Ftc

Here is a roundup of alleged cons, frauds and schemes to watch out for. Credit card interest - The Federal Trade Commission is sending refunds to more than 4,400 consumers who were defrauded by a telemarketing firm that promised to reduce their credit card interest rates in exchange for an upfront fee. The FTC sued Economic Relief Technologies and several related firms and individuals in 2010, accusing them of a massive telemarketing fraud....

Consumer Watchdog is looking to get a shot at challenging Google's $22.5-million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over alleged privacy violations. A U.S. District Court judge gave the organization the ability to challenge the settlement over allegations it misled users of Apple's Safari browser. Google has denied any wrongdoing in the case. Now Consumer Watchdog is questioning whether the FTC can settle the case without an admission of wrongdoing. It is bolstering its argument by pointing to the lone dissent of FTC Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch, who criticized the settlement.

After the coffee. Before figuring out how to transcribe an interview without actually listening to it. The Skinny: Another week has come and gone. If you're like me, you spent it obsessing on things that don't matter and ignoring the things that do. Sorry, not trying to be a downer, just offering some perspective. Friday's headlines include a look at the weekend box office, profiles of the producers of next year's Oscars and reviews of "Red Hook Summer" and "Premium Rush.

WASHINGTON — The ads promised that if you used the Ab Circle Pro machine just three minutes a day, you'd lose weight fast. But the Federal Trade Commission said the only thing that would get substantially lighter was your wallet. In the largest FTC settlement ever concerning an exercise machine, the Ab Circle Pro marketers have agreed to settle deceptive-advertising allegations by refunding up to $25 million to people who bought the device, the agency said. The Ab Circle Pro , which cost as much as $250, was marketed largely via infomercials and pitched by fitness model Jennifer Nicole Lee. Ads featuring the machine were shown 10,000 times nationwide, according to the FTC. Marketers said three minutes on the device, which allowed users to swivel on a fiberglass disk, was the equivalent of 100 sit-ups and would cause them to shed 10 pounds in two weeks, the agency said.

Apparently satellite broadcaster Dish Network Corp. doesn't like to take no for an answer. The Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit against Dish charging that it kept calling people who had previously indicated that they did not wish to be contacted by the pay-TV distributor, which is a violation of "do not call" rules. According to the suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in the Central District of Illinois, since 2007 Dish or telemarketers working on behalf of the satellite broadcaster made "millions of outbound telephone calls to phone numbers of persons who have previously stated that they do not wish to receive an outbound telephone call made by or on behalf of Dish Network.

WASHINGTON - Consumer watchdog and privacy groups are urging federal regulators to stop some major companies from soliciting email addresses of children - without parental consent - to market products to them. The groups said five companies used kid-themed websites - such as McDonald's Corp.'s HappyMeal.com and Turner Broadcasting System's CartoonNetwork.com - to encourage children to play online games or participate in activities, then share their experiences by providing email addresses of their friends.

In levying a record $22.5-million fine against Google Inc., the Federal Trade Commission said it wanted to send a clear message to the Internet giant that it won't tolerate similar breaches in the future. Google on Thursday agreed to pay the fine to settle allegations that it violated a pledge to protect the privacy of its users who browse the Web with Apple Inc.'s Safari. The FTC said Google bypassed Apple software's privacy settings to track users across the Web and show them personalized ads. The behavior violated terms of the settlement Google reached with the commission last year over Google's now-defunct Buzz social networking service, the FTC alleged.

The Federal Trade Commission announced it has approved a settlement with Facebook, resolving allegations that the social network deceived its users regarding the privacy of their information. The settlement comes following an FTC complaint that said Facebook was in violation of the FTC Act because despite the company telling its users they can keep their information private on its social network, it would repeatedly allow that information to be shared and made public. The settlement approval announced Friday will require Facebook to take several measures to ensure it does a better job communicating with its users and keeping their information private.

Google and the Federal Trade Commission are close to completing a settlement that could see the Internet company pay as much as $22.5 million, the harshest penalty ever imposed by the agency. Though the settlement still requires final approvals and could be changed before being announced to the public, people familiar with the matter say the agency and Google have agreed on a proposed settlement. The fine by the FTC comes in the wake of reports that  Google found a way around a privacy feature in the Apple iOS Safari browser in order to track their online activities.