Articles Posted in FTC Consumer Protection Highlights

The Federal Trade Commission will host a workshop entitled “Fraud Affects Every Community” on Oct. 29, 2014, in Washington to examine how fraud affects groups including older adults, United States service members and veterans, low-income communities, and African-Americans, Latinos, Asians Americans, and Native Americans. According to the FTC, this workshop is intended to examine the…

On September 5, 2014, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced that it is retracting the proposed settlement agreement with Phoebe Putney Health System, Inc (“Phoebe”), for the extended antitrust litigation regarding its acquisition of its rival Palmyra Park Hospital (“Palmyra”) in Albany, Georgia. The FTC decided to retract its initial proposed settlement, which included no…

On April 11, 2014, the FTC won a court judgment against an illegal immigrant services scam. The court has ordered the defendants, Manuel and Lola Alban of Loma International Business Group, Inc. liable for $616,000 in refunds to Spanish immigrants. The court noted the severe nature of the case due to the amount of harm…

On March 5, 2014, the FTC announced that it has stepped up its enforcement efforts of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. According to FTC’s press release, while its debt collection efforts in the past have focused on research and consumer education, the Commission has focused on law enforcement efforts in recent years, especially after…

On February 19, 2014, the FTC settled with several companies and individuals, banning them from selling business, “mystery shopper” and “work-at-home scams,” in addition to surrendering their assets to the FTC. These scams seek to trick customers to sign-up for “work-at-home” and “mystery shopper” schemes with an upfront fee, and then charging the members a…

On January 24, 2014, the FTC won its court battle against St. Luke’s Health System’s acquisition of a large primary physician group – the Saltzer Medical Group – in Nampa, Idaho. Background  In March 2013, the FTC filed a complaint for an injunction against St. Luke’s, alleging that the Saltzer acquisition, which was not reportable…

On December 17, 2012, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz announced that the Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection will leave at the end of the year. David C. Vladeck will leave the position and return to the Georgetown University Law Center faculty community. Charles A. Harwood will serve as Acting Director of…

On January 13, 2012, the FTC issued proposed amendments to Parts 2 and 4 of its Rules of Practice (“Rules”). Written comments must be received by March 23, 2012. The FTC first raised the need to reform Part 2 citing a substantial risk of delay and mistakes in the FTC’s discovery process based on the…