Penalty Amount
$3,000,000
Consumers Affected
1,821
The FTC is returning nearly $3 million to consumers deceived by the Golden Home Services mortgage relief scheme, which falsely promised to reduce homeowners' mortgage payments and prevent foreclosures. A federal court banned the companies and their operators from telemarketing and debt relief businesses and required them to pay millions. The refunds are being mailed to 1,821 affected homeowners.
The court banned the companies and operators from telemarketing and debt relief businesses, required them to pay millions of dollars, and the FTC is returning nearly $3 million to 1,821 affected homeowners via mailed checks.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements with mortgage relief or debt relief service providers, focusing on clauses related to truthful advertising, compliance with FTC rules on telemarketing and debt relief, and indemnification for deceptive practices. Customer agreements should be checked for clear disclosures about services and fees, and any clauses that could be interpreted as false promises. Employee contracts should include training requirements on regulatory compliance and prohibitions against misleading marketing.
Entity
Golden Home Services
Industry
Financial ServicesOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/06/ftc-returns-nearly-3-million-consumers-deceived-mortgage-relief-scheme
ftc california dfpi case leads ban against operators mortgag
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/02/ftc-california-dfpi-case-leads-ban-against-operators-mortgage-relief-scam-home-matters-usa
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"Golden Home Services"
"nearly $3 million"
"falsely promised to reduce homeowners’ mortgage payments and prevent foreclosures"
"banned these companies and their operators from the telemarketing and debt relief businesses"
"1,821 affected homeowners"
"California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation"
$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.
$4.0M
The FTC and Connecticut secured a $4 million settlement with Chase Nissan LLC (doing business as Manchester City Nissan) over allegations the dealership charged consumers unauthorized fees, including double-charging for 'certified pre-owned' vehicles and inserting charges like total loss protection into financing agreements without consent. The settlement requires $4 million in consumer redress, prohibits misrepresentations about vehicle certification and warranties, mandates prominent disclosure of the maximum total vehicle price, and requires express informed consent for all charges.
The FTC filed a complaint against Credit Glory LLC and related entities for deceptive credit repair practices, including false promises, impersonating debt collectors, charging illegal upfront fees, and using negative option billing without consent. A federal court temporarily halted the operation.
The FTC issued a policy statement abandoning disparate-impact liability, stating it will no longer bring claims based on this theory. It also modified compliance obligations for several companies based on past decisions.
The FTC, along with Utah and California, filed a complaint against Hims & Hers alleging the telehealth provider shared consumers' sensitive health information with third-party advertising platforms without consent, and deceived consumers about billing and cancellation practices. The complaint alleges violations of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act.