All entries

The FTC and Illinois alleged that Grubhub advertised driver pay of up to $40 an hour where the median was around $10, hid delivery costs in fees a former executive called a pricing shell game, and listed up to 325,000 restaurants without permission.

The FTC sued Air AI Technologies and its three owners in August 2025 over coaching and "conversational AI" sold on false earnings claims and refund guarantees it did not honor. The complaint puts losses at roughly $19 million. A settlement banning it from marketing business opportunities followed in March 2026.

The FTC settled with Cox Media Group and two reseller marketing firms in May 2026 over an "Active Listening" product sold to small businesses as AI that targeted ads from smart-device conversations. The FTC found it used no voice data at all and was resold data-broker email lists.

The FTC sued this business-opportunity scheme in September 2024 under Operation AI Comply, alleging its "cutting edge" AI tools would earn buyers thousands a month in passive income from online storefronts. The complaint puts losses at at least $25 million. The operators were permanently banned in June 2025.

The FTC charged DoNotPay in September 2024 over marketing its subscription service as "the world's first robot lawyer" without testing whether it performed to the standard of a human lawyer. It settled for $193,000 and agreed to notify subscribers about the service's limitations.

The FTC sued this AI-powered storefront scheme in June 2024, alleging it took more than $15.9 million on guaranteed-income claims that rarely materialised. It ran as Passive Scaling from 2021, then rebranded to FBA Machine in 2023 after refund demands and lawsuits. Its principal was permanently banned in July 2025.

The FTC sued Click Profit in March 2025, alleging four operators and their eight corporations promised guaranteed passive income from Amazon storefronts run by an "AI supercomputer". The complaint puts consumer losses at at least $14 million. All defendants were permanently banned from the industry in August 2025.

The FTC sued this lead-generation operation in June 2025, alleging it ran Google search ads impersonating specific addiction treatment clinics and routed the resulting calls to its own clients' facilities, with telemarketers posing as staff of the clinic the caller had searched for.

The DOJ, for the FTC, and the Illinois Attorney General sued this Chicago company in May 2026, alleging it created thousands of fake online business listings for non-existent local home-repair firms and fabricated five-star reviews to bury genuine one-star ones.

The FTC settled with lead generator MediaAlpha and its subsidiary QuoteLab for $45 million in August 2025, alleging they collected consumers' personal data under the guise of selling health insurance and auctioned it to telemarketers, producing millions of illegal calls.

The Texas Attorney General settled with this Dallas AI company in September 2024 after finding its advertised "severe hallucination rate" of under 1 per 100,000 was likely inaccurate. Its software was already deployed in at least four Texas hospitals. First state AG settlement over generative AI marketing.

The FTC alleged Evolv falsely advertised that its AI weapons scanners would detect all weapons and ignore harmless items, when the FTC said the scanners detect metal and little else. Used in 800-plus schools. Certain K-12 customers were given a rare right to cancel multi-year contracts.

The FTC and Nevada sued this financial-training MLM in May 2025, alleging false earnings claims took more than $1.2 billion from consumers since 2018. In May 2026 its owners Chris and Isis Terry surrendered assets worth nearly $90 million against a $795.8 million judgment and were banned from the industry.

The FTC charged IntelliVision with making false and unsubstantiated claims that its facial recognition software was free of gender and racial bias and highly accurate, when the FTC said it was trained on roughly 100,000 faces and had not been adequately tested. A final order was entered in January 2025.

The FTC charged Rytr in September 2024 over an AI writing tool whose "Testimonial & Review" feature could generate unlimited fake reviews, which subscribers used to produce tens of thousands of them. A final order followed in December 2024. That order was reportedly set aside in December 2025.

The FTC required accessiBe to pay $1 million over claims its AI accessibility widget could make any website WCAG compliant, and over paid third-party articles formatted to look like independent reviews. In one instance it paid $1,900 for a review and approved it before publication.

The FTC sued Ecommerce Empire Builders and its owner Peter Prusinowski, alleging they sold "AI-powered Ecommerce Empire" training for around $2,000 and done-for-you storefronts for tens of thousands. The complaint says they took at least $14.3 million since 2021. Both were permanently banned in May 2025.

Publishing.com and its two principals agreed in April 2026 to pay $1.5 million to settle FTC charges that they misled buyers about how much they were likely to earn using the company's products. The order also covers refund handling and undisclosed paid endorsements.

Workado advertised its AI Content Detector as 98 percent accurate at telling whether text was written by AI or a human. Independent testing put it at 53 percent on general-purpose content. The FTC order requires evidence before any future accuracy claim, and required Workado to email its own customers.

The FTC alleged this Michigan credit repair operation scammed consumers out of more than $213 million since 2015, luring people with low credit scores then recruiting them into a pyramid selling the same services onward. Its operators were permanently banned in August 2024.

The FTC sued this Florida ecommerce and real estate coaching operation, which marketed heavily to Spanish-speaking consumers under the Ganadores name. Its owners and a key marketer face lifetime bans from selling ecommerce or real estate coaching and must turn over assets for refunds.

The FTC alleged Growth Cave took approximately $50 million from consumers since 2020 using false promises of huge income, running both a business opportunity and a credit repair scheme. A federal court temporarily halted operations, and all defendants settled in January 2026.

The FTC and the State of Florida sued this "trucking automation" operation in August 2024, alleging it used guaranteed-income claims to get consumers to pay $75,000 or more for trucks they often never received. A federal court ordered it to cease operations.

Assurance IQ agreed to pay $100 million in August 2025 to settle FTC allegations that it misled consumers seeking comprehensive health insurance into plans that did not provide the promised coverage, and bombarded them with telemarketing and robocalls.

Career Step paid more than $15.5 million and cancelled nearly $28 million in student debt to settle FTC allegations that it targeted servicemembers and their spouses with false claims about job placement, externships, and hiring partnerships, promoted using deceptive incentivized reviews.

The FTC and the New York Attorney General sued Handy Technologies, now trading as Angi Services, over earnings claims that did not reflect reality for the overwhelming majority of workers on its platform, and over undisclosed fees and fines that withheld millions from them.

The FTC alleged that Amare Global Holdings made unsupported health claims for dietary supplements and misleading earnings claims to seller recruits, and asked a federal court to hold the company and three individuals in contempt.

The FTC alleged that Steven and Gina Merritt used false or baseless earnings claims to recruit participants to LifeWave and sell its health and wellness products. A stipulated order restricts their future earnings representations.

The FTC alleged that Forever Living recruited participants with earnings claims its own data contradicted: in each of the last five years at least 77 percent of active participants received no compensation at all. It is permanently barred from such claims.

The FTC alleged that Stormy Wellington recruited for two multilevel marketing companies with claims of six and seven figure incomes, while the companies own disclosures showed 76.8 percent of active participants earned nothing in 2023.

The FTC alleged that Xponential told franchisees studios typically open within six months when they typically took more than a year, and failed to disclose that its former CEO had repeatedly been sued for fraud. It paid $17 million.

The FTC and 11 states alleged that Walmart showed Spark Driver gig workers inflated base pay and tip amounts, and told customers 100 percent of tips went to drivers when on multiple occasions they did not. Walmart agreed to a $100 million judgment.

The FTC alleged that the Sanctuary Belize Enterprise misled U.S. consumers about the funding, risks, amenities, completion schedule, and resale prospects of lots in a Belize development. A court ruled for the FTC and entered final orders.

The FTC alleged that Dun & Bradstreet sold CreditBuilder products to businesses trying to fix errors in their own credit reports, while rejecting subscribers submissions more often than accepting them. It later paid $5.7 million for violating that order.

The FTC alleged that Seek Capital advertised business loans or credit lines but opened credit cards and charged fees instead. A court found misrepresentations and law violations; a final order imposed permanent bans and a partially suspended judgment.

The FTC alleged that Blueprint to Wealth charged $3,000 to $21,000 for turnkey online businesses that existed only to sell more memberships, using robocalls claiming a member made $50,000 a month.

The FTC alleged that Arise Virtual Solutions advertised remote customer service work at up to $18 per hour while nearly all workers earned less in base pay and incurred expenses. A settlement required $7 million for affected consumers.

The FTC alleged that one operation, renamed three times, sold Amazon and Walmart storefronts on promises of $100K per month. A court shut it down in 2024 after it took more than $12 million, and its operators were permanently banned in 2025.

The FTC alleged that Michael and Valerie Rando and their companies charged for credit-repair services with little or no value and pitched a related business opportunity. An order banned them from credit repair, and the FTC later sent more than $3.5 million in refunds.

The FTC alleged that Care.com inflated the number of jobs on its platform and made unsubstantiated earnings claims to draw caregivers into paid subscriptions, while making cancellation difficult. It turned over $8.5 million for refunds.

A federal court found that marketers of John Beck's Free & Clear Real Estate System used deceptive easy-money claims and undisclosed recurring charges. It ordered the defendants to pay $478 million, and the FTC later sent refunds.

The FTC settled charges that GoDaddy misled customers about the extent of its data security protections and failed to secure its website hosting services against attacks that could harm customers and visitors to their sites.

The FTC alleged that First American promised merchants low or zero monthly fees while its written agreement carried a three year term and a $495 cancellation fee, and that it kept debiting accounts after consent was withdrawn. It returned $4.9 million.

The FTC alleged that The Sales Mentor sold telemarketing training for $97 to more than $9,000 on claims of $10,000 to $20,000 a month, and kept making earnings claims after receiving the FTC Notices of Penalty Offenses.

The FTC charged that GGL Projects, doing business as Sitejabber, misrepresented that ratings and reviews came from customers who had received or experienced products, inflating ratings and review counts. The FTC finalized a consent order restricting those claims.

The FTC alleged that Lyft used misleading hourly earnings and incentive claims to recruit drivers. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit and proposed settlement that included a $2.1 million civil penalty.

The FTC alleged that Qargo Coffee and its founders withheld required franchise information and misrepresented executive history, startup timing, and bankruptcy disclosures. They agreed to a proposed order requiring a $30,000 payment.

A federal court found that James D. Noland, Jr. operated Success By Health and VOZ Travel as pyramid schemes using false income promises, and violated a prior order. The court imposed permanent multilevel marketing bans and a $7.3 million judgment.

The FTC and Utah alleged that Zurixx used television flipping celebrities to fill free events that sold $1,997 workshops and upsells to $41,297, and told attendees to open credit cards citing income they expected to earn later.

The FTC alleged that American Future Systems charged organizations for books and newsletters they had not ordered. The district court ruled against the FTC in March 2024 and denied its post-trial motion in June 2024.

The FTC alleged that Lurn sold online business coaching with unsupported earnings claims and costly additional coaching. Court orders required Lurn and its CEO to turn over $2.5 million, and the FTC later sent refunds.

The FTC alleged that Neora, formerly Nerium International, operated an illegal pyramid scheme and made unsubstantiated earnings and health claims. In 2023, the district court ruled against the FTC on its claims.

The FTC alleged that WealthPress sold trading advice on claims of up to $24,840 a week from trades requiring zero experience, where the experts trades were often not real. It paid $1.2 million in refunds and a $500,000 civil penalty.

The FTC alleged that Womply advertised that small businesses could successfully get PPP funding through it when more than 60 percent of applications never resulted in funding, and deactivated phone support after one month. It paid $26 million.

The FTC alleged that DK Automation sold Amazon business packages and a crypto trading bot on promises of passive income on autopilot, suppressed negative reviews, and skipped Business Opportunity Rule disclosures. It turned over $2.6 million.

The FTC alleged that Biz2Credit advertised an average 10 to 14 business day turnaround on emergency PPP loan applications when processing actually took well over a month, and ignored requests to withdraw applications. It agreed to pay $33 million.

The FTC and Utah Division of Consumer Protection alleged that Nudge and affiliates used false earnings claims to sell real estate investment training and coaching. A settlement banned the companies from selling wealth creation products and required $15 million for consumer redress.

The FTC alleged that Automators AI and related companies sold AI-powered e-commerce stores and coaching with unfounded earnings claims. The defendants settled, agreed to surrender assets for refunds, and accepted restrictions including business opportunity bans.

The FTC alleged that RCG Advances misrepresented merchant cash advance terms, made unauthorized withdrawals, and used unfair collection practices. Court orders later imposed industry bans, redress, and civil penalties.

The FTC alleged that Burgerim sold more than 1,500 franchises as "a business in a box" needing little experience, targeted veterans with discounts, and withheld disclosures the Franchise Rule requires. Most buyers never opened a restaurant.

The FTC alleged that HomeAdvisor made misleading claims about the quality, source, and conversion rates of home improvement leads and misrepresented an optional subscription as free. A final consent order required up to $7.2 million for redress.

The FTC alleged that the University of Phoenix used deceptive advertisements falsely touting relationships and job opportunities with companies including AT&T, Yahoo, Microsoft, Twitter and the American Red Cross. It agreed to a record $191 million.

The FTC alleged that RagingBull.com used deceptive earnings claims to sell stock-trading subscriptions and made cancellation difficult. The company and its owners settled for $2.425 million, and a later order resolved claims against a remaining defendant.

The FTC and the State of Arkansas alleged that Blessings in No Time ran an illegal pyramid scheme marketed as a "blessing loom", promising returns as high as 800 percent. Its operators were banned from multi-level marketing and paid at least $450,000.

The FTC alleged that Success By Health operated an instant-coffee pyramid scheme using false wealth and income promises. An amended complaint alleged an additional VOZ Travel scheme based on paid memberships and recruitment rewards.

The FTC and seven states alleged that Google and iHeartMedia aired nearly 29,000 first-person radio endorsements of the Pixel 4 by presenters who had not been given the phone before recording. State judgments require $9.4 million in penalties.

The FTC alleged that Warrior Trading sold day-trading programs on claims built around its founder results, when the vast majority of customer accounts lost money, often thousands, on top of what they paid for the training.

The FTC and Florida alleged that C Lee Enterprises, LLC, using the Grant Bae name, took money from businesses through false promises of guaranteed grants. A proposed order permanently banned grant and business consulting services.

The FTC alleged that Saint James School of Medicine and its Illinois-based operators deceptively marketed the school medical licence exam pass rate and residency matches to attract students. A $1.2 million judgment funds refunds and debt cancellation.

The FTC alleged that Hubble failed to obtain and verify contact lens prescriptions and substituted its own lenses for those prescribed, and did not disclose that many reviews were written by compensated reviewers including one of its own executives.

The FTC alleged that Yellowstone kept withdrawing money from small businesses accounts for days after they had fully repaid, and promised no collateral or personal guaranty when its contracts required both. It surrendered $9.8 million.

The FTC alleged that Digital Income System charged $1,000 to $25,000 for memberships while falsely promising commissions of $500 to $12,500 per sale. Final orders banned the operators from business and investment opportunities, and the FTC later sent more than $542,000 in refunds.

The FTC alleged that AdvoCare operated an illegal pyramid scheme and used deceptive income claims to recruit distributors of health and wellness products. AdvoCare and its former CEO settled for $150 million and accepted a multi-level marketing ban.

The FTC alleged that MOBE Ltd. sold a business education program with false income and refund claims, taking more than $125 million from consumers. Defendants agreed to pay more than $17 million, and the FTC later distributed more than $23 million in refunds.

The FTC alleged that DeVry University misled prospective students about graduates' employment rates and income levels. DeVry and its parent company agreed to a $100 million settlement in December 2016.

The FTC found that Traffic Jam Events sent mailers styled as COVID-19 stimulus documents, complete with a mock check and the Great Seal, and promised cash prizes people had not won. It is banned from the auto industry for 20 years.

The FTC alleged that Apply Knowledge and related defendants sold work-from-home kits and business coaching with false earnings claims. Settlement orders restricted the defendants, and the FTC made refund distributions in 2019 and 2021.

The FTC alleged that Agora Financial sold publications using false or unsupported claims about curing type 2 diabetes and obtaining government-affiliated checks. Agora and related defendants agreed to a proposed settlement exceeding $2 million.

The FTC alleged that Amazon withheld $61,710,583 in customer tips from Amazon Flex drivers after changing its pay model. A final administrative consent order required Amazon to pay that amount for driver compensation.

The FTC alleged that 8 Figure Dream Lifestyle used robocalls and other channels to sell money-making opportunities with false or unsubstantiated earnings claims. The defendants settled, surrendered assets, and the FTC later issued refunds.

The FTC alleged that Seed Consulting charged thousands to apply for multiple credit cards, inflated incomes on applications, and shared credit limits with training promoters. A settlement required $2.1 million, which funded later refunds.

The FTC alleged that Online Trading Academy sold investment training costing up to $50,000 on unfounded earnings claims, and required customers who got refunds to sign contracts barring them from reporting wrongdoing to law enforcement.

The FTC alleged that FleetCor sold fuel cards on promises of savings and no set-up, transaction or membership fees, then charged at least hundreds of millions in fees. Its own analysis showed average savings of a fraction of a cent per gallon.

The FTC alleged that Position Gurus and its co-defendants used deceptive sales claims to sell marketing services to people starting online retail businesses. Settlements barred business coaching sales and required the defendants to surrender at least $1.2 million.

The FTC and 46 agencies alleged that Associated Community Services and related defendants used deceptive fundraising calls, including illegal robocalls, to collect more than $110 million. The defendants agreed to settle.

The FTC alleged that Randon Morris and four companies used millions of robocalls to sell work-from-home business opportunities with false income and Amazon affiliation claims. A stipulated order banned business opportunity sales and involvement with robocalls.

The FTC alleged that Moda Latina BZ Inc. targeted Latina consumers with false earnings claims for a work-at-home luxury-product resale opportunity and took more than $7 million. A settlement barred money-making opportunity sales and required two owners to pay $20,000 each.

Devumi sold fake indicators of social media influence. It settled what the FTC describes as its first ever complaint challenging that practice, with a final court order entered in October 2019.

The FTC alleged that Digital Altitude sold tiered memberships on a promise of "six figures in 90 days or less", with coaching from people who were in fact salespeople selling higher tiers. Most buyers earned nothing and some paid over $50,000.

The FTC alleged that promoters of Bitcoin Funding Team told people a payment of just over $100 in cryptocurrency could become $80,000 in monthly income, when the structure ensured most participants would not recoup their initial payment.

The FTC and four states alleged that this fundraising operation was the primary fundraiser for sham charities, keeping as much as 90 percent of what it raised, while the charities sometimes spent less than two percent on their stated missions.

The FTC alleged that Ponte Investments falsely represented itself as affiliated with the SBA and as an approved Paycheck Protection Program lender. A 2020 settlement barred those claims and prohibited use of the SBA Loan Program trade name and domain.

The FTC alleged that OMICS advertised rigorous peer review and prominent editorial boards its journals did not have, hid publishing fees until after acceptance, and refused withdrawals. A court entered a $50.1 million judgment.

The FTC alleged that AWS LLC and related defendants sold the Amazing Wealth System using unsupported income claims about Amazon businesses. Stipulated orders banned business opportunity sales, required asset surrender, and led to more than $9.1 million in refunds.

The FTC and Florida alleged that Corporate Compliance Services mailed new businesses notices designed to look like government invoices, demanding $84 for labor law posters and warning of fines up to $17,000. The operators paid $1.2 million.

The FTC alleged that Effen Ads used spam with forged news-organization sender lines and fake Warren Buffett and Suze Orman endorsements to sell a $97 work-from-home program, generating more than 50,000 sales, then sold buyers contact details to telemarketers.

The FTC and SBA warned six companies that their marketing could mislead small businesses about SBA affiliation or the ability to apply through their sites for PPP and other CARES Act programs.

The FTC alleged that LendEDU presented paid rankings as objective product information and promoted fake positive reviews. The Commission finalized a settlement that restricted those practices and required a $350,000 payment.

The FTC and the Small Business Administration sent ITMedia Solutions, which operates SBA.com, a warning letter saying its marketing could lead small businesses to believe it was affiliated with the SBA or that they could apply for PPP loans on its site.

The FTC and Minnesota alleged that Sellers Playbook used unsupported earnings claims to sell an Amazon business opportunity costing up to more than $30,000. A court settlement banned business opportunities and coaching and required assets for redress.

The FTC alleged that World Patent Marketing took thousands of dollars from inventors on bogus success stories, delivered almost nothing, and told a customer who sought a refund that doing so was extortion carrying a federal prison term.

The FTC alleged that Telestar billed child care centers, schools, and police and fire departments for office supplies they never ordered, then threatened collections when they questioned the invoices. It paid a $7 million judgment.

The FTC alleged that Michael Giannulis and other affiliate marketers used false earnings claims and misleading testimonials to promote MOBE. His settlement group had to pay $760,000 and turn over personal items before a $31.6 million judgment was suspended.

The FTC alleged that Steven J. Bransfield and other affiliates used false earnings claims and misleading testimonials to recruit consumers into MOBE. A settlement order banned Bransfield from marketing business coaching programs or money-making methods.

The FTC alleged that Production Media Company and its co-defendants deceptively sold exclusive advertising placements to small businesses and misrepresented when ads would be printed and distributed. A stipulated order barred the conduct and required $100,000.

The FTC alleged that A1 Janitorial Supply Corp. and related defendants billed small businesses and nonprofits for supposedly free or unordered cleaning products. A final order halted the conduct and required $2.7 million for refunds.

The FTC and the State of Connecticut alleged that LeanSpa used fake news sites and misleading free-trial claims to sell weight-loss products. The case settled, and the FTC later distributed consumer refunds.

The FTC alleged that this operation messaged people on LinkedIn claiming exclusive relationships with private equity firms and charged $1,200 to $2,500 for interviews, while in many instances knowing the job opportunities were fake.

The FTC alleged that Vemma recruited college students and young adults with images of luxury cars and yachts and claims of up to $50,000 per week, while its structure rewarded recruiting over retail sales and most participants lost money.

The FTC alleged that Standard Industries and related defendants shipped and billed organizations for overpriced office and cleaning supplies they had not ordered. Court orders barred the conduct, and the FTC later mailed more than $11.6 million in refunds.

The FTC alleged that DOTAuthority.com Inc. and related companies posed as government-affiliated motor carrier registration services, obscured service fees, and enrolled businesses in automatic billing. A settlement required $900,000.

The FTC alleged that Commerce Planet pitched a free kit on starting an online auction business, then enrolled buyers in a program called Online Supplier and billed them up to $59.95 a month without consent. Refunds followed court orders.

The FTC alleged that Lighting X-Change used misleading telemarketing to send unordered, overpriced office and cleaning supplies. Court orders banned specified sales practices, and a $720,000 settlement payment funded refunds.

The FTC alleged this operation bought contact details of people who had paid for cheap work-at-home programs, then sold them coaching for up to $13,995 that delivered information freely available online, leaving most heavily in debt.

The FTC alleged that Bob Robinson, LLC and related defendants sold an online work-at-home system under six brand names, promising hundreds of dollars an hour without special skills. The operators were banned from selling business opportunities.

The FTC alleged that Ronnie Montano and related defendants sold Mobile Money Code software with false earnings claims, deceptive emails, and refund problems. Settlements required $698,500 in payments, and consumer refunds followed.

The FTC alleged that Advertising Strategies and related companies sold bogus e-commerce investment opportunities by telemarketing, including calls to numbers on the Do Not Call Registry. The defendants settled, surrendered assets, and funded refunds.

The FTC alleged that Fat Giraffe charged a $97 fee for a program supposedly paying people to post advertising links, which supplied no links and no work, using fake review sites it ran itself and testimonials from people who were not customers.

The FTC alleged that Inside Publications reposted paid athlete endorsements without disclosure and presented paid insect-repellent advertising as independent editorial content. The FTC later approved a final consent order.

The FTC alleged that PR firm Creaxion promoted an insect repellent during the 2016 Zika outbreak using paid athlete endorsements presented as independent opinion and advertising disguised as magazine editorial. It settled by consent order.

The FTC alleged that Liberty Supply Co. sent organizations unordered office supplies, obscured prices and quantities, and aggressively sought payment. A settlement banned telemarketing, and the FTC later issued refunds.

The FTC alleged that Passport dealerships used more than 21,000 deceptive urgent recall mailers in 2015 and 2017 to bring vehicle owners to service departments. The defendants agreed to orders barring misrepresentations about recalls and other material vehicle facts.

The FTC alleged that Sunkey Publishing and Fanmail.com used copycat military recruitment websites to collect consumer information and sell it as school marketing leads. Proposed orders required domain transfers and restricted future claims and data use.

The FTC alleged that a common enterprise including 9140-9201 Québec Inc. used unsolicited calls and claims of past-due invoices to obtain payment from small businesses for unordered directory, search optimization, website design, and hosting services.

The FTC charged a Florida-based PointBreak Media scheme with robocalling small businesses, falsely claiming to represent Google, threatening removal from search results, and promising first-place or first-page placement. The case later ended.

The FTC alleged that Internet Teaching and Training Specialists used deceptive sales tactics and false income promises to sell business coaching. The defendants settled, accepted bans, and were required to pay $660,000 and surrender assets.

The FTC and Maine alleged that Marketing Architects created deceptive radio ads, testimonials, news-style promotions, and call scripts for weight-loss products.

The FTC alleged that Lift International and related defendants sold business coaching through deceptive income and qualification claims. A settlement banned business coaching sales and required a $200,000 payment under a suspended judgment.

The FTC alleged that InfoCision telemarketers falsely said they were not soliciting contributions, then requested donations or asked consumers to distribute donation materials. The company agreed to a $250,000 civil penalty.

The FTC alleged that KFJ Marketing and co-defendants made illegal robocalls with false energy-savings claims to generate leads for solar installers. A court order settled the charges and required the defendants to pay $155,000.

The FTC alleged that Max Results Marketing, Blue Saguaro Marketing, and related defendants sold money-making websites and grant services using false affiliation and income claims.

The FTC alleged that I Works enrolled consumers in deceptive trial memberships for government-grant and money-making products and charged recurring fees without consent. Courts later entered settlements and a final judgment in the case.

The FTC alleged that American Business Builders sold a home-based payment processing opportunity using false income and lead-generation claims. Settlements banned the defendants from business opportunities, and the FTC later mailed more than $372,000 in refunds.

The FTC alleged that D&S Marketing Solutions called new small businesses posing as OSHA, threatened shutdown or fines, and sold regulatory posters that agencies provide free. The operators were banned from selling such posters.

The FTC alleged that Thrive Learning sold business coaching to people trying to start home-based internet businesses, who were left with no functioning business, little or no earnings, and heavily in debt.

The FTC alleged that Your Yellow Book faxed invoice-like documents with a walking fingers image to businesses, doctors offices and religious schools, seeking up to $487 for listings they never ordered. Its owner then ran a near identical scheme.

The FTC alleged that Mason Grace Enterprises and related defendants sold work-at-home programs using false earnings claims and failed to provide required business-opportunity information.

The FTC alleged that Fair Guide mailed businesses forms that looked like trade show listing updates, with fine print committing them to $1,717 a year for three years. A court banned the operators from the directory business and entered a $9.1 million judgment.

The FTC alleged that Money Now Funding sold a work-at-home opportunity based on referrals to a nonexistent lending service, made false earnings claims, and sold worthless leads. Court orders ended the operation, and the FTC later mailed refunds.

The FTC alleged that Uber advertised uberX median driver income of over $90,000 in New York when the real median was $61,000, and promoted vehicle financing as the best available when its drivers got worse rates than comparable borrowers.

The FTC alleged that Herbalife told participants they could quit their jobs and earn a career-level income while most earned little or nothing, and that its compensation structure rewarded recruiting over retail demand. It paid $200 million.

The FTC and the New York and Florida Attorneys General alleged that The Tax Club sold home-based business services through deceptive telemarketing, failed to provide promised services, and impeded refunds. Settlement orders followed.

The FTC and three states alleged that Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing was an illegal pyramid scheme enrolling more than 350,000 people. A court-appointed receiver found more than 98 percent lost more than they made. Its operators were banned from multi-level marketing.

The FTC alleged that SmartClick Media sold Doctor Trusted seals and operated review sites using misleading claims about medical evaluation and independence. The defendants agreed to settle under a proposed order that included a $35,000 payment.

In its first action against an education lead generator, the FTC alleged Gigats.com posed as pre-screening job applicants for employers while actually steering them to schools that paid $22 to $125 per lead. The employers had never authorized it.

The FTC alleged that BF Labs, trading as Butterfly Labs, took thousands of dollars up front for Bitcoin mining machines and then delivered them late enough to be useless, or not at all. The operators settled in 2016 under partially suspended judgments.

The FTC alleged that Drug Testing Compliance Group, which serves commercial trucking companies, illegally invited a competitor to divide customers between them. It settled, and is barred from discussing prices with competitors.

The FTC alleged that Modern Technology Inc. and related defendants billed small businesses and churches for unwanted online directory listings and used collection threats. A court entered a default judgment based on consumer losses.

The FTC alleged that Medical Yellow Directories, American Yellow Corporation, and related defendants billed organizations for directory listings they had not ordered.

The FTC alleged that Machinima paid influencers to post Xbox One endorsement videos without adequately disclosing that the influencers were compensated.

The FTC alleged that Network Solutions advertised a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee on web hosting while withholding up to 30 percent of the refund from customers who cancelled in time, without adequately disclosing it.

The FTC alleged that BurnLounge sold online digital music store opportunities that were in fact an illegal pyramid scheme, luring more than 56,000 consumers. A court ordered redress, and the Ninth Circuit upheld the ruling in 2014.

The FTC alleged that Professional Career Development Institute, doing business as Ashworth College, misrepresented whether its online programs met career requirements and whether credits would transfer. The school agreed to settle.

The FTC alleged that ad agency Deutsch LA knew or should have known its PlayStation Vita advertising contained misleading capability claims, and urged its own employees to build excitement on Twitter without disclosing their connection to the agency or its client.

The FTC alleged that Sony made misleading claims about features of the PS Vita handheld console. A final consent order barred similar claims and required refunds or merchandise vouchers for eligible buyers.

The FTC alleged that National Business Consultants made false claims about consulting assignments, earnings, deposit refunds, and successful references. A federal court ruled for the FTC, and later collections funded consumer refunds.

The FTC alleged that OnlineYellowPagesToday.com billed organizations for unwanted online directory listings after contacting them under the guise of confirming existing listing information, then used deceptive collection tactics. A settlement order followed.

The FTC and the State of Florida alleged that 7051620 Canada Inc. used unsolicited calls, bogus invoices, and collection tactics to obtain payments for business directory listings and advertising services that organizations had not ordered or received.

The FTC alleged that Merchant Services Direct LLC, doing business as Sphyra Inc., misrepresented card-processing rates, fees, contracts, and equipment leases to small businesses. The defendants settled FTC and Washington state charges for $175,000.

A court found that more than 99.8 percent of the 110,000 people who bought Zaken QuickSell program earned no money, after being told they would make at least $4,000 in the first 30 days. It entered a $25.4 million judgment.

The FTC alleged that Ivy Capital and co-defendants took more than $130 million while misrepresenting an internet business coaching program and its earning potential. Ivy Capital and most defendants settled, and the FTC later issued refunds.

The FTC alleged that Kobeni Inc. sent deceptive health-insurance emails claiming consumers would violate federal law unless they acted immediately. Kobeni and its president settled the FTC Act and CAN-SPAM charges for $350,000.

The FTC alleged that The Online Entrepreneur sold a $27 work-at-home website program using false income and money-back claims. Settlement orders banned the defendants from business opportunities and required one defendant to pay $259,394.

The FTC alleged that marketers behind Google Money Tree used misleading income claims and inadequate disclosures to obtain financial information and impose recurring charges. The supplied releases do not name Infusion Media, Inc.

The FTC and Connecticut alleged that TicketNetwork and two marketing partners ran resale ticket sites styled as official venue box offices, using paid search ads and mimicked branding, often selling above face value.

The FTC and Florida alleged that Your Yellow Pages cold-called small businesses and nonprofits claiming they owed $400 to more than $1,800 for a second year of directory listings they never ordered, then posed as a debt collector.

The FTC alleged that TBWA Worldwide produced a Nissan Frontier advertisement showing the truck pushing a dune buggy up a hill it cannot climb. Both vehicles were dragged up by cables and the hill was made to look steeper than it was.

The FTC alleged that Shopper Systems used false earnings claims to sell mystery shopping and webstore business opportunities, enrolled consumers in recurring charges, and continued billing some consumers after cancellation. Settlement orders imposed sales bans and required asset surrender.

The FTC alleged that American Entertainment Distributors and related defendants sold DVD vending machine business opportunities using unsupported earnings claims. Court orders resolved the action, and the FTC returned more than $5.7 million.

The FTC alleged that Smart Tools LLC deceptively sold a home-based government insurance refund processing opportunity with unsupported earnings claims and recurring charges. A settlement restricted its sales practices and required $234,847.

The FTC and Colorado alleged that Russell Dalbey sold a program called Winning in the Cash Flow Business on claims that buyers could quickly earn substantial income brokering promissory notes. Very few did. The Dalbeys settled in 2013.

The FTC alleged that Christopher Andrew Sterling's websites promised earnings of up to $1,000 per day from online data-entry work but did not deliver the claimed earnings or business. A proposed federal settlement banned him from work-at-home opportunities.

The FTC alleged that Career Exams advertised nonexistent U.S. Postal Service jobs and charged consumers $120 for a booklet of general federal hiring information. Settlement orders banned the defendants from selling employment products or services and required about $45,000 in surrendered assets.

The FTC alleged that this operation sold websites for $100 to $400 on a promise of commissions from Fortune 500 retailers, then upsold advertising packages costing $5,000 to $20,000 that generated no significant sales.

The FTC alleged that the Grant Connect operation used images of the President and the American flag to suggest a government affiliation it did not have, while enrolling buyers in continuity plans and debiting accounts without permission.

The FTC alleged that Real Wealth sold booklets using false or unsubstantiated claims about work-at-home income and government grants. A federal court granted summary judgment, banned the sales, and ordered $10.4 million, described as the full amount of consumer harm.

The FTC alleged that this operation faxed businesses and churches forms with a walking fingers logo asking them to update a listing, where the fine print committed them to $89 a month for two years. A court entered a $10.2 million judgment.

The FTC alleged that ABCSP, which did business as Always Best Care, misrepresented that its senior-care placement recommendations were based on broad personal knowledge of facilities. ABCSP agreed to a proposed consent order restricting such claims.

The FTC alleged that CarePatrol told families it graded and pre-screened senior care facilities when in most states listed on its website it had graded none, and did not have consultants in every state. It settled under a 20 year consent order.

The FTC alleged that the Coleadium affiliate network, trading as Ads4Dough, recruited and paid marketers who used fake news sites to sell acai berry and colon cleanse products with false weight loss claims. It settled for $1 million.

The FTC and Arizona alleged that Government Careers charged $119 for study materials to pass federal job exams that in many cases did not exist, for jobs that in many cases did not exist, plus $965 for career counseling demanded in advance.

The FTC alleged that John Stefanchik and Beringer Corporation falsely claimed their program could teach consumers to earn substantial income by trading privately held mortgages. A settlement modified a prior judgment, and the FTC later issued refunds.

The FTC alleged that Coulomb Media used fake news websites to promote acai berry supplements and colon cleansers with deceptive weight loss claims. A $2.7 million judgment was suspended after payment of $170,000 in cash and assets.

The FTC alleged that Jesse Willms and his companies took more than $450 million through free trial offers that became recurring charges, typically $79.95 a month, affecting almost four million consumers across five countries.

The FTC alleged that National Sales Group and I Life Marketing advertised nonexistent sales jobs, overstated recruiting access, and imposed inflated or unauthorized fees. A proposed consent order banned employment-service sales.

The FTC alleged that National Sales Group advertised nonexistent sales jobs, overstated its recruiting access, and imposed inflated or unauthorized fees. A proposed consent order banned sales of employment products and services.

The FTC alleged that Abili-Staff falsely promised fee-paying consumers access to job listings and a full refund if they did not get a job. The FTC later mailed refunds resulting from a court order.

The FTC alleged that Integration Media Inc., doing business as GoAm Media, led small businesses and nonprofits to believe they had ordered and owed money for directory listings. The FTC later mailed refunds involving two directory operations.

The FTC alleged that Frontier Publishing charged $69 for federal job listings it said were not available to the public, when the same information is free at usajobs.gov. Its operators are banned from selling employment products or services.

The FTC alleged that Merchant Processing Inc. and other defendants falsely promised small businesses lower card-processing costs and equipment lease buyouts while concealing fees and contract terms. The FTC later mailed approximately $345,000 in refunds.

The FTC alleged that Philip A. Flora sent millions of unsolicited commercial text messages, misrepresented a government affiliation, and sold respondent information as debt settlement leads. A federal court entered a settlement banning unsolicited commercial texts and requiring $32,000.

The FTC alleged that a government-grant operation falsely promised consumers guaranteed $25,000 grants and upsold grant services with a claimed 70 percent success rate. A court entered a default judgment against Affiliate Strategies.

The FTC alleged that Independent Marketing Exchange falsely represented that consumers were likely to earn substantial income from work-at-home opportunities. A consent judgment required asset surrender and barred specified marketing practices.

A federal court twice held Richard C. Neiswonger in contempt in connection with an earlier order governing business opportunity promotions and a later $3.2 million judgment. A final settlement required asset transfers and dismissal of appeals.

The FTC alleged that Tested Green sold environmental certifications for up to $549.95 without testing anything, claimed 45,000 certifications issued, and cited endorsements from two organizations its own owner controlled.

The FTC alleged that Reverb Communications had employees post iTunes reviews of clients' games while posing as ordinary consumers and failing to disclose paid relationships. A final FTC order barred misrepresentations and required removal of certain endorsements.

The FTC alleged that In Deep Services deceptively promoted government grants for personal expenses or debt, charged unauthorized recurring fees, and provided inaccurate or obsolete information. Settlement orders shut the operation down.

The FTC alleged that Global U.S. Resources and Louis Salatto charged upfront fees for an envelope-stuffing work-at-home offer but failed to provide the promised materials, income, or refunds. A court halted the operation pending the case.

The FTC alleged that Toronto-based Internet Listing Service sent small businesses fake invoices for a "website address listing", leading them to believe they would lose their domain names unless they paid. Settlement and default judgments ended the case.

The FTC alleged that marketers in the EDI Healthclaims matter sold a medical-billing work-at-home opportunity with misleading client-assistance and earnings claims.