Refund amounts will depend on how much the FTC is able to collect from the defendants and how many people lost money. Next-Gen Refund Payments. 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. FTC attorneys and other staff are paid a salary from the agencys annual budget. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. We enforce federal competition and consumer protection laws that prevent anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Stephanie T. Nguyen, Chief Technology Officer, Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents, You can findanswers tocommon questions about refund payments on, 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, Getting In and Out of Free Trials, Auto-Renewals, and Negative Option Subscript, FTC Sends More Than $12 Million in Full Refunds to Victims of Online Billing Scam, Court Holds Terrason Spinks and Jet Processing Inc. Completely agree that movies and media have caused an unfortunate and exaggerated view of AI. We use this information to send refunds. 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. But scammers try to cause confusion and take advantage at every step. FTC refunds $34 million to Office Depot customers Breathless media accounts dont help, but it starts with the companies that do the developing and selling. How can a TEMPORARY PAUSE be put on a technology that is being unleashed faster than high-tech firms can safely deploy / control it? 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. 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. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Payments are expected to be issued between October 2022 and January 2023. 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. with many possible definitions. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. If theres one constant among scammers, its that theyre always coming up with new schemes, like the Google Voice verification scam. 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 site is secure. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission. 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. Generally, the FTC does not issue 1099s or other tax documents to refund recipients. Checks can be verified online at www.ftc.gov/AMG. We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. In one version of the scam, you get a call and a recorded message that says its Amazon. Fake checks might look like business or personal checks, cashiers checks, money orders, or a check delivered electronically. The .gov means its official. In addition, the agency is resending checks to more than 33,000 people who didnt previously cash their check. What to know when you're looking for a job or more education, or considering a money-making opportunity or investment. We told you last month about the $505 million in checks going back to 1.1 million people who got an online payday loan from a company affiliated with AMG Services. The .gov means its official. A.I is just a computer program that hundred of software engineer scan instructions book of topic and write codes in a flow chart of every senecio, it the same as you study and how you recall how it's breakdown to its basic, you know why a. I. autonomous driving will never be had? One of those scams was 8 Figure Dream Lifestyle, which touted a proven business model and told Scammers are calling people and using the names of two companies everyone knows, Apple and Amazon, to rip people off. Youve probably heard: this holiday season, it might be harder to find the gifts youre looking for. Heres what you need to know about these calls. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. 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 . FTC sending checks to student loan borrowers ripped off in scams - CNBC Memo from Chair Lina M. Khan to commission staff and commissioners regarding the vision and priorities for the FTC. Search the Legal Library instead. We wont post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions. Last year, FTC cases returned $483 million to people who lost money to companies the FTC sued. to fully refund people for the amount they paid to, , a company that the FTC says collected payments for fake debt by threatening to sue or arrest people who didnt pay. We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. If you get a check, please cash it within 90days. Because the FTC recovered additional money from the defendants, the agency is sending a second round of payments. humans will need to be able to peer into what is now not transparent, the invisible gut. 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. Spot the latest COVID scams, get compliance guidance, and stay up to date on FTC actions during the pandemic. When people gave their credit or debit card numbers to pay a smallshipping and handling fee, I Works charged them aone-time fee of up to $129.95, followed by monthly fees of up to $59.95, without their consent. An official website of the United States government. We wont post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity. Search the Legal Library instead. Start small, then add on. Youve probably heard: this holiday season, it might be harder to find the gifts youre looking for. 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. Heres how to spot it. You need adequate proof for that kind of comparative claim, too, and if such proof is impossible to get, then dont make the claim. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. You can find the phone numbers for current FTC refunds programs at ftc.gov/refunds. Until the killer robots come If you receive a PayPal payment, you have 30 days to accept it. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect. One of those scams was 8 Figure Dream Lifestyle, which touted a proven business model and told Scammers are calling people and using the names of two companies everyone knows, Apple and Amazon, to rip people off. We wont post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups. The .gov means its official. The FTC reports how much money was returned to consumers, how much was spent on administrative costs, and how much was sent to the U.S. Treasury when there were leftover funds, each year and for every case, on the agencys, Most FTC cases do not require you to file a claim. How long will it take to send out payments? This message is not new. If the agency obtains a reliable list of eligible recipients, then the agency mails checks directly to them. . More than. We work to advance government policies that protect consumers and promote competition. Thanks, Your comments above are So Well stated. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Whitney Moore, Attorney, FTC Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents, And what exactly is artificial intelligence anyway? Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business responsibilities and comply with the law. There is an explosion of companies who 'are doing AI', I see it at all the trade shows, companies that four years ago were skeptical of AI technology now have AI sprinkled on everything they do. Whatever it can or cant do, AI is important, and so are the claims you make about it. I would beg this of the FTC, please apply these principals across the board - to both large and small companies. If you were a little too jolly with your holiday spending, here are some tips to help you pay down your credit card debt. . Ifyou have any otherquestions, please call the refund administrator at1-800-591-4238. Lina M. Khan was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission on June 15, 2021. Looking for legal documents or records? 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. The FTC's interactive dashboards for refund data provide a state-by-state breakdown of FTC refunds. Anyone who does is scamming you. In some cases, this lack of efficacy may exist regardless of what other harm the products might cause. 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 . To avoid these scammers: For more information, please read the FTCs article about phishing scams. If you think you can get away with baseless claims that your product is AI-enabled, think again. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to. 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. Refund checks will expire on August 3, 2022 (90 days after being sent.) We may also use the agencys Consumer Sentinel Network database to find eligible recipients. You can be sure the phone numbers and links on this page are legit. Spot the latest COVID scams, get compliance guidance, and stay up to date on FTC actions during the pandemic. Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business responsibilities and comply with the law. Data on FTC refunds are available in interactive online dashboards. By that time, the scammer has any money you sent, and youre stuck paying the money back to the bank. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect. Search the Legal Library instead. One of those scams was 8 Figure Dream Lifestyle, which touted a proven business model and told Scammers are calling people and using the names of two companies everyone knows, Apple and Amazon, to rip people off. Whenever possible, the FTC uses the money it collects from defendants to provide refunds to injured consumers. The .gov means its official. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission. Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business responsibilities and comply with the law. Looking for legal documents or records? Search the Legal Library instead. Please call for details. In most FTC cases, the money is distributed on a pro rata basis, meaning that each recipient receives an equal percentage of his or her total loss. CI has also created a short video about how to protect yourself from scams, posted on IRS-CI's YouTube page. 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. Right now its a hot one. IRS-CI enlists the public's assistance in slamming the next scam The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. We enforce federal competition and consumer protection laws that prevent anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices. The .gov means its official. 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. on the long-run . The .gov means its official. . Watch for an AdvoCare refund by check or PayPal starting May 5 You need to know about the reasonably foreseeable risks and impact of your AI product before putting it on the market. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. An official website of the United States government. 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? Phishing scams are still prevalent. The site is secure. . . It often refers to a variety of technological tools and techniques that use computation to perform tasks such as predictions, decisions, or recommendations. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to. In one version of the scam, you get a call and a recorded message that says its Amazon. According to the FTC, ABCmouse failed to make it clear to their customers that their memberships would automatically renew and made it difficult to cancel. In these cases, we send an email from the FTC (subscribe@subscribe.ftc.gov) to payment recipients prior to payment. The site is secure. 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. Because the FTC recovered additional money from the defendants, the agency is sending a second round of payments. We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. If you get a check, please cash it within 90 days. The case will be listed at. We wont post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity. Are you exaggerating what your AI product can do? If you get a refund from the FTC, just deposit or cash the check within 60 days. Heres what to know about fake check scams. This message is not new. Hold Billing Services, Ltd.; Avery Communications, Inc.; Veterans of America Association, Ltd.; et al. I Works Refunds | Federal Trade Commission The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. We must wait for PayPal to return the payment before we can begin processing check reissues. 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, If you lost money in a scam, you might get a call or email from someone claiming that they can help you recover your funds , targeting people who lost money to tech support scams, claiming to be from the FTCs Refund Department or Refund Division, If the FTC contacts you about a refund, youll find information about the case at, doTERRA distributors charged with making unfounded COVID-19 cure claims, Tenant screening practices: the FTC wants to learn more. Watch for. It is good, that there seems to be some pushback against the mindless competition that is prematurely unleashing the AI Pandoras Box upon the world. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them.