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"
The FTC filed a complaint alleging that GovAssist LLC, Entry LLC, and Scott Zuckerman used deceptive paid search ads, misleading service and pricing claims, and fake reviews to deceive consumers seeking passport services. The complaint alleges violations of the FTC Act, the Impersonation Rule, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act; the case will be decided by the court, and no penalty or remedy is reported as imposed.
The FTC issued its annual report to Congress describing fraud trends affecting older adults and the agency’s enforcement, education, and outreach efforts. The report is not a specific privacy enforcement action and announces no penalty or remedy.
The FTC referred a complaint against REPS & Company Inc. and company executives, alleging they bypassed ticket-issuer security controls and purchasing limits to acquire millions of tickets for resale. The complaint was filed by the Department of Justice, and the case will be decided by the court; the press release does not report a penalty or other remedy imposed.
$106.8M
A federal court entered a $106.8 million default judgment against corporate defendants in an alleged debt-relief scheme that impersonated banks and government entities and targeted seniors and veterans. The judgment permanently bans the defendants from the debt-relief industry and imposes additional prohibitions, including on impersonation, telemarketing, and misrepresentations.
The FTC sued Digital Forensics Corporation LLC and affiliated defendants, alleging they misled sextortion victims with promises of investigative and monitoring services that often were not provided, and used fake positive reviews. A federal court granted the FTC’s request to temporarily halt the defendants’ activities; the complaint remains for the court to decide.
The FTC alleged that Greenway Auto Group advertised vehicle prices thousands of dollars below the amounts consumers actually paid and used mailers falsely suggesting recipients had won cash prizes. Greenway agreed to an order requiring transparent pricing and prohibiting deceptive prize mailers and other misrepresentations; the press release does not state a monetary penalty.