FTC

The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday announced a new claims process to return money to thousands of former AT&T customers as a result of a $60 million settlement with AT&T.

The Federal Trade Commission proposed a rule that would ban noncompete clauses. As a result, wages could rise by nearly $300 billion a year.

Try our quiz to see how well you remember the video game news of 2022.

Zuckerberg defended Meta’s reliance on acquisitions to build out virtual and augmented reality services.

Fortnite publisher Epic Games will pay a $520 million fine in connection with violations of child privacy laws which exposed children to "dangerous" content.

Breaking down the top questions following the FTC's announcement it would sue to halt Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Following hurricanes Ian and Nicole, the Federal Trade Commission is warning potential buyers of how to steer clear of a flood-damaged car.

Have you ever been unhappy with a service — like your phone or Internet — and tried to cancel it? But, when you tried, you found it difficult or nearly impossible?

Scammers are trying to steal student loan borrowers' money and personal information.

Former head of Twitter security Peiter Zatko explained the company has previously employed foreign agents.

The Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit that alleges the website “Credit Karma” deceived people by falsely claiming that they had been “pre-approved” or had “90% odds” of approval for credit cards or loans.

After President Biden announced his plan for student loan relief Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning consumers about potential scams.

The Federal Trade Commission wants to send a reminder about some rights related to credit and discrimination.

“I received a notification from my bank that said your Venmo transaction of $1,800 has been approved right after that. It said your Venmo of $2,000 has been approved 3,800 total.” Frasier recalls.

Scammers have been reaching out to people, pretending to be companies that offer at-home employment.

Regulators are trying to clean up the murky truth in online reviews.

Both agencies with broad oversight over Silicon Valley companies, the FCC and FTC have lacked a Democratic majority for months, preventing them from moving forward with widely anticipated initiatives, like restoring open Internet regulations and crafting new competition rules.

Here's what the impending "consolidation wars" mean for the video game industry.

Consumers in 2021 reported losing about $770 million to fraud initiated on social media—about one-fourth of all reported fraud losses for the year and an 18-fold increase from 2017, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s latest Consumer Protection Data Spotlight.

The Federal Trade Commission is cracking down to make sure the online reviews you read before buying a product are true.

Images published by the Russian Defence Ministry show the units of the 150th motorised rifle division carrying out a military exercise in Russia's Rostov region bordering Ukraine. This comes amid continuing tensions between Russia and the West over the possibility of an invasion of Ukraine.

Lina Khan’s plan to revamp the FTC’s remit may be too broad to pull off, but she has little choice to swinging big.

The Federal Trade Commission is demanding 25 companies stop promising you products that prevent or treat COVID-19.

Shkreli had increased the price of Daraprim, a lifesaving drug, by 4,000 percent and wrongfully created a scheme to block competition, a federal judge found.

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust case against Facebook could proceed, in a reversal of fortune for the agency after its first complaint was thrown out last year.

A FTC new complaint alleges Amazon uses “deliberately" confusing practices in search results, misleading users about advertisements on the platform. Ad sales are one of Amazon’s fastest growing businesses and the complaint alleges its practices run afoul of consumer protection laws.

In an August letter to the Biden administration, she promised to deter unlawful mergers in the industry, as well as to ask staff at the agency to investigate abuses in the franchised fuel market. “I will continue to assess how the FTC can use its tools to police unlawful business practices in oil and gas markets, and I am committed to working with the Administration, independent agencies, and state attorneys general to address this concern,” she wrote.

More Americans turned to smoking last year than the year, breaking a 20-year decline in cigarette use.

Consumers looking for love online and on dating apps were increasingly targeted by romance scams during the pandemic. An FTC report finds a sharp increase in such frauds, with losses reaching a record $304 million last year.

Epik long has been the favorite Internet company of the far-right, providing domain services to QAnon theorists, Proud Boys and other instigators of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol .

Tech giants have quietly acquired hundreds of companies over the years without much scrutiny. A new study from the FTC is a step towards changing that

Criminals have ripped off hundreds of thousands of Americans since the start of the pandemic, according to the FTC.

The agency may not have the resources to follow through on its aggressive antitrust goals — and dealmakers know it.

The antitrust agency is backing up its arguments with solid evidence this time.

The FTC is attempting to course correct after it suffered a stunning setback earlier this summer, when a federal judge threw out its suit against the tech giant, along with a similar case from state attorneys general. The Facebook case is the most high-profile challenge that the agency has brought against a tech company in decades, and it’s widely being watched as a bellwether of the growing movement in Washington to curb concentration in the tech industry.

The agency rejected Facebook’s assertion in a letter sent to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

If any of these situations sound familiar, it’s worth reaching out to the FTC to share your story. With all that said, though, be sure to keep your expectations in check. I hate to say it, but it’s very unlikely that the FTC will resolve your specific issue — even if you wound up shelling out money you didn’t need to. Still, each complaint submitted should help the commission figure out what shady practices are still in play, which companies rely on them and how best to fight illicit repair restrictions over the long haul.

An Indiana-based woman was only able to recover a fraction of the money she lost to a man who convinced her to hand over personal details.

The action could have significant impacts on current and future antitrust cases, including against Facebook.

The new Federal Trade Commission chair's first big challenge will be rewriting a lawsuit against Facebook that a federal court tossed out earlier this week.

As the number of Americans investing in cryptocurrency has increased, so too have the scams. The Federal Trade Commission released new data showing cryptocurrency-related investment scams have skyrocketed.

No matter what anyone tells you, you can’t buy COVID-19 vaccines online and there’s no out-of-pocket cost to get the shots.

Did you get a bill for a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan, but you didn’t apply for one? It’s possible that an identity thief applied for the loan using your personal or business information. The SBA has new guidance about reporting the fraud, and the FTC has tips to help you clear up any credit problems it may cause. The SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance has been issuing the loans under its COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Keep these invoices until the SBA has finished reviewing your identity theft report.

Think back, if you can, to the last time you tried to buy tickets online to go to a concert, a game, or a play. Ticket bots may also be a factor. They also might use bots to cheat the ticketing system and bypass ticket limits or to buy tickets using fake names and addresses. Congress passed the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act to address these problems. The Federal Trade Commission settled three cases with companies that violated the BOTS Act.

On today's show, a former FTC attorney reflects on the flurry of antitrust cases against tech companies like Google and Facebook and looks ahead to more action in 2021. Plus, CNBC's Frank Holland explains how the pandemic has not only shifted consumer behavior when it comes to shopping, but also returning unwanted gifts. For years, nations have allowed the likes of Google, Facebook and Amazon to "move fast and break things" with relatively little scrutiny or accountability. The president had previously called the bill an unsuitable "disgrace" and demanded lawmakers raise the second round of stimulus checks to $2,000 per person, from $600. Though the stimulus bill has been signed into law, the push to more than triple the size of direct payments is still underway.

You might be one of the nine million people getting a letter from the IRS letting you know how to register on their website to claim your payment by Oct. 15, 2020. If you get this letter from the IRS, it’s legit. Go only to the IRS’s real website at IRS.gov/EIP or call them directly at 800-919-9835 to register to claim your payment. But if someone claiming to be from the IRS calls, emails or texts about helping you get your stimulus payment, that person is running a government imposter scam on you. And be sure to tell the FTC if someone pretending to be from the government contacts you.

Finding ways to lower those bills -- sometimes by simply calling your credit card company directly and asking for a lower rate -- can save you lots of cash. So what about those companies that call with a guaranteed credit card interest rate reduction offer (for a small fee) and a promise to save you thousands of dollars? Their goal, says the FTC, was to sell a bogus credit card interest rate reduction service. Heres how to protect yourself from this type of scam:The best way to get a lower credit card interest rate is to do it yourself for free. Did you spot a credit card interest rate reduction scam, or get a robocall?

People learn about the fraud when they get a notice from their state unemployment benefits office or their employer about their supposed application for benefits. Report the fraud to your state unemployment benefits agency. These include placing a free, one-year fraud alert on your credit, getting your free credit reports, and closing any fraudulent accounts opened in your name. These include placing a free, one-year fraud alert on your credit, getting your free credit reports, and closing any fraudulent accounts opened in your name. If you get benefits you never applied for, report it to your state unemployment agency and ask for instructions.

Hey college students: Even though you’re likely far from campus, scammers are still trying to find you, the Federal Trade Commission warns. Maybe you or your friends have gotten an email claiming to be from the “Financial Department” of your university. Don’t click on a link. Don’t click on a link. While some phishing emails look completely legit, bad grammar and spelling can be a tip-off to phishing.

Most legitimate shelters and rescue leagues post their adoption fees online and they wont ask you to pay additional unexpected fees. If you stick with a local organization, you may not have to pay until you pick up your new pet. Most legitimate shelters and rescue leagues post their adoption fees online and they wont ask you to pay additional unexpected fees. Then research the seller online. Then research the seller online.

Thats why the three national credit reporting agencies are giving people weekly access to monitor their credit report -- for free. Your credit report has information about your credit history and payment history -- information that lenders, creditors, and other businesses use when giving you loans or credit. Thats because everyone is eligible to get free weekly credit reports from the three national credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. The credit reporting agencies are making these reports free for the next year. Notify the credit reporting agencies directly.

People who had contact with someone infected with COVID-19 may first get a text message from the health department, telling them theyll get a call from a specific number. But scammers, pretending to be contact tracers and taking advantage of how the process works, are also sending text messages. Unlike a legitimate text message from a health department, which only wants to let you know theyll be calling, this message includes a link to click. There are several ways you can filter unwanted text messages or stop them before they reach you. Your wireless provider may have a tool or service that lets you block text messages.

But, while you’re focused on getting a loan, scammers may be focused on you: hoping to trick you into giving them sensitive business information, like your bank account numbers, employees’ Social Security numbers, and even your money. Here are some “dos” and “don’ts” to help you stay clear of scammers as you apply for a small business loan. You don’t have to pay up front to get an SBA loan. The SBA won’t call unsolicited to find out information about you or your business, or to ask you to apply for a loan. It’s a The SBA won’t call unsolicited to find out information about you or your business, or to ask you to apply for a loan.

The FTC sent letters to Arbonne International, doTerra, Modere, Pruvit Ventures and Total Life Changes, each of which sell essential oils, supplements or related products, covering both health claims and income claims. It also warned supplements company IDLife, weight loss and nutrition product company It Works Marketing, and skincare product company Rodan & Fields about earnings claims, and wellness product company Zurvita just about health claims. The FTC's director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection said the organization is on the lookout for false income claims for work-at-home opportunities. It also said earnings claims, both express and implied, must be truthful and non-misleading. In an emailed statement, Rodan and Fields said it has "strict policies concerning earnings and product claims and does not tolerate non-compliant or misleading income claims, and [routinely initiates] enforcement action against such claims."

The FTC said on Tuesday it had received 17,425 complaints related to COVID-19, of which 9,634 were for COVID-related fraud. Los Angeles-based New Performance Nutritions website said it counted among its customers a host of athletes as well as actor Christian Slater and singer Christina Aguilera. Rocky Mountain IV Medics said that it had offered only to help relieve COVID-19 symptoms and avoid hospital treatment. (We) are still attempting to discuss matters with the FTC in regards to this matter, said company owner Ryan Richardson in an email statement. At Bioenergy Wellness, a woman who declined to give her name said she had received the letter and made the changes to her website that the FTC requested.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., introduced a bill Friday that would prohibit price gouging during national emergencies, including the Covid-19 pandemic. It would have to consider any price increase above 10% to be price gouging during such a declaration. E-commerce platforms including Amazon, eBay and Walmart have felt pressure to crack down on price gouging from lawmakers and state attorneys general around the country. Amazon, for example, said in early March it had removed 530,000 offers from its marketplace for coronavirus-related price gouging. It allows enforcers to consider several price factors to determine whether price gouging occurred, rather than provide a blanket threshold.

That’s why the FTC rolled out a fun, new way to help you spot scammers: scam bingo. The FTC wants you to share your bingo card on social media, so when you get a call from a scammer, you can recognize something sounds fishy and spread the word to help protect others in your community. And, when you have bingo, share it with the FTC on Facebook or Twitter, and with News4Jax. Even if you don’t play the game, the FTC asks you to report scams at ftc.gov/complaint. And remember, if you get a call or email offer that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Truth in Advertising, a nonprofit advertising watchdog, has filed deceptive marketing complaints with the FTC and California regulators against Savage X Fenty, Rihanna's lingerie brand. Savage X Fenty has drawn millions in investment funding and has been lauded for its inclusive sizing and diverse marketing. When navigating to the shopping bag, if an item had been added, a "Savage X Monthly Membership" was also added automatically, without changing the pricing. The organization said it has "identified a sampling of 70 social media posts by 21 different influencers that deceptively advertise Savage X Fenty products. Representatives for Savage X Fenty, TechStyle, the FTC and the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's office didn't immediately respond for requests for comment.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The new coronavirus has infected more than 40,000 people globally and killed over 900. Now, the U.S. government is concerned about scammers who want to take advantage of fears surrounding the virus. According to the FTC, the emails and posts may contain fake information about cases in your neighborhood or they may ask you to donate to patients. Here are some tips to protect yourself:If you receive any suspicious emails, phone calls or text messages about the coronavirus, report them to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. As of Monday, according to the Office of Attorney General Ashley Moody, there have been no local coronavirus scams.

The young senator's campaign seemed novel at the time for its savvy use of social media to build a following. While there was some skepticism by government regulators over the tech industry, they still mostly let companies like Facebook and Google run their course. The Obama administration continued to hire tech alums in the White House. The article called into question traditional interpretations of antitrust law that often measure the so-called consumer welfare standard based on price. These are very visibly big companies, it is not like an oil company or a steel company that you don't see it.

71-year-old Frank Abagnale is a reformed con artist and author of "Scam Me If You Can." He was famously portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2002 movie "Catch Me If You Can." Scams used to require face-to-face interaction and meant that a scammer needed make a human connection with their target. Technology lets scammers target countless people online and avoid ever meeting them in person. Whether it's a fast-talking con artist or a random message on social media, check out this video to learn about the two red flags you will see in almost every scam.

The Federal Trade Commission is partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to help you guard against potential census scams. The ProcessIn mid-March 2020, the Census Bureau will start mailing out (and, in some areas, hand delivering) invitations to participate in the 2020 Census. Starting in May 2020, census takers will start visiting homes that haven’t responded to make sure everyone is counted. If you aren’t home or can’t come to the door, the census taker will come back up to six times. For the full list of questions on the 2020 Census, visit Questions Asked.

Two congresswomen from Silicon Valley introduced a new online privacy bill Tuesday that proposes creating a federal enforcement agency to protect privacy rights. Democratic Reps. Anna Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren announced the Online Privacy Act as Congress has struggled to agree on specifics of privacy legislation which both sides largely agree is warranted. Eshoo and Lofgren's new bill proposes the creation of the Digital Privacy Agency (DPA) that would have the power to enforce privacy rights for users and make sure companies follow the law. It also requires opt-in consent for users' data to be used for machine learning or artificial intelligence algorithms. The pair thought, "if the representatives in Silicon Valley took a strong stand for privacy rights, then it would be meaningful for the rest of Congress.

The FTC said in a statement it wants to "better understand" vaping sales and promotional practices, including e-cigarette give-aways, online influencer programs and marketing on college campuses. Those techniques are also at the center of several state and federal investigations into whether Juul's early viral marketing efforts helped spark the surge in teen vaping.

FTC: Equifax might run out of cash, so please take the credit..."Because the amount of money set aside for the cash payment option is capped at $31 million, consumers who select that option may not receive the $125 they had expected,"...Technologyread more

Amazon has acquired some assets and employees of E8 Storage, a small start-up that built data center data storage hardware. A person familiar with the matter confirmed the deal to CNBC on Wednesday and said that all employees received job offers from Amazon Web Services, Amazon's cloud unit. Amazon has long held the leadership position in the market for public cloud infrastructure, staying ahead of Microsoft, Google and others. Now AWS has picked out a company that specializes in hardware that uses flash storage for fast performance. WATCH: How Amazon Web Services transfers massive amounts of data to the cloud

Traders now see a bigger chance of another rate cut by the Federal Reserve in September after it lowered interest rates for the first time since 2008 and hinted at further accommodation. The fed funds futures market now points to a 74% chance of at least a quarter-point rate cut at the Fed's September meeting, according to the CME FedWatch tool. ET, traders were pricing in about a 68% chance of a rate reduction in September. Traders are also pricing in two more cuts to the benchmark lending rate to a range of 150 to 175 basis points by the end of 2019. The policymaking Federal Open Market Committee on Wednesday dropped the target range for its overnight lending rate to 2% to 2.25%, or 25 basis points from the previous level.

A group of Nordstrom family members that own 31.2% of Nordstrom have been working on a proposal to increase their stake in the department store to more than half, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The family last year aborted talks to take the retailer private after an initial offer of $50 a share was rejected as too low. Shares of Nordstrom were up more than 8% on Thursday, giving it a market capitalization of $5 billion, according to Factset. Investors have questioned whether there is a continued need for department stores, as more shoppers head online or buy from brands directly. But Nordstrom with its affordable luxury price-point and high-touch customer service has long been viewed as the darling among department stores.

Cramer reviews the top July performers on the Dow Jones and S&P..."When you get days like today ... look to those July leaders for guidance, and, in some cases, you're going to find some solid buying opportunities," Jim Cramer says. Mad Money with Jim Cramerread more

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank's rate cut approved Wednesday was part an ongoing move to adjust to economic conditions though no guarantee of future cuts. Powell added that Fed officials "think it will serve all of those goals" that he mentioned. Looking at the history of the Fed, Powell cautioned against assuming that this week's cut is the beginning of the cycles that happened in the past. The Fed voted to reduce its benchmark lending rate a quarter point to a range of 2% to 2.25%. "Increasing policy support has kept the economy on track and kept the outlook favorable."

The FTC said Wednesday that consumers rushing to get a $125 check from Equifax as restitution for its 2017 cybersecurity breach should consider the credit monitoring option because the company could run out of money before satisfying all the claims. The notice continues, "For those who have not submitted a claim, the FTC is recommending that affected consumers consider choosing the free credit monitoring service, which is worth hundreds of dollars and comes with identity theft insurance and restoration services. For consumers who have already chosen the cash option, the settlement administrator will e-mail those consumers and provide them with the opportunity to either (1) submit additional information, or (2) switch to the free credit monitoring service. The information services company Experian will be offering the four-year credit monitoring service, as it has for its own free monitoring service between 2017 and 2019. A spokesperson for the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James said, "Free credit monitoring for 10 years is an extremely valuable tool for consumers across the country affected by the breach."

Facebook continues to generate a variety of negative headlines including privacy issues, potential regulation, and controversy over its recently announced Libra currency. Wall Street analysts, however, are undeterred and are sticking by the stock into the company's earnings report after the bell. "However, we believe that fundamentals at FB are solid and that its advertising business remains strong," he said. "New initiatives like Calibra, e-commerce and monetizing messaging should become more important for investors than the major attention on privacy issues witnessed over the past 18 months." Here's what else the major analysts are saying about Facebook's upcoming earnings report:

But the FTC's three Republican commissioners who voted for the settlement said the concessions they received were far greater than they could have hoped for through litigation. But the majority-voting Republican commissioners said in a statement that the argument that Zuckerberg should have been named as a defendant "misses the mark because it focuses on optics over substance." The republican commissioners added that even without naming Zuckerberg as a defendant, the FTC's order holds the executive to account more than a court decision likely would. While Zuckerberg's voting control over Facebook's board of directors was not eliminated, the Republican commissioners said the order "significantly diminishes" his power overall. The settlement order also places several other overlapping checks on Zuckerberg's power.

Workers at LaGuardia and JFK airports plan to start a strike, the FTC says Lifelock is still misleading customers, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is announcing $85 million in loans to help farmers get better internet access. CBS News Moneywatch's Jill Wagner has the day's business headlines for CBSN.

AT&T sued for throttling users "unlimited" data The FTC says up to 3.5 million of AT&T's high use customers had their data stream "throttled" 60-90 percent -- leaving some smartphones "practically inoperable." Wyatt Andrews reports.