Learn about getting and using credit, borrowing money, and managing debt. So, many of us might be looking for alternatives, like buying gifts locally or maybe from online marketplaces or sites you find through your social media accounts, online ads, or by searching Youve opened all your gifts, and now its time to open those post-holiday credit card statements. When the funds are made available in your account, the bank may say the check has "cleared," but that doesn't mean it's a good check. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commissions (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTCscomputer user recordssystem. An official website of the United States government. This message is not new. Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business responsibilities and comply with the law. Before labeling your product as AI-powered, note also that merely using an AI tool in the development process is not the same as a product having AI in it. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. . Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. Wow, just noticed I have to provide labeled data for CV ML to post this. The FTCs latest refund announcement involves checks totaling over $11 million going out to more than 11,000 people who paid E.M. Systems & Services, a company that falsely promised consumers with credit card debt that they would reduce their interest rates and save them thousands of dollars. The FTC is sending a second round of payments totaling more than $8 million to59,187 peoplewho were lured by the bogus government-grant and money-making schemes promoted by I Works. Your performance claims would be deceptive if they lack scientific support or if they apply only to certain types of users or under certain conditions. The FTC is sending refund checks to consumers who lost money as a result of Avant's lending practices. Use our visualizations to explore scam and fraud trends in your state based on reports from consumers like you. I went through your questions and our process conforms to them, we say that AI isn't magic, it is math. Like any product, you have to do your research. A.I accelerate till the camer tell it the cars are all stopped. The .gov means its official. We review all comments before they are posted, and we wont post comments that dont comply with our commenting policy. And yes he cut across. " But scammers try to cause confusion and take advantage at every step. The FTC sued I Works for false advertising and for billing customers without their consent. Weve just heard, though, that scammers are trying to get into the act, using fake checks that look like the real one. Lina M. Khan was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission on June 15, 2021. Lina M. Khan was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission on June 15, 2021. Are you promising that your AI product does something better than a non-AI product? After settling with First Data Merchant Services the payment processor that made it possible for this company to collect credit card payments the FTC is sending customers of E.M. Systems & Services 100% of their lost money back. I want all involved who are grappling with this tiger by the tail (Developers, Regulators, Investors, etc.) A.I is just a computer program that hundred of software engineer scan instructions book of topic and write codes in a flow chart of every senecio, it the same as you study and how you recall how it's breakdown to its basic, you know why a. I. autonomous driving will never be had? It is your choice whether to submit a comment. Can I speak to someone about my claim form or payment? We wont post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups. This article rubbed me the wrong way when I first read it, I had to let it sit for 24 hours and think about it. DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, DANGER! Slam the next scam and report to law enforcement." During National Consumer Protection Week, IRS-CI will share information on its Twitter account about how to slam a particular scam. In cases where there is not enough money to provide full refunds, the FTC analyzes the available data to determine how best to distribute the money. If you get a refund from the FTC, just deposit or cash the check within 60 days. Free e-filing tools are available at www.irs.gov/freefile. Marketers should know that for FTC enforcement purposes false or unsubstantiated claims about a products efficacy are our bread and butter. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. on the long-run . Fake calls from Apple and Amazon support: What you need to know, The Google Voice scam: How this verification code scam works and how to avoid it, Show/hide Shopping and Donating menu items, Show/hide Credit, Loans, and Debt menu items, Show/hide Jobs and Making Money menu items, Money-Making Opportunities and Investments, Show/hide Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts menu items, Show/hide Identity Theft and Online Security menu items. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. What to do about unwanted calls, emails, and text messages that can be annoying, might be illegal, and are probably scams. Identifying who is eligible for a refund FTC court orders typically require the company to provide a list of customers, their contact information, and how much each customer paid. An official website of the United States government. An official website of the United States government. Its not uncommon for advertisers to say that some new-fangled technology makes their product better perhaps to justify a higher price or influence labor decisions. We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. volvo 940 turbo kit is it a good time to buy a house in indiana what is a hydrologic outlook When people gave their credit or debit card numbers to pay a smallshipping and handling fee, I Works charged them aone-time fee of up to $129.95, followed by monthly fees of up to $59.95, without their consent. By law, banks have to make deposited funds available quickly, usually within two days. The FTC uses money collected from its lawsuits to pay for the direct costs of sending refunds, like the cost of printing and mailing checks. Where can I learn more about how the FTC provides refunds? The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. You can find the phone numbers for FTC refund programs at ftc.gov/refunds. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. And you cant say youre not responsible because that technology is a black box you cant understand or didnt know how to test. And its happy news when those cases result in refunds. In fact, they're a preferred payment method for large transactions, such as real estate purchases. Earlier this month, the FTC sent over 10,000 checks totaling over $4 million to fully refund people for the amount they paid to Stark Law, a company that the FTC says collected payments for fake debt by threatening to sue or arrest people who didnt pay. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commissions (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTCscomputer user recordssystem. They are often printed with the names and addresses of legitimate financial institutions. Looking for legal documents or records? Hold Billing Services, Ltd.; Avery Communications, Inc.; Veterans of America Association, Ltd.; et al. HSR threshold adjustments and reportability for 2023, A Century of Technological Evolution at the Federal Trade Commission, National Consumer Protection Week 2023 Begins Sunday, March 5, FTC at the 65th Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market - NCPW 2023, FTC Sends Checks Totaling More Than $31 Million to LifeLock Customers, LifeLock to Pay $100 Million to Consumers to Settle FTC Charges it Violated 2010 Order, FTC Takes Action Against LifeLock for Alleged Violations of 2010 Order, Nearly One Million LifeLock Victims to Receive Refund Checks from FTC, LifeLock Will Pay $12 Million to Settle Charges by the FTC and 35 States That Identity Theft Prevention and Data Security Claims Were False. Does the FTC ever use PayPal to send refunds? If we do not have all the information we need to send refunds, we may request that consumers file a claim. According to the FTC, ABCmouse failed to make it clear to their customers that their memberships would automatically renew and made it difficult to cancel. The site is secure. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced that it is returning more than $172 million to consumers who . Our mission is protecting consumers and competition by preventing anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices through law enforcement, advocacy, and education without unduly burdening legitimate business activity. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. The company ran multiple online campaigns that falsely advertised that federal grants were generally available for personal use and that people could make a lot of money using I Works products. The FTC works to fulfill its mission in many ways, including bringing cases against companies who are being unfair or deceptive. For questions or to activate your card, visit the Contact information on this page. Spot the latest COVID scams, get compliance guidance, and stay up to date on FTC actions during the pandemic. Earlier this month, the FTC sent over 10,000 checks totaling over $4 million to fully refund people for the amount they paid to Stark Law, a company that the FTC says collected payments for fake debt by threatening to sue or arrest people who didn't pay. To get data about this mailing - like how many checks went to your state or the percentage of checks cashed so far - visit the FTC's interactive dashboard for refund data. For generations weve told ourselves stories, using themes of magic and science, about inanimate things that we bring to life or imbue with power beyond human capacity. Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams. To discuss your claim or payment, call the number on the claim form, check, or email that you received from the FTC. If you have any other questions, please call the refund administrator at1-888-304-0228. The FTC currently issues payments by check, prepaid debit card,and, A payment or claim form sent as part of an FTC settlement will include an explanation of and details about the case. In an investigation, FTC technologists and others can look under the hood and analyze other materials to see if whats inside matches up with your claims. An official website of the United States government. You can be sure the phone numbers and links on this page are legit. The .gov means its official. The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. . HSR threshold adjustments and reportability for 2023, A Century of Technological Evolution at the Federal Trade Commission, National Consumer Protection Week 2023 Begins Sunday, March 5, FTC at the 65th Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market - NCPW 2023, Franchises, Business Opportunities, and Investments, FTC says online counseling service BetterHelp pushed people into handing over health information and broke its privacy promises, Next step in FTCs Green Guides review: A closer look at recyclable claims, Tenant screening practices: The FTC wants to hear from you. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy. By that time, the scammer has any money you sent, and youre stuck paying the money back to the bank. We enforce federal competition and consumer protection laws that prevent anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices. The FTC and its law enforcement partners announced actions against several income scams that conned people out of hundreds of millions of dollars by falsely telling them they could make a lot of money. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. You dont need a machine to predict what the FTC might do when those claims are unsupported. The case will be listed at. . Or can all this be simply ignored? The FTC is a federal government agency that gets its budget from Congress. You need adequate proof for that kind of comparative claim, too, and if such proof is impossible to get, then dont make the claim. If you get a check, please cash it within 90days. Checks can be verified online at www.ftc.gov/AMG. You dont have to pay for an FTC refund, and you dont have to give any information to cash a refund check. Stephanie T. Nguyen, Chief Technology Officer, Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents, According to a complaint filed by theFTC,LifeLock, failed to establish and maintain a comprehensive information security program. But the fact is that some products with AI claims might not even work as advertised in the first place. Whatever it can or cant do, AI is important, and so are the claims you make about it. Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams. Estimate your payment amount The site is secure. Have you heard about it? We wont post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions. If you receive a PayPal payment, you have 30 days to accept it. Is it any wonder that we can be primed to accept what marketers say about new tools and devices that supposedly reflect the abilities and benefits of artificial intelligence (AI)? They're also useful for transactions with individuals you haven't done business with before. If you were a little too jolly with your holiday spending, here are some tips to help you pay down your credit card debt. I would beg this of the FTC, please apply these principals across the board - to both large and small companies. If we know of a company that is lying to the public about its AI capability, is there a way to report that? More than. If youd like to know more about how the refund program works, visit this page about the FTCs process. What to know when you're looking for a job or more education, or considering a money-making opportunity or investment. Or even claiming it can do something beyond the current capability of any AI or automated technology? The FTC first mailed checks for this matter in October 2019 and sent PayPal payments in August 2021, resulting in more than $26.5 million in refunds.
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