is refund check from ftc legit is refund check from ftc legit

The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. We wont post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. couch and chair set leather Earn Perks With A New Checking Account Looking for legal documents or records? 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. An official website of the United States government. businesses to avoid using automated tools that have biased or discriminatory impacts. Or can all this be simply ignored? For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy. Marketers should know that for FTC enforcement purposes false or unsubstantiated claims about a products efficacy are our bread and butter. We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. Popular banking scams. 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. After that and some critical thinking, folks can ask the questions you laid out above and make their judgements. We wont post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions. Will I receive any more money? An official website of the United States government. Because there is still money in the fund, the FTC is sending a second payment to everyone who cashed their first check. We review all comments before they are posted, and we wont post comments that dont comply with our commenting policy. Click on a case name to see more details about the refund program, including whether we sent checks or PayPal payments. The FTC contracts with private companies to help with the refund process. Report that to us at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. In cases where the FTC is required to report payments to the IRS, the agency will include a 1099 tax form with your check. Weve already warned businesses to avoid using automated tools that have biased or discriminatory impacts. Does the product actually use AI at all? You dont need a machine to predict what the FTC might do when those claims are unsupported. How to protect your personal information and privacy, stay safe online, and help your kids do the same. Dont click on any links in emails that seem to be from the FTC or from PayPal. You don't have to pay for an FTC refund, and you don't have to give any information to cash a refund check. Memo from Chair Lina M. Khan to commission staff and commissioners regarding the vision and priorities for the FTC. If you have questions about your AMG refund check, go to the FTC's AMG refunds page, or call the refunds administrator at 1-866-730-8174. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. 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. The Federal Trade Commission announced this week that it would send thousands of checks totaling more than $822,000 to student loan borrowers who lost money in a debt-relief scheme. Over the last 5 years, more than 95% of the money collected for refunds has been returned to consumers. After letting those initial feelings subside, I think it is a great article and I have sent it to several DOD friends. Sometimes the FTC is able to return money to people who were ripped off in a con artists scheme. Legitimate cashier's checks are nearly risk-free and harder for scam artists to abuse. 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. 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. Search the Legal Library instead. You can be sure the phone numbers and links on this page are legit. DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, DANGER! 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. The FTC states that all refund checks should be cashed within 60 days and that if there are any questions about the refunds, recipients should contact the FTC's refund administrator, Epiq, at 1 . For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy. The FTC sued I Works for false advertising and for billing customers without their consent. Before labeling your product as AI-powered, note also that merely using an AI tool in the development process is not the same as a product having AI in it. None of the money collected in FTC lawsuits goes to the FTC or its attorneys. Search the Legal Library instead. If you were a little too jolly with your holiday spending, here are some tips to help you pay down your credit card debt. . Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business responsibilities and comply with the law. An official website of the United States government. 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. To find out which recent FTC cases led to refunds, and who to contact with questions, check out ftc.gov/refunds. . 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. Spot the latest COVID scams, get compliance guidance, and stay up to date on FTC actions during the pandemic. The .gov means its official. If you are eligible, you will automatically receive a payment. Thank you to have the clarity and courage to say this, and to say it so well. 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. 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. Thanks, Your comments above are So Well stated. Looking for alternatives for your holiday shopping? Weve just heard, though, that scammers are trying to get into the act, using fake checks that look like the real one. If we know of a company that is lying to the public about its AI capability, is there a way to report that? 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. If you'd like to know more about how the refund program works, visit this page about the FTC's process. If theres one constant among scammers, its that theyre always coming up with new schemes, like the Google Voice verification scam. Heres what you need to know if you get a check from the FTCs settlement with AMG: Has someone asked you for something in exchange for your AMG refund check? 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. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. If you think youve been targeted by a fake check scam, report it to. And its happy news when those cases result in refunds. Anticipation" same as cars in front you turn right, you can see ahead it all stopped. Please tell the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. You need adequate proof for that kind of comparative claim, too, and if such proof is impossible to get, then dont make the claim. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. Whenever possible, the FTC uses the money it collects from defendants to provide refunds to injured consumers. Learn about getting and using credit, borrowing money, and managing debt. But the fact is that some products with AI claims might not even work as advertised in the first place. Looking for legal documents or records? Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. 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. Checks can be verified online at www.ftc.gov/AMG. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. If theres one constant among scammers, its that theyre always coming up with new schemes, like the Google Voice verification scam. 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. If something goes wrong maybe it fails or yields biased results you cant just blame a third-party developer of the technology. 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. Lina M. Khan was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission on June 15, 2021. We work to advance government policies that protect consumers and promote competition. Learn about getting and using credit, borrowing money, and managing debt. The FTC may search for reports related to the defendants and use the contact information in those complaints to create a list of potential refund recipients. 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. An official website of the United States government. humans will need to be able to peer into what is now not transparent, the invisible gut. To get data about this mailing - like how many checks went to your state or the percentage of checks cashed so far - visit the FTC's interactive dashboard for refund data. . with many possible definitions. We wont post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions. The FTC works to fulfill its mission in many ways, including bringing cases against companies who are being unfair or deceptive. Under a settlement with the FTC, Hold Billing Services (also known as BillingServices Group) admitted to violating a previous court order when the companyadded third-party charges to peoples home phone bills between July 2009 and March 2010. Heres what you need to know about these calls. And remember that the FTC will never ask you to pay money or give your account info to get a refund. If you have any questions about how your payment may affect your taxes, please consult a tax advisor. The chart below includes recent FTC cases that resulted in refunds. The .gov means its official. Youve probably heard: this holiday season, it might be harder to find the gifts youre looking for. If you have questions about your AMG refundcheck, go to the FTC'sAMG refundspage, or call the refundsadministrator at 1-866-730-8174. How can a TEMPORARY PAUSE be put on a technology that is being unleashed faster than high-tech firms can safely deploy / control it? If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. Lots of scammers use fake checks to get your money. Ifyou have any otherquestions, please call the refund administrator at1-800-591-4238. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The FTC never requires you to pay fees or asks you for sensitive information, like your Social Security number or bank account information. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. Generally, after the initial distribution, we process check reissues once a month. Reportedly, there will be 12,072 checks sent, averaging around $53 each. CI has also created a short video about how to protect yourself from scams, posted on IRS-CI's YouTube page. I requested a check reissue. Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams. . 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. We wont post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups. We wont post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity. Memo from Chair Lina M. Khan to commission staff and commissioners regarding the vision and priorities for the FTC. Youve probably heard: this holiday season, it might be harder to find the gifts youre looking for. The FTC says the checks total more than $11 million, and are for victims of a scheme operated by E.M. Systems and Services, who used a variety of fake business names and websites to cold call . Data on FTC refunds are available in interactive online dashboards. Why didnt I get all my money back? Got questions about your refund? If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. In some cases, this lack of efficacy may exist regardless of what other harm the products might cause. 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.