For questions about your check or the refund process, call the administrator (Rust Consulting) at 1-866-730-8147, or email admin@AMGServicesRefund.com . 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. The site is secure. . The .gov means its official. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. 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. In one version of the scam, you get a call and a recorded message that says its Amazon. Stephanie T. Nguyen, Chief Technology Officer, Michael Atleson, Attorney, FTC Division of Advertising Practices. The FTC first sent checks in September 2021, which resulted in more than $2.9 million in refunds. Next-Gen Refund Payments. Advertisers should take another look at our. The FTC currently issues payments by check, prepaid debit card,and PayPal. The FTC never requires you to pay fees or asks you for sensitive information, like your Social Security number or bank account information. 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. The .gov means its official. Looking for legal documents or records? If you were a little too jolly with your holiday spending, here are some tips to help you pay down your credit card debt. And you cant say youre not responsible because that technology is a black box you cant understand or didnt know how to test. Make smart shopping decisions, know your rights, and solve problems when you shop or donate to charity. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy. If you get a check, please cash it within 90days. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTCsPrivacy Act system notices. 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. . Refund Programs: Frequently Asked Questions - Federal Trade Commission BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA - The FTC is sending refund checks to more than 541,000 people who paid for repairs and technical services when they took their computers to Office Depot or Office Max. Lina M. Khan was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission on June 15, 2021. Use our visualizations to explore scam and fraud trends in your state based on reports from consumers like you. These are the same companies that only adopted AI-enabled technology once it became a buzzword and a lot of what I have seen wouldn't pass your four question metric above. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. The case will be listed at ftc.gov/refunds, along with the name of the company issuing payments and a phone number for questions. Will I receive any more money? Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. But one thing is for sure: its a marketing term. Why aren't you going after "Full Self Driving" and "Auto Pilot" used by Tesla? They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission. Heres how to spot it. So far, weve heard that scammers have given job applicants a check that looks like an AMG refund check, and then asked people to deposit the check and use the money to go buy supplies for the supposed employer. The FTC first sent payments in this matter in May 2020, which resulted in more than $8.4 million in refunds. The agency is sending refund checks to two million people over the next two weeks. The FTC's interactive dashboards for refund data provide a state-by-state breakdown of FTC refunds. They are often printed with the names and addresses of legitimate financial institutions. We wont post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions. 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. How can a TEMPORARY PAUSE be put on a technology that is being unleashed faster than high-tech firms can safely deploy / control it? A total of 17,367 checks worth more than a total of $3.7 million are being sent to borrowers from an FTC settlement with Avant LLC. Spot the latest COVID scams, get compliance guidance, and stay up to date on FTC actions during the pandemic. The FTC first sent checks in September 2021, which resulted in more than $2.9 million in refunds. Learn about getting and using credit, borrowing money, and managing debt. The FTC never requires you to pay fees or asks you for sensitive information, like your Social Security number or bank account information. What to know when you're looking for a job or more education, or considering a money-making opportunity or investment. 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. You must submit your request in writing by mail or email. They are often printed with the names and addresses of legitimate financial institutions. The Federal Trade Commission(FTC), working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice, announced on Thursday (Sept. 27 .. If we do not have all the information we need to send refunds, we may request that consumers file a claim. Or even claiming it can do something beyond the current capability of any AI or automated technology? Looking for legal documents or records? If so, information about how to file a claim will be available at, If you believe you have been affected by an FTC case that is not listed at, For more information about the FTCs refund process, see, Data on FTC refunds are available in interactive online dashboards. One of those scams was 8 Figure Dream Lifestyle, which touted a proven business model and told Scammers are calling people and using the names of two companies everyone knows, Apple and Amazon, to rip people off. We wont post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. An official website of the United States government. Does the FTC ever use PayPal to send refunds? More than. If I accept this payment, can I still take legal action? 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. You can find the phone numbers for current FTC refunds programs at ftc.gov/refunds. 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. If you think you can get away with baseless claims that your product is AI-enabled, think again. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. I believe they want to make distinctions on the danger level of various deployment aims and scope of the AI implementations. Your best bet: Dont rely on money from a check unless you know and trust the person youre dealing with. If the card you used is not on this list, you might find the gift card companys contact information on the card itself. The chart below includes recent FTC cases that resulted in refunds. Youve probably heard: this holiday season, it might be harder to find the gifts youre looking for. Thanks, Your comments above are So Well stated. We need to be able to fully account for, and show / trace the logic behind (ie: the source used) for: morality, decency, ethics, and the general good. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. Search the Legal Library instead. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. It is your choice whether to submit a comment. Refund amounts will depend on how much the FTC is able to collect from the defendants and how many people lost money. We wont post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions. If the FTC contacts you about a refund, you'll find information about the case at ftc.gov/refunds .You can be sure the phone numbers and links on this page are legit. Did you get a payday loan from AMG? You might get a refund Once payments have been issued, PayPal sends an email telling recipients about their refund. How to protect your personal information and privacy, stay safe online, and help your kids do the same. Stephanie T. Nguyen, Chief Technology Officer, Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents, Refund Programs: Frequently Asked Questions, I received a payment or claim form from the FTC. Weve. And what exactly is artificial intelligence anyway? In reality, the FTC says, consumers paid a fee only to . It is your choice whether to submit a comment. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. Click on a case name to see more details about the refund program, including whether we sent checks or PayPal payments. Please tell the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. Youve probably heard: this holiday season, it might be harder to find the gifts youre looking for. 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. For example, were not yet living in the realm of science fiction, where computers can generally make trustworthy predictions of human behavior. If you get a PayPal payment, please accept it within 30 days. An official website of the United States government. We wont post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity. Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business responsibilities and comply with the law. Please call for details. If theres one constant among scammers, its that theyre always coming up with new schemes, like the Google Voice verification scam. It can take weeks for a bank to figure out that the check is a fake. on the long-run . We wont post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity. I didnt cash my check right away. If something goes wrong maybe it fails or yields biased results you cant just blame a third-party developer of the technology. Some of us are actually doing AI/ML and it is a game changer, it just isn't going to be a panacea, just tools to make sense of data and make things quicker and easier. Youve probably heard: this holiday season, it might be harder to find the gifts youre looking for. A.I accelerate till the camer tell it the cars are all stopped. We enforce federal competition and consumer protection laws that prevent anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices. And at the FTC, one thing we know about hot marketing terms is that some advertisers wont be able to stop themselves from overusing and abusing them. Overview The Middle Class Tax Refund (MCTR) is a one-time payment to provide relief to Californians. Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams. Consumers who receive checks should cash them by August 17, 2022. And weve heard from many of you that you got your check and cashed it. The Federal Trade Commission announced this week that it would send thousands of checks totaling more than $822,000 to student loan borrowers who lost money in a debt-relief scheme. The chart below includes recent FTC cases that resulted in refunds. Memo from Chair Lina M. Khan to commission staff and commissioners regarding the vision and priorities for the FTC. 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. I want all involved who are grappling with this tiger by the tail (Developers, Regulators, Investors, etc.) Heres what you need to know about these calls. Its usually for more than they owe you, and its sometimes for several thousand dollars. We work to advance government policies that protect consumers and promote competition. Anyone who does is scamming you. but someone must be able to make distinctions and be able to tell it what is moral, what is not, what is a fact, what is not, what is intentional miss-information what is not what is humor / sarcasm what is not, etc. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. For more information about the FTCs refund process, see How the FTC Provides Refunds. In these cases, we send an email from the FTC (subscribe@subscribe.ftc.gov) to payment recipients prior to payment. Memo from Chair Lina M. Khan to commission staff and commissioners regarding the vision and priorities for the FTC. If something goes wrong maybe it fails or yields biased results you cant just blame a third-party developer of the technology. The case will be listed at. And all manner of robots serve or control us. The .gov means its official. Lots of scammers use fake checks to get your money. If you receive a 1099 tax form with your check, you should report the payment as income on your tax return. Users can explore refund data, 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. And weve heard from many of you that you got your check and cashed it. humans will need to be able to peer into what is now not transparent, the invisible gut. In cases where the FTC is required to report payments to the IRS, the agency will include a 1099 tax form with your check. 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. We wont post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions. We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. There is an explosion of companies who 'are doing AI', I see it at all the trade shows, companies that four years ago were skeptical of AI technology now have AI sprinkled on everything they do. Bigotry, over aggressiveness, conflicting ideologies, partisan beliefs, history revisionism and questioning fact were used as input. FTC issues refund checks to victims of fraud, other scams You dont need a machine to predict what the FTC might do when those claims are unsupported. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTCsPrivacy Act system notices. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Hold Billing Services, Ltd.; Avery Communications, Inc.; Veterans of America Association, Ltd.; et al. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. Sometimes the FTC is able to return money to people who were ripped off in a con artists scheme. DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, DANGER! I requested a check reissue. Refund and Recovery Scams | Consumer Advice We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. FTC court orders typically require the defendants to provide a list of customers, along with their contact information, and how much they paid. If you have questions about your AMG refund check, go to the, Legit employers will never pay you by telling you to deposit a check and wir. FTC refunds $34 million to Office Depot customers 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. The FTC provides answers to common questions about refund payments on. And remember, the FTC never requires you to pay money or give account information to cash a refund check. The FTC does not require you to forfeit any rights you may have under federal or state law to get your refund. The FTC reports how much money was returned to consumers, how much was spent on administrative costs, and how much was sent to the U.S. Treasury when there were leftover funds, each year and for every case, on the agencys Refunds Dashboard. The .gov means its official. Investors appetite for high-tech driven frenzy should not override balanced caution and common sense. Checking out your AMG check? | Consumer Advice One of those scams was 8 Figure Dream Lifestyle, which touted a proven business model and told Scammers are calling people and using the names of two companies everyone knows, Apple and Amazon, to rip people off. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to. . What to do about unwanted calls, emails, and text messages that can be annoying, might be illegal, and are probably scams. You can find and verify the phone numbers for FTC refund programs at ftc.gov/refunds. It is your choice whether to submit a comment. We enforce federal competition and consumer protection laws that prevent anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices. Heres what you need to know about these calls. 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. For example, were not yet living in the realm of science fiction, where computers can generally make trustworthy predictions of human behavior. FTC to provide $172 million in refunds to victims of Progressive Users can explore refund data by case or by year to learn about where refunds were sent, the dollar amounts refunded, and the number of people who benefited from FTC refund programs. 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. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. FTC announces refunds for victims of credit card scam - Scam Guards I went through your questions and our process conforms to them, we say that AI isn't magic, it is math. But the check was fake, so you'll have to pay your bank the amount of the check, plus you'll lose any money you wired. Lina M. Khan was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission on June 15, 2021. Why didnt I get all my money back? If there is still money available in the settlement fund, we may be able to reissue your payment. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy. to protect its customer data, falsely advertised that it protected sensitive customerdata with the same high-level safeguards used by financial institutions, and falsely claimed it provided 24/7/365 alerts as soon as it received any indication a customer's identity was being used. You don't have to pay for an FTC refund, and you don't have to give any information to cash a refund check. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Reportedly, there will be 12,072 checks sent, averaging around $53 each. It often refers to a variety of technological tools and techniques that use computation to perform tasks such as predictions, decisions, or recommendations. money back to them or buy stuff for them. If you have questions about your AMG refundcheck, go to the FTC'sAMG refundspage, or call the refundsadministrator at 1-866-730-8174. You can be sure the phone numbers and links on this page are legit. You can findanswers tocommon questions about refund payments onour FAQ page. Weve already warned businesses to avoid using automated tools that have biased or discriminatory impacts. This article do apply to all the trendy or great KPI messages Marketing people provide: Marketing claims should be backed and supported by evidence and proof points. The message says theres something wrong with Its Cyber Security Awareness month, so the tricks scammers use to steal our personal information are on our minds. Know that you only need to provide your name and email address to create a PayPal account. Have you heard about it? The message says theres something wrong with Its Cyber Security Awareness month, so the tricks scammers use to steal our personal information are on our minds. Memo from Chair Lina M. Khan to commission staff and commissioners regarding the vision and priorities for the FTC. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. 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. Whitney Moore, Attorney, FTC Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents, And what exactly is artificial intelligence anyway? 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. We use this information to send refunds. You can find the phone numbers for FTC refund programs at ftc.gov/refunds. You are driving down a rod you see a guy waiting to cut across to get to the other lane so you see him look the other way and see a whole line of car coming so you slow down as you know he was inching forward. 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. 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 site is secure. . CI has also created a short video about how to protect yourself from scams, posted on IRS-CI's YouTube page. The site is secure. Generally, after the initial distribution, we process check reissues once a month. I would beg this of the FTC, please apply these principals across the board - to both large and small companies. Use our visualizations to explore scam and fraud trends in your state based on reports from consumers like you. If someone claims to be from the FTC and asks for money, its a scam. Search the Legal Library instead. The FTC works to fulfill its mission in many ways, including bringing cases against companies who are being unfair or deceptive. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. And in the FTC settlement with ABCmouse, over $9.7 million went back to more than 200,000 people, mostly through PayPal. Learn about getting and using credit, borrowing money, and managing debt. If you have any other questions, please call the refund administrator at1-866-898-5106. To find out which recent FTC cases led to refunds, and who to contact with questions, check out ftc.gov/refunds. What to do about unwanted calls, emails, and text messages that can be annoying, might be illegal, and are probably scams. Report that to us at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. An official website of the United States government. The FTC says the checks total more than $11 million, and are for victims of a scheme operated by E.M. Systems and Services, who used a variety of fake business names and websites to cold call . 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. Unless they figure out WHO IS GOING TO DO THAT IN THE FUTURE, will not this whole technology continue to go off the rails and be very dangerous in the wrong hands? Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business. A creature is formed of clay. Middle Class Tax Refund | FTB.ca.gov - California to fully refund people for the amount they paid to, , a company that the FTC says collected payments for fake debt by threatening to sue or arrest people who didnt pay. According to a complaint filed by theFTC,LifeLockfailed to establish and maintain a comprehensive information security programto protect its customer data, falsely advertised that it protected sensitive customerdata with the same high-level safeguards used by financial institutions, and falsely claimed it provided 24/7/365 alerts as soon as it received any indication a customer's identity was being used. 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.