debt. Advertisers should take another look at our. Looking for legal documents or records? We wont post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions. 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. Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams. Heres how it works Acting Associate Director, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC. 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. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. What to do about unwanted calls, emails, and text messages that can be annoying, might be illegal, and are probably scams. The FTC currently issues payments by check, prepaid debit card,and, A payment or claim form sent as part of an FTC settlement will include an explanation of and details about the case. You dont need a machine to predict what the FTC might do when those claims are unsupported. You need to know about the reasonably foreseeable risks and impact of your AI product before putting it on the market. We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The FTC enforces consumer protection laws to stop illegal business practices and get refunds to people who lost money. Earlier this month, the FTC sent over 10,000 checks totaling over $4 million to fully refund people for the amount they paid to Stark Law, a company that the FTC says collected payments for fake debt by threatening to sue or arrest people who didnt pay. Looking for legal documents or records? Are you aware of the risks? Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams. I'd expect the SEC, FBI, CIA, and especially the FTC to have the most advanced tools to vet and locate rule breakers. Memo from Chair Lina M. Khan to commission staff and commissioners regarding the vision and priorities for the FTC. You can findanswers tocommon questions about refund payments onour FAQ page. Heres what to know about fake check scams. What to know when you're looking for a job or more education, or considering a money-making opportunity or investment. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commissions (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTCscomputer user recordssystem. What to do about unwanted calls, emails, and text messages that can be annoying, might be illegal, and are probably scams. An official website of the United States government. Weve just heard, though, that scammers are trying to get into the act, using fake checks that look like the real one. to remember what Forbidden Planet / Lost in Spaces Robby the Robot said . Have you heard about it? Legitimate cashier's checks are nearly risk-free and harder for scam artists to abuse. The site is secure. 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. The .gov means its official. Whatever it can or cant do, AI is important, and so are the claims you make about it. Slam the next scam and report to law enforcement." During National Consumer Protection Week, IRS-CI will share information on its Twitter account about how to slam a particular scam. We work to advance government policies that protect consumers and promote competition. I didnt cash my check right away. Have you heard about it? Click on a case name to see more details about the refund program, including whether we sent checks or PayPal payments. 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. If you were a little too jolly with your holiday spending, here are some tips to help you pay down your credit card debt. Some of us are actually doing AI/ML and it is a game changer, it just isn't going to be a panacea, just tools to make sense of data and make things quicker and easier. , along with the name of the company issuing payments and a phone number for questions. The FTC first mailed checks for this matter in October 2019 and sent PayPal payments in August 2021, resulting in more than $26.5 million in refunds. Learn about getting and using credit, borrowing money, and managing debt. Breathless media accounts dont help, but it starts with the companies that do the developing and selling. Reportedly, there will be 12,072 checks sent, averaging around $53 each. Here are ways to try to get your money back, depending on how you paid a scammer. In an investigation, FTC technologists and others can look under the hood and analyze other materials to see if whats inside matches up with your claims. The company and phone number for each case are listed on the chart. The FTC never requires you to pay fees or asks you for sensitive information, like your Social Security number or bank account information. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTCsPrivacy Act system notices. Free e-filing tools are available at, You must submit your request in writing by mail or email. Whitney Moore, Attorney, FTC Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents, And what exactly is artificial intelligence anyway? Refund checks will expire on August 3, 2022 (90 days after being sent.) Heres how to spot it. Heres what you need to know about these calls. The .gov means its official. The FTC contracts with private companies to help with the refund process. And all manner of robots serve or control us. The FTC is sending a second round of payments totaling more than $8 million to59,187 peoplewho were lured by the bogus government-grant and money-making schemes promoted by I Works. 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. Right now its a hot one. For questions about your check or the refund process, call the administrator (Rust Consulting) at 1-866-730-8147, or email admin@AMGServicesRefund.com . The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. 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. 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. 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. If there is any money left in the settlement fund after the first distribution, the FTC may send a second round of payments.
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