Search Results: Telecommunications

FCC Confirms A.I.-Generated Robocall Voices Are “Artificial” under the TCPA

Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Declaratory Ruling stating that existing federal regulations related to using “an artificial or prerecorded voice” to deliver a telephone message, also encompass voices generated by artificial intelligence (AI).  The ruling does not expand prohibitions or definitions set forth in the applicable…

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Illinois Federal Court Issues Injunction and $28.7 Million Judgment Against Telemarketing Operation

On January 31, the Federal Trade Commission announced that a federal court in Illinois entered final orders against a telemarketing company and its owners as part of a judgment against an allegedly illegal telemarketing scheme. In the lawsuit, the FTC accused the defendants of making millions of illegal, unsolicited calls to people who were…

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FTC Enters Settlement with California-based Lead Generator

On January 2, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it had reached a settlement with a California-based lead generator resolving allegations that the company facilitated illegal telemarketing calls.  This lead generator owned the domain to several websites and sold thousands of leads to third parties for telemarketing purposes. The…

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FCC Proposes Rules To Block Illegal Text Messages and Close the “Lead Generator Loophole”

On February 23, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) seeking public comment on proposed rules targeting unlawful text messages. If the proposed rules are adopted, they will comprise the FCC’s “first action to protect consumers from unwanted and illegal texts.” If adopted,…

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FTC Announces $30 Million Settlement With Operator of For-Profit Post-Secondary Schools

FTC

On August 27, 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it had reached a $30 million settlement with an Illinois-based operator of for-profit post-secondary schools and related subsidiaries resolving allegations that the company used lead generators who engaged in deceptive conduct to market its schools in violation of Section 5(a) of the Federal Trade…

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New York AG Announces Settlement with Student Loan Debt Relief Company

​On August 8, 2019, New York Attorney General Letitia James (“New York AG”) announced a settlement and consent order with a student loan debt relief company, resolving the complaint’s allegations that the company deceived borrowers into paying for debt relief services that are available to the public for free from the federal government…

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FTC and Ohio Secure TRO Against Companies Concerning Alleged Telemarketing Scheme

On July 17, 2019, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (Ohio AG) announced that it and the FTC had secured a temporary restraining order from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas against two companies that allegedly defrauded consumers struggling with credit card debt out of millions of dollars. The complaint alleged that…

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CFPB Settles $25 Million Lawsuit with Debt Settlement Provider

On July 9, 2019, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it settled its lawsuit against the nation’s largest debt-settlement services provider for allegedly engaging in deceptive debt-settlement acts or practices. The company agreed to pay $20 million in restitution to affected consumers and a $5 million civil money penalty….

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CFPB Files Suit Against Credit Repair Companies for Alleged Misrepresentations & Upfront Fees

​On May 2, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) filed suit in the District of Utah against defendants operating two of the largest credit repair companies in the country, alleging that the companies engaged in deceptive acts and practices in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) and Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR)….

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Florida AG and FTC Obtain $23 Million Judgment in Robocall Enforcement Action

On December 14, the Florida Attorney General (AG) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a $23 million federal district court judgment against the owner of an Orlando-based “robocall” operation.  The massive robocall operation tricked consumers into paying upfront fees of $500 to $1500 for false credit card interest-rate-reduction and debt-elimination services,…

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FTC Settles Claims Against Student Loan Debt Relief Company for Over $2.3 Million

FTC

On June 11, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had settled claims against an individual and his loan debt relief companies in connection with its coordinated federal-state enforcement initiative to target deceptive student loan debt relief scams, called “Operation Game of Loans.”  Enforcement Watch covered a similar enforcement action earlier…

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FTC Accuses Student Loan Debt Relief Operation of Deceiving Consumers

Piggy Bank with a Graduation Cap

​On February 7, 2018, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced an enforcement action against a student loan debt relief operation, claiming it deceived consumers out of $28 million by falsely promising that their monthly payments would go towards their student loans. In the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern…

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FTC and Florida AG Announce Settlements in Alleged Fraudulent Debt Relief Scheme

FTC

On November 30, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Florida Attorney General (AG) announced several settlements totaling approximately $27 million in an alleged fraudulent credit card debt reduction scheme.  In a set of stipulated orders, all but one defendant agreed to monetary judgments, as well as bans on future telemarketing, selling debt relief services, and credit…

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FTC and Florida AG Sue Payment Processing Company for Credit Card Processing and Debt Relief Services

On January 8, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission​ (“FTC”) and the Attorney General for the State of Florida​ (“Florida AG”) announced charges against a payment processing business relating to an alleged nationwide debt relief telemarketing scam.  The amended complaint was filed on December 21, 2015 in the United States District Court for the Middle​ District…

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CFPB Enters Consent Agreement with Student Loan Lender Concerning Sales and Billing Practices

On July 23, 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”)​ filed a complaint and proposed consent order in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California in connection with a settlement reached with a student loan lender that offered fee-based assistance to consumers filling out the federal government’s Free Application…

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CFPB and OCC Issue Consent Orders Against National Bank for Credit Card Practices

​On July 21, 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) issued a consent order requiring a national bank and its subsidiaries to provide roughly $700 million in consumer relief due to the bank’s practices relating to its credit card services and add-on products.  The consent order states that a CFPB review of the bank’s practices…

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FTC Releases 2014 Annual Financial Acts Enforcement Report

FTC

On June 9, 2015, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced that it provided its 2014 Annual Financial Acts Enforcement Report (the “Report”) to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) and the Federal Reserve Board.  The 23-page Report, dated May 29, 2015, provided information about enforcement and related activities involving Regulation Z (Truth in…

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