FTC aids criminal prosecutions (2024)

FAQs

Can the FTC bring criminal charges? ›

The FTC also may refer evidence of criminal antitrust violations to the DOJ. Only the DOJ can obtain criminal sanctions.

That means that, while we can't put people in jail, many of our partners can and do, including the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorneys, and other federal, state, and local criminal law enforcers. When FTC cases include behavior that also violates criminal laws, we let criminal prosecutors know.

The FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection stops unfair, deceptive and fraudulent business practices by collecting reports from consumers and conducting investigations, suing companies and people that break the law, developing rules to maintain a fair marketplace, and educating consumers and businesses about their rights ...

§ 53(b), which does not have a statute of limitation. Instead, the FTC must often rely on Section 19, 15 U.S.C. § 57b, which authorizes courts to order defendants to provide redress only when violations occurred within three years of the initiation of the Commission's action.

Enforcing Final Commission Orders

Divestiture orders become final after all judicial review is complete (or if no review is sought, after the time for seeking review has expired). If a respondent violates a final order, it is liable for a civil penalty for each violation. FTC Act Section 5(l), 15 U.S.C.

Every year the FTC brings hundreds of cases against individuals and companies for violating consumer protection and competition laws that the agency enforces. These cases can involve fraud, scams, identity theft, false advertising, privacy violations, anti-competitive behavior and more.

The Federal Trade Commission enforces a variety of antitrust and consumer protection laws affecting virtually every area of commerce, with some exceptions concerning banks, insurance companies, non-profits, transportation and communications common carriers, air carriers, and some other entities.

FTC and other regulators to ensure that these standards are applied consistently. An act or practice is unfair where it (1) causes or is likely to cause substantial injury to consumers, (2) cannot be reasonably avoided by consumers, and (3) is not outweighed by countervailing ben- efits to consumers or to competition.

While the FTC notes that investigative hearings generally take around 200 hours to fully complete, the process of investigation from start to finish could take weeks or months.

Do fraudsters ever get caught? ›

Internet and telephone scams have grown “exponentially,” overwhelming police and prosecutors who catch and convict relatively few of the perpetrators, said Kathy Stokes, director of fraud prevention at AARP's Fraud Watch Network.

The FTC enforces consumer protection laws to stop illegal business practices and get refunds to people who lost money. The chart below includes all active refund programs managed by the FTC. The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize.

The FTC has brought legal actions against organizations that have violated consumers' privacy rights, or misled them by failing to maintain security for sensitive consumer information, or caused substantial consumer injury.

What happens to my report? Your report goes into the FTC's Consumer Sentinel database, which is available to federal, state, and local law enforcement across the country.

How long does it take for the FTC to respond to a FOIA request? Our goal is to respond within the timeframe outlined in the Freedom of Information Act, which is twenty working days, or approximately one month, but this may vary with the complexity of the request.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) functions primarily as a law enforcement agency. We undertake both court and administrative actions to enhance competition and protect consumers.

The Federal Trade Commission enforces a variety of antitrust and consumer protection laws affecting virtually every area of commerce, with some exceptions concerning banks, insurance companies, non-profits, transportation and communications common carriers, air carriers, and some other entities.

What Violations Can Trigger an FTC Investigation? The FTC investigates violations of federal antitrust and consumer protection laws. This encompasses everything from anticompetitive mergers and acquisitions to consumer fraud and inadequate data security.

These cases can involve fraud, scams, identity theft, false advertising, privacy violations, anti-competitive behavior and more.