1,338 enforcement actions from 14 federal and state jurisdictions. Every event traced back to its official government source.
1,338
Total Actions
14
Jurisdictions
$50.6B+
Total Fines Tracked
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.
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.
$6.5M
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.
$795.8M
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.
The FTC settled charges with data broker Kochava, Inc. and its subsidiary Collective Data Solutions (CDS) over allegations that they sold precise location data from hundreds of millions of mobile devices without consumer consent, enabling tracking of visits to sensitive locations like reproductive health clinics and places of worship. The settlement prohibits the companies from selling or sharing sensitive location data without affirmative express consumer consent, and imposes compliance requirements including a sensitive location data program, supplier consent assessments, incident reporting, and data retention schedules. No monetary penalty was imposed.
The FTC settled allegations against Steven and Gina Merritt, high-level participants in the LifeWave MLM company, for making false and unsubstantiated earnings claims to recruit workers despite most LifeWave participants earning little to no money. The stipulated final order prohibits the Merritts from making deceptive earnings representations and requires them to notify their downline participants of the order's prohibitions. No monetary penalty was imposed.
The FTC filed a complaint and obtained a temporary restraining order against six defendants operating a deceptive health care scheme that impersonated government and insurance carriers to sell fake comprehensive health plans. The defendants allegedly charged consumers without express informed consent, failed to disclose material terms including cancellation processes, and misled consumers into paying for inadequate coverage that left many with substantial medical debt. The FTC seeks refunds for affected consumers and alleges violations of the FTC Act, Telemarketing Sales Rule, Impersonation Rule, and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
Following an FTC investigation, a federal court granted summary judgment against timeshare exit scheme operator Christopher Carroll, ordering him to pay $140 million total ($95 million in consumer redress, $45 million civil penalty) for defrauding consumers out of over $90 million. The scheme used deceptive direct mail and in-person pitches, falsely claimed affiliation with timeshare companies, failed to provide refunds, and violated the FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule by forcing consumers to sign non-cancellable contracts. Carroll is also permanently banned from marketing timeshare exit services or engaging in deceptive door-to-door sales.
$140.0M
This press release announces the FTC's testimony before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on April 15, 2026, outlining the agency's priorities including consumer privacy protection, competition enforcement, and implementation of the TAKE IT DOWN Act. No specific enforcement action against a private entity is announced in this release.
The FTC announced an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public comment on a potential nationwide rule to address unfair or deceptive fee practices by online food and grocery delivery platforms. The ANPRM covers requirements for disclosing total prices, fees, variable charges, price differentials, and promotion terms. Past FTC enforcement actions against Instacart and Grubhub for deceptive fee practices are cited as evidence of ongoing issues in the industry.
The FTC announced three separate settlements with companies making false 'Made in USA' claims: TouchTunes (electronic dartboards, $625k consumer redress), Americana Liberty and related parties (flags and flagpoles, $167,743 redress), and Oak Street Bootmakers (footwear, $75k redress). The companies violated the FTC Act, Made in USA Labeling Rule, and for Americana Liberty, the Textile Act and Rules, by making unqualified origin claims for products with significant imported components or wholly imported from China. Each settlement prohibits future misrepresentations of U.S. origin and requires consumer notices.
$868K
The FTC alleged that Forever Living and its operators deceived consumers with false earnings claims about their MLM opportunity, where most participants made no money or lost money after expenses. The stipulated settlement order prohibits the defendants from making deceptive earnings claims, requires substantiation for all earnings representations, and bars misrepresentations about participant income or recruitment success. No monetary penalty was imposed.
The FTC alleged that Vanilla Chip LLC (d/b/a TruHeight) deceptively advertised height-enhancing supplements for children and teens without competent scientific evidence, and used fake employee-written and incentivized 5-star reviews. The proposed settlement requires TruHeight and its principals to pay $750,000, bars false health claims, and prohibits misleading review practices. A $4 million total judgment is partially suspended due to the respondents' inability to pay the full amount.
$750K
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 FTC alleged that Publishing.com LLC and its principals misled consumers with unsubstantiated earnings claims about their self-publishing programs, failed to disclose material connections with testimonial writers, and imposed hidden conditions on refund requests. The company agreed to pay a $1.5 million penalty and is subject to a proposed consent order prohibiting deceptive earnings claims, misrepresentations about refunds, and undisclosed endorsements. The consent agreement is subject to a 30-day public comment period before becoming final.
$1.5M
The FTC settled allegations against Stormy Wellington, a high-level multilevel marketing (MLM) participant, for using false and unsubstantiated earnings claims to recruit new members for Total Life Changes and Farmasi MLMs. The stipulated final order prohibits Wellington from making deceptive earnings representations, requires written substantiation of all earnings claims, and mandates notification to her downline participants about the order’s prohibitions. No monetary penalty was imposed.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it submitted a draft Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) regarding online food delivery service fees to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review on April 10, 2026. The ANPRM is classified as a 'significant regulatory action' under Executive Orders 12866 and 14215, requiring review by OIRA before public issuance. This press release does not describe an enforcement action against a private entity, nor any privacy-related violations or penalties.
The FTC settled charges with StubHub Holdings, Inc. for violating the FTC Act and the FTC’s Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees by failing to disclose total ticket prices including all mandatory fees up-front on its website. StubHub will pay $10 million, which will be used to provide refunds to eligible consumers who purchased live event tickets between May 12 and 14, 2025. The stipulated final order also prohibits StubHub from misrepresenting pricing, fees, or material transaction facts, and requires full compliance with the Fees Rule’s disclosure requirements.
$10.0M
The FTC and Maryland Attorney General announced a settlement with Lindsay Automotive Group resolving allegations of deceptive pricing practices, including advertising falsely low car prices and charging unwanted add-ons, costing consumers over $75 million. Lindsay will provide over $75 million in refunds to eligible consumers and pay a $3.1 million civil penalty to Maryland. The settlement also prohibits deceptive advertising practices and requires clear disclosure of total vehicle prices and express consumer consent for charges.
$3.1M
The FTC settled with Humor Rainbow, Inc. (operator of OkCupid) and Match Group Americas over allegations that OkCupid deceived users by sharing personal data including photos and location information with an unauthorized third party, contrary to its privacy policy promises to inform users and provide opt-out opportunities. The settlement permanently prohibits the companies from misrepresenting their data collection, use, disclosure, and privacy control practices. No monetary penalty was imposed.
FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson issued warning letters to the CEOs of four major payment and financial infrastructure providers regarding concerns about debanking law-abiding customers based on political or religious views. The letters remind the companies of their obligations to customers under the FTC Act, warn that inconsistent denials of service could trigger investigations and enforcement, and reference President Trump’s 2025 executive order prohibiting debanking due to political affiliations, religious beliefs, or lawful business activities.
Consumer fraud enforcement action where the FTC settled with Air AI for misleading entrepreneurs with false earnings and refund guarantees. The company will be banned from marketing business opportunities and pay a suspended $18 million judgment with $50,000 for consumer relief. Violations included failure to provide required disclosures and false claims under the Telemarketing Sales Rule and Business Opportunity Rule.
$18.0M
On March 20, 2026, FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson directed FTC staff to form a Healthcare Task Force to coordinate healthcare enforcement and advocacy efforts. The task force will focus on targeted enforcement initiatives, agencywide investigation strategies, amicus opportunities, and identifying emerging enforcement priorities. It will also seek partnerships with other federal agencies including HHS and DOJ to advance healthcare competition and consumer protection.
Consumer fraud enforcement action where the FTC settled with Xponential Fitness for violating the Franchise Rule by misrepresenting key information to franchisees, including time to open and costs. The settlement includes a $17 million monetary judgment for redress and prohibits future misrepresentations.
$17.0M
Consumer fraud and advertising enforcement action where the FTC sent warning letters to 97 auto dealership groups for deceptive pricing practices, such as advertising prices that exclude mandatory fees, misleading consumers about total costs. The letters stress the need for truthful and transparent pricing in the automotive industry.
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment on an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to address unfair or deceptive rental housing fee practices, including hidden mandatory fees not disclosed in advertised rent. The proposed rule would require clear disclosure of total rent and all associated fees, and would allow the FTC to seek civil penalties for violations. Past FTC enforcement actions against Invitation Homes and Greystar Real Estate Partners resulted in $48 million and $24 million settlements, respectively, for deceptive rent advertising practices.
The FTC is seeking public comment on an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to amend the Negative Option Rule, which governs prenotification negative option marketing plans. The rulemaking aims to address deceptive or unfair practices including misleading disclosures, unauthorized billing, and difficult cancellation processes, following over 100,000 consumer complaints about negative option practices in the past five years. Comments will be accepted for 30 days after the ANPRM is published in the Federal Register.
The FTC and 11 states settled with Walmart for $100 million over deceptive earnings claims in its Spark Driver gig worker app, where drivers were misled about base pay, tips, and incentives. The settlement also addressed GLBA violations for failing to provide proper notice regarding the handling of drivers' financial information. Walmart must implement an earnings verification program and is banned from misrepresenting driver earnings.
$100.0M
All data sourced from official government enforcement pages.