Penalty Amount
$2,250,000
The FTC alleged that Amazon knowingly violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by refusing to provide transaction records to identity theft victims whose personal information was used to commit fraud. Amazon agreed to pay a $2.25 million civil penalty and is required to comply with FCRA Section 609(e), provide notice to consumers, and contact victims who previously requested records since April 2024.
Amazon must pay $2.25 million in civil penalties, is prohibited from violating FCRA Section 609(e), must provide notice to consumers about how identity theft victims can request records, and must contact consumers who requested records since April 2024 but did not receive them to inform them about available records.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements, particularly those with data processors and customer service providers, to ensure they include clauses requiring compliance with FCRA Section 609(e) for timely provision of transaction records to identity theft victims and law enforcement. Additionally, review data processing agreements to confirm the company can access and deliver such records, and update privacy policies or customer-facing terms to include clear procedures for victims to request records. Vendor contracts should also mandate written policies and training to handle these requests within 30 days, as failure could lead to significant penalties.
Entity
Amazon.com Inc.
Industry
RetailOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/06/ftc-requires-amazon-pay-225-million-resolve-charges-it-knowingly-violated-fair-credit-reporting-act
Amazon Complaint
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Amazon-Complaint.pdf
Amazon ConsentMotionforOrder
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Amazon-ConsentMotionforOrder.pdf
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"Amazon.com Inc."
"Amazon will pay $2.25 million in civil penalties"
"Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)"
"Section 609(e) of the FCRA"
"refusing to provide transaction records to consumers whose personal information was used by identity thieves to commit fraud"
"the complaint alleged that in numerous instances, Amazon.com Inc. failed to comply with Section 609(e) of the FCRA, which requires companies to, within 30 days of a consumer’s request, provide victims of identity theft with application and business transaction records about fraudulent transactions made in their names"
$12.0M
The FTC alleged that payment processor Humboldt Merchant Services knowingly processed payments for more than 1,000 shell merchant entities serving as fronts for fraudulent companies engaged in unauthorized billing scams, despite red flags including chargeback rates nearly 10 times higher than card-brand thresholds. Under the proposed stipulated order filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Humboldt will pay $12 million for consumer redress and is permanently banned from processing payments for merchants with a heightened risk of potential fraud.
$4.8M
The FTC charged Canada-based payment processor Nuvei Corporation and its subsidiaries with knowingly processing payments for fraudulent merchants, including more than $30 million in payments for the Reimage tech support scam from 2017 to 2023, as well as merchants making false earnings claims and impersonating government tax authorities. Under the stipulated order filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, Nuvei will pay $4.85 million for consumer redress, is banned from serving tech support telemarketers, and must implement robust merchant screening and chargeback monitoring practices. Note: this is a payments-fraud facilitation action under the FTC Act and Telemarketing Sales Rule, not a data privacy violation.
The FTC announced a seven-day extension of the public comment period on its proposed enforcement policy statement regarding personalized pricing, pushing the deadline from Sept. 18, 2026 to Sept. 25, 2026. Personalized pricing refers to using personal data to set prices based on what the company believes an individual consumer is willing to spend. This is a procedural announcement about draft agency guidance, not an enforcement action against any company, and no entity was named, no violation found, and no penalty imposed.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser joined the FTC and 22 state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against Amazon for manipulating the auctions used to set advertising prices, replacing actual auction results with higher prices since 2019 and overcharging nearly 1.2 million U.S. advertising customers. The FTC estimates total improper surcharges from 2018 to 2026 exceed $20 billion, with costs ultimately passed to shoppers through higher prices. The states seek a permanent injunction and monetary relief; no penalty has been imposed yet as this is a newly filed complaint.
$930K
The FTC finalized orders requiring CMG Media Corporation (doing business as Cox Media Group), MindSift LLC, and 1010 Digital Works LLC to pay a total of $930,000 for falsely claiming they offered an AI-powered service that could target ads based on conversations captured from consumers' smart devices, and that consumers had opted into such targeting. The orders also prohibit the companies from making misrepresentations about their advertising services, voice data collection, and consumer consent.
The FTC announced it is seeking public comment on a proposed enforcement policy statement regarding personalized pricing, which is the use of personal data to set prices based on what a company believes an individual consumer is willing to spend. The statement warns that undisclosed collection or use of personal data for personalized pricing could violate the FTC Act's prohibition on unfair or deceptive practices. The Commission voted 2-0 to authorize the Federal Register notice.