Penalty Amount
$103,420
The FTC distributed refunds to consumers who purchased deceptively marketed treatment plans from Golden Sunrise Nutraceutical. The company and its medical director were barred from making unsupported health claims about curing COVID-19, cancer, and Parkinson's disease after a court order in September 2025. Over $40,700 was sent to 578 consumers, with additional claims possible until May 2026.
Defendants were ordered to pay $103,420 in monetary penalties, barred from making unsupported health claims in the future, and required to provide refunds to affected consumers totaling over $40,700.
In-house legal teams should review all customer-facing agreements (including sales contracts, terms of service, and marketing partnership agreements) and vendor agreements where marketing materials or product descriptions are provided. Focus on representations and warranties clauses regarding the accuracy of marketing claims, compliance with FTC Act Section 5, and product efficacy statements. Specific clauses to scrutinize include those governing marketing material approval processes, indemnification for regulatory actions, and termination rights for breach of compliance obligations. Changes may be needed to require pre-approval of any health-related claims, mandate documented scientific evidence for efficacy statements, and include explicit prohibitions against claiming products can cure specific diseases like COVID-19, cancer, or Parkinson's without FDA review and approval.
Entity
Golden Sunrise Nutraceutical, Inc.
Also known as: Golden Sunrise Nutraceutical
Industry
HealthcareOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/02/ftc-sends-checks-consumers-who-bought-certain-products-golden-sunrise-nutraceutical-between-2017
promoter 23000 covid 19 treatment plan barred making bogus h
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2021/06/promoter-23000-covid-19-treatment-plan-barred-making-bogus-health-claims
GoldenSunrise Order
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/GoldenSunrise-Order.pdf
ftc announces refund claims process consumers who bought dec
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-announces-refund-claims-process-consumers-who-bought-deceptively-marketed-golden-sunrise
GoldenSunrise
https://www.ftc.gov/GoldenSunrise
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"Golden Sunrise Nutraceutical, Inc."
"ordered to pay $103,420"
"deceptively advertising a $23,000 treatment plan as a scientifically proven way to treat COVID-19, and used false or unproven claims that other treatment plans could cure cancer and Parkinson’s disease"
"578 affected consumers"
"In September 2025"
"barred them from making unsupported health claims in the future"
The FTC sent warning letters to 12 companies offering 'nudify' tools that generate nonconsensual intimate images, for failing to comply with the TAKE IT DOWN Act (TIDA) by not providing a mechanism for victims to request removal of such content. The letters urge immediate compliance with TIDA, which requires platforms to remove nonconsensual intimate images within 48 hours of a valid request. Noncompliant companies may face future legal action and civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation.
The FTC began enforcing the TAKE IT DOWN Act on May 19, 2026, a law requiring covered platforms to establish a process for victims to request removal of nonconsensual intimate images and delete such content within 48 hours of a valid request. The agency launched a consumer complaint portal, issued compliance guidance for businesses and consumers, and sent reminder letters to major platforms including Meta, TikTok, and X about their obligations under the law. No specific penalties or enforcement actions against individual companies were announced in this release.
$6.5M
A federal court held Cliq Inc. and its executives Andrew Phillips and John Blaugrund in civil contempt for multiple violations of a 2015 FTC order requiring the payment processor to prevent enabling consumer fraud. The court found the defendants facilitated fraud by processing transactions for high-risk merchants, avoiding fraud monitoring, failing to conduct required underwriting, and ignoring chargeback thresholds. The court imposed $6.5 million in civil contempt sanctions against the defendants.
$795.8M
The FTC and State of Nevada settled charges with lead defendants of the IM Mastery Academy MLM scheme, including Chris and Isis Terry and their affiliated companies, over false earnings claims used to promote financial training programs and a multi-level marketing venture. The stipulated order imposes a $795.8 million judgment, with defendants surrendering nearly $90 million in assets including luxury real estate, vehicles, jewelry, and a yacht, totaling over $100 million with prior judgments from other involved defendants. The order also bans defendants from selling trading-training services, prohibits false earnings claims, and restricts deceptive practices including negative-option misrepresentations and telemarketing violations.
The FTC and State of Illinois, via the Department of Justice, filed a complaint against B.E.S.T. GDR LLC (d/b/a Premium Home Service) and its owner Yosef Bernath for creating thousands of fake home repair business listings with fabricated five-star reviews to deceive consumers. The defendants allegedly routed consumer calls to unqualified representatives, arranged for unlicensed technicians, and violated the FTC Act, Reviews and Testimonials Rule, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and Illinois consumer protection laws. No monetary penalty has been imposed yet as the case is in initial filing stages.
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson sent letters to over a dozen major technology companies reminding them of their obligation to comply with the Take It Down Act (TIDA) by May 19, 2026. TIDA requires covered platforms to establish a process for victims, including children, to request removal of nonconsensual intimate images, with takedown of content and all identical copies required within 48 hours of a valid request. The FTC also issued supplemental guidance to help companies prepare for compliance and warned that it will monitor and enforce violations of the law.