Stephanie T. Nguyen, Chief Technology Officer, Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents, According to a complaint filed by theFTC,LifeLock, failed to establish and maintain a comprehensive information security program. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. Not that all human knowledge sucked in by AI is garbage . 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. The chart below includes recent FTC cases that resulted in refunds. Please tell the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. The FTC is a federal government agency that gets its budget from Congress. Please call for details. The FTC is sending PayPal payments totaling $4.7 million to 338,189LifeLock customers who were membersbetween 2012 and 2014. 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. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business responsibilities and comply with the law. Spot the latest COVID scams, get compliance guidance, and stay up to date on FTC actions during the pandemic. In reality, the FTC says, consumers paid a fee only to . . You need adequate proof for that kind of comparative claim, too, and if such proof is impossible to get, then dont make the claim. money back to them or buy stuff for them. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission. 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 . 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. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Heres what you need to know about these calls. How long will it take to send out payments? Because there is still money in the fund, the FTC is sending another round of payments to people who previously cashed a check or accepted a PayPal payment and have a valid email address on file. Because there is still money in the fund, the FTC is sending a second payment to everyone who cashed their first check. 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. In one version of the scam, you get a call and a recorded message that says its Amazon. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTCsPrivacy Act system notices. In some cases, this lack of efficacy may exist regardless of what other harm the products might cause. If you have questions about your AMG refundcheck, go to the FTC'sAMG refundspage, or call the refundsadministrator at 1-866-730-8174. Report that to us at, doTERRA distributors charged with making unfounded COVID-19 cure claims, Tenant screening practices: the FTC wants to learn more. Can I speak to someone about my claim form or payment? Whitney Moore, Attorney, FTC Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents, And what exactly is artificial intelligence anyway? Are you promising that your AI product does something better than a non-AI product? Whatever it can or cant do, AI is important, and so are the claims you make about it. What to know when you're looking for a job or more education, or considering a money-making opportunity or investment. We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. 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. Recipients who have questions about their refund should contact the refund administrator, Rust Consulting, at 866-730-8147 or by email at admin@AMGServicesRefund.com. We enforce federal competition and consumer protection laws that prevent anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. And what exactly is artificial intelligence anyway? They always have a good story to explain why you cant keep all the money. We must wait for PayPal to return the payment before we can begin processing check reissues. So far, weve heard that scammers have given job applicants a check that looks like an AMG refund check, and then asked people to deposit the check and use the money to go buy supplies for the supposed employer. Hold Billing Services, Ltd.; Avery Communications, Inc.; Veterans of America Association, Ltd.; et al. Here is a list of gift cards that scammers often use with information to help report a 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. . If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. AI hype is playing out today across many products, from toys to cars to chatbots and a lot of things in between. humans will need to be able to peer into what is now not transparent, the invisible gut. We wont post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity. 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. The company and phone number for each case are listed on the chart. We wont post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions. 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. Before making AI widely available . A.I accelerate till the camer tell it the cars are all stopped. They may evenbereal checks written on bank accounts that belong to someone whose identity has been stolen. 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, Franchises, Business Opportunities, and Investments, FTC says online counseling service BetterHelp pushed people into handing over health information and broke its privacy promises, Next step in FTCs Green Guides review: A closer look at recyclable claims, Tenant screening practices: The FTC wants to hear from you. Has someone asked you for something in exchange for your AMG refund check? The .gov means its official. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. An official website of the United States government. You can find and verify the phone numbers for FTC refund programs at ftc.gov/refunds. To find out which recent FTC cases led to refunds, and who to contact with questions, check out, . Looking for alternatives for your holiday shopping? We work to advance government policies that protect consumers and promote competition. If you get a check, please cash it within 90days. Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams. Like any product, you have to do your research. . Stephanie T. Nguyen, Chief Technology Officer, Michael Atleson, Attorney, FTC Division of Advertising Practices. The FTC provides answers to common questions about refund payments onour FAQ page. According to the FTC case, Avant falsely advertised to customers that it would accept loan payments by card. Are you exaggerating what your AI product can do? 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. 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. An official website of the United States government. But the fact is that some products with AI claims might not even work as advertised in the first place. In addition, the agency is resending checks to more than 33,000 people who didnt previously cash their check. If I accept this payment, can I still take legal action? And in the FTC settlement with ABCmouse, over $9.7 million went back to more than 200,000 people, mostly through PayPal. , which focused on fairness and equity but also said, clearly, not to overpromise what your algorithm or AI-based tool can deliver. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. A total of 17,367 checks worth more than a total of $3.7 million are being sent to borrowers from an FTC settlement with Avant LLC. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy. But scammers try to cause confusion and take advantage at every step. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Please, doTERRA distributors charged with making unfounded COVID-19 cure claims, Tenant screening practices: the FTC wants to learn more. If you get a call from someone who says theyre from the FTC but asks you for money or sensitive information, please tell the real FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. Lina M. Khan was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission on June 15, 2021. You dont need a machine to predict what the FTC might do when those claims are unsupported. Breathless media accounts dont help, but it starts with the companies that do the developing and selling. Memo from Chair Lina M. Khan to commission staff and commissioners regarding the vision and priorities for the FTC. 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 . 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. DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, DANGER! In these cases, we send an email from the FTC (subscribe@subscribe.ftc.gov) to payment recipients prior to payment. If you think you can get away with baseless claims that your product is AI-enabled, think again. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. . The FTC first sent checks in September 2021, which resulted in more than $2.9 million in refunds. After letting those initial feelings subside, I think it is a great article and I have sent it to several DOD friends. Yes, the FTC sometimes uses PayPal to distribute refunds. An official website of the United States government. We wont post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to. 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. Make smart shopping decisions, know your rights, and solve problems when you shop or donate to charity. 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. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. You can find and verify the phone numbers for FTC refund programs at, In these cases, we send an email from the FTC (. ) The site is secure. Looking for alternatives for your holiday shopping? Call the refund administrator, Analytics, at 855-744-1802. The case will be listed at. They might say they need you to cover taxes or fees for a prize, to buy supplies for a job, to send back money they overpaid, or something else. Spot the latest COVID scams, get compliance guidance, and stay up to date on FTC actions during the pandemic. Or can all this be simply ignored? This article do apply to all the trendy or great KPI messages Marketing people provide: Marketing claims should be backed and supported by evidence and proof points. The site is secure. In fact, they're a preferred payment method for large transactions, such as real estate purchases. We wont post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups. 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 didn't pay.
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