The FTC obtained a temporary restraining order against NERD Solutions Inc., ED REF Inc., and their operators Natalie Rodriguez and Pablo Ortiz, alleging they operated a deceptive student loan debt relief scheme that impersonated U.S. Department of Education officials and loan servicers to collect illegal upfront fees from consumers. The defendants are accused of violating the FTC Act, Telemarketing Sales Rule, Impersonation Rule, and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, having collected at least $8.8 million from affected consumers. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California issued a temporary restraining order against the defendants to halt their alleged illegal student loan debt relief operations. No monetary penalties or permanent remedies have been imposed to date, as the case is in its early stages.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements with student loan debt relief or financial service providers, telemarketing service contracts, and customer agreements involving student financial data. Key clauses to update include data processing and safeguarding provisions to ensure compliance with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, telemarketing consent and Do Not Call list compliance clauses, fee provisions prohibiting illegal upfront charges for debt relief services, and impersonation prohibitions barring vendors from falsely claiming affiliation with government agencies or loan servicers. Contracts handling student data should also include specific privacy protections aligned with student data regulations.
Entity
NERD Solutions Inc., ED REF Inc., Natalie Rodriguez, Pablo Ortiz
Industry
Financial ServicesOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/04/ftc-stops-operation-allegedly-targeted-people-seeking-student-loan-debt-relief
NERD TRO
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/NERD-TRO.pdf
NERD Complaint
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/NERD-%20Complaint.pdf
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"The FTC’s complaint against NERD Solutions Inc., ED REF Inc., and their operators Natalie Rodriguez and Pablo Ortiz"
"The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered a temporary restraining order in the case on April 13, 2026."
"Federal Trade Commission"
"The defendants are charged with violating the FTC Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, the Impersonation Rule, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act."
"illegally marketed student loan debt relief services by cold calling consumers, thousands of whom are on the National Do Not Call list, and pretending to be affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or consumers’ actual loan servicers."
"The Federal Trade Commission has obtained a temporary restraining order against an alleged student loan debt relief scheme and its operators"
$49.8M
The FTC and four states alleged that Progress Residential and Pretium Partners misled renters about rental prices and fees, improperly withheld security deposits, and engaged in other unlawful conduct. Under a proposed settlement, the companies will pay $49.75 million and must change their pricing, deposit, and customer-service practices.
The FTC and 22 state attorneys general filed an updated complaint alleging that Amazon secretly added surcharges to advertising auction prices and misled advertisers about the reasons for price increases. The release describes newly unredacted allegations; it does not report a judgment, settlement, or monetary penalty.
$600K
The FTC and Washington alleged that Riverside Payments and affiliates misrepresented savings and cancellation terms, concealed fees and auto-renewing contracts, and obtained consumers’ financial information using false or fraudulent statements. The proposed stipulated order requires a $600,000 payment, customer notice and a period to rescind agreements without penalty, and prohibits deceptive claims while requiring clear disclosures, informed consent for negative-option billing, and a simple cancellation method.
FTC staff announced warning letters to 25 healthcare plan marketers and lead generators about deceptive or unfair claims concerning plan benefits, coverage, costs, and enrollment incentives. The letters do not allege wrongdoing by their recipients or impose penalties; they encourage companies to review their advertisements for compliance.
The FTC summarized enforcement actions and other efforts targeting businesses and individuals allegedly impersonating government agencies or legitimate businesses. The release reports more than $80 million in consumer redress across prior actions and takedowns of 19 websites, but it does not announce a new settlement or impose a specific penalty.
The FTC and state and local co-plaintiffs filed a lawsuit alleging Toast imposed hidden and unauthorized fees, enrolled restaurants in add-ons without consent, obstructed subscription cancellations, and misrepresented customer support availability. The complaint is pending in federal court; the press release announces no monetary penalty or imposed remedy.