FTC and Florida AG Take Action Against Payment Processing Operation

FTC State Attorney General Enforcement Telemarketing Sales Rule

On January 8, the FTC and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi announced an amended complaint against a California-based processing sales organization, its three executives, and three telemarketing company owners (collectively “the defendants”) for alleged violations of the (i) Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Protection Act; (ii) the FTC Act; (iii) the FTC’s Telemarking Sales Rule; and (iv) the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. According to the complaint, the defendants operated a nation-wide debt relief scam by cold calling consumers and making false promises that they could “reduce consumers’ interest rates on their credit cards, save consumers thousands of dollars in a short time period, and refund consumers’ money if the promised savings were not realized.” The FTC and AG Bondi allege that, from at least November 2012 to October 2014, the defendants solicited at least 26 “‘straw men’” to act as signatories on “shell businesses and dummy merchant accounts” that were used to process consumer credit card payments. The FTC is seeking injunctive relief, rescission or reformation of contracts, restitution, the refund of monies paid, the disgorgement or ill-gotten monies, and other equitable relief; Florida AG Bondi is seeking injunctive relief, restitution, costs and attorneys’ fees, as well as other equitable relief.