1,509 enforcement actions from 16 federal and state jurisdictions. Every event traced back to its official government source.
1,509
Total Actions
16
Jurisdictions
$26.6B+
Total Fines Tracked
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong secured $1.2 million in restitution for 40,841 state consumers as part of a multistate $141 million settlement with Intuit Inc., the owner of TurboTax. The settlement resolves allegations that Intuit deceived low-income consumers into paying for tax preparation services that were offered for free through the IRS Free File program by using deceptive marketing tactics and confusing product names. Intuit must pay restitution, suspend its 'free, free, free' ad campaign, and implement business practice reforms.
$141.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general in urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to prohibit mortgage servicers from charging convenience fees. The coalition argues that these fees are exploitative and unfair, as homeowners have no choice in their servicers and fees often exceed the actual cost of processing payments. They request that the CFPB either ban such fees or limit them to actual costs, and require servicers to document their costs.
A coalition of 44 attorneys general, led by Connecticut AG William Tong, urged TikTok and Snapchat to implement parental control apps to help parents monitor their children's social media usage and protect them from online harms such as bullying, self-harm, and exposure to inappropriate content. The attorneys general highlighted research showing high rates of teens encountering nudity, drug-related content, violence, and bullying on these platforms. They argue that parental control apps can alert parents to dangerous situations and save lives.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $601,759 settlement with American Medical Response of Connecticut (AMR-CT) for overbilling the state Medicaid program by billing for Advanced Life Support services when only Basic Life Support was provided, and even when local fire departments had already provided and billed for those services. AMR-CT also entered a consent agreement with the Department of Public Health requiring it to cease improper billing, comply with reporting requirements for one year, and pay a $25,000 civil penalty.
$627K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general to submit comments to the CFPB, urging robust consumer protections for buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) lenders. The coalition expressed concerns that BNPL loans may trap consumers in debt through hidden fees, inadequate disclosures, and improper data monetization practices.
The Connecticut Attorney General settled with PCA Pain Care Center and its owner for overbilling Medicaid by using higher billing codes than warranted for services provided. They paid $1 million to resolve allegations under the Connecticut False Claims Act.
$1.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced settlements with four hearing aid companies for marketing their products as 'FDA-approved' when no such approval exists. The companies will collectively pay $40,000 and cease such marketing practices. The investigation underscores that over-the-counter hearing aids are not FDA-approved and consumers should be wary of such claims.
$40K
Connecticut Attorney General filed a $5 million stipulation judgment against Safe Home Security for repeated non-compliance with court-ordered consumer protection measures, including blocking contract terminations and misrepresenting terms. The judgment requires immediate payment of $1 million and suspends $4 million pending compliance, with an independent monitor for five years.
$5.0M
In March 2022, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced that Connecticut is co-leading a multistate investigation into T-Mobile's 2021 data breach, which affected over 53 million individuals. The breach compromised sensitive data including names, dates of birth, Social Security Numbers, and driver's license information. Tong urged affected consumers to take protective steps such as credit monitoring and freezes.
Attorney General William Tong led a coalition of 42 states and territories to urge the FDA to preserve state consumer protection authorities for over-the-counter hearing aids, concerned that the proposed rule could preempt state laws and lack adequate age verification and labeling requirements.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $1.85 billion multistate settlement with student loan servicer Navient for unfair and deceptive servicing practices. Navient steered borrowers into costly forbearances and originated predatory loans, resulting in debt relief for over 66,000 borrowers and restitution for 350,000 federal loan borrowers. The settlement includes a $142.5 million payment to attorneys general and conduct reforms to improve servicing practices.
$142.5M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general in urging the FCC to require gateway providers to implement STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication and take additional measures to block foreign-based illegal robocalls that scam Americans.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a public warning following the FinalSite ransomware attack that disrupted school websites and communication systems nationwide. He urged all businesses and government entities to strengthen their data security practices and provided a detailed list of preventive measures. The AG also announced a new online form to help businesses comply with breach notification obligations for Connecticut residents.
The Connecticut Attorney General announced an enforcement action against Associated Community Services for operating a massive telefunding scheme that bombarded 67 million consumers with 1.3 billion deceptive fundraising calls, fraudulently collecting over $110 million. The action resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and a permanent prohibition from fundraising, forcing the sale of assets purchased with illegal proceeds.
Attorney General William Tong issued a public warning about unregulated and illegal cannabis edibles sold in packaging that mimics popular snack foods, posing significant risks to children through accidental THC overdose. The AG highlighted the dangers of these look-alike products and urged reporting, while noting that legal cannabis sales in Connecticut will enforce strict packaging standards.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led a coalition of 14 attorneys general in demanding that Facebook disclose whether members of the 'Disinformation Dozen' were granted XCheck protections, which allow users to bypass enforcement rules. The coalition seeks information on the extent of anti-vaccine content from whitelisted users and complaint outcomes.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong requested a meeting with TikTok leadership to address the harmful impact of viral challenges like 'Devious Licks' and 'Slap a Teacher' on student and educator safety. The AG criticized TikTok's enforcement of its terms of service and urged reforms to prevent the spread of dangerous content.
Attorney General William Tong released an update on the implementation of the Anti-Robocall Principles signed in 2019. Telecom companies have identified over 52 billion spam calls and blocked 32.5 billion, but robocalls continue to cause significant financial losses. Enforcement actions have increased with thousands of tracebacks and investigations.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle Seagull issued a consumer warning following Tropical Storm Henri about common disaster-related scams, including fraudulent contractors, fake charities, job scams, and used car scams. The release provides specific advice for consumers on how to verify contractors and charities and avoid common scam tactics.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $678,901 settlement with L.A. Vision and optician Lisa Azinheira for overbilling the state Medicaid program. The providers billed for non-medically necessary vision services and extra eyeglasses for children. In addition to restitution, they must comply with a federal Integrity Agreement requiring audits, training, and compliance measures.
$679K
Attorney General William Tong of Connecticut joined a multistate amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, supporting a lawsuit that challenges the Trump administration's 2019 Borrower Defense Rule. The rule weakened protections for students defrauded by for-profit schools by making it harder to obtain federal student loan debt relief. The amicus brief argues that the rule is arbitrary and capricious and should be eliminated.
Connecticut Attorney General and agencies settled with Town Square Energy for deceptive marketing, including misrepresenting rates and enrolling customers without consent. Town Square must pay $400,000 to Operation Fuel and cease in-person marketing for 15 months.
$400K
Attorney General William Tong of Connecticut joined a multistate coalition of 37 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against Google alleging antitrust violations related to the Google Play Store and Google Billing. The lawsuit claims Google used its dominance to restrict competition, force developers to use Google Billing, and charge high commissions up to 30%. The action seeks to restore competition in the app market and halt Google's anticompetitive practices.
Attorney General William Tong praised the Connecticut House for passing legislation to strengthen price gouging laws. The bill addresses three shortcomings in the current statute by expanding its application to the entire supply chain, clearly defining price gouging as an 'unconsciously excessive price', and including rentals and leases. The legislation now proceeds to the Senate for consideration.
All data sourced from official government enforcement pages.