1,634 enforcement actions from 16 federal and state jurisdictions. Every event traced back to its official government source.
1,634
Total Actions
16
Jurisdictions
$49.9B+
Total Fines Tracked
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.
$3.0M
The FTC finalized a consent order against Illuminate Education Inc. for failing to secure students' personal data, leading to a breach affecting 10.1 million students. The order requires Illuminate to implement a data security program, delete unnecessary data, and limit data collection, but imposes no monetary penalty.
The FTC filed a complaint against National Amendment Assistance and related entities for allegedly deceiving homeowners into paying unlawful upfront fees for mortgage relief services falsely associated with the CARES Act. The court granted a temporary restraining order, and the FTC seeks redress for affected consumers.
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment on a petition from X Corp., formerly known as Twitter, to set aside or modify its 2022 settlement order with the agency. The petition argues that the order no longer serves a valid regulatory purpose and that X Corp. has built a world-class privacy program. The Commission will vote after the comment period closes.
The FTC sued Amare Global Holdings Inc. and its principals for falsely claiming that dietary supplements like Kids Happy Juice and Kids Mood+ could treat or cure depression, anxiety, and ADHD in children and adults. The FTC also alleged the company misled recruits about their potential earnings as 'brand partners' in its multilevel marketing scheme.
The FTC and State of Nevada settled charges against the operators of American Tax Service for impersonating federal and state government tax authorities and making false promises of tax debt relief. The defendants will surrender over $8 million in cash and assets and are banned from debt relief services, tax preparation, telemarketing, and impersonation.
$8.0M
The FTC alleged that Cox Media Group (CMG), MindSift LLC, and 1010 Digital Works LLC deceived customers by falsely claiming to offer an AI-powered 'Active Listening' service that could target ads based on conversations captured from consumers' smart devices, and that consumers had opted into such targeting. In reality, the service did not use voice data and consumers had not consented. The companies agreed to pay a total of $930,000 and are prohibited from making misrepresentations about their services, voice data collection, and consumer consent.
$930K
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.
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
Shutterstock Inc. agreed to pay $35 million to settle FTC allegations that it charged consumers without their informed consent, failed to disclose auto-renewal and cancellation terms, and made cancellation difficult. The FTC alleged Shutterstock's subscription and on-demand pack offerings violated consumer protection laws through hidden fees and complicated cancellation processes.
$35.0M
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 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.
This is a press release announcing a workshop co-hosted by the FTC and the Institute for Consumer Financial Choice (ICFC) on May 14-15, 2026, focusing on developments in the financial services marketplace. No enforcement action, fine, or violation is involved.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
All data sourced from official government enforcement pages.