MIAMI (Legal Newsline) – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a lawsuit against a Florida man and his company after allegations he swindled at least $1.3 million from newly opened small businesses by pretending to be a federal government agency.
The defendants in the case are Sean K. Juhl and D&S Marketing Solutions LLC, also doing business as US Corporate Compliance Office, Office of Compliance and Safety Standards, and Occupational Safety and Compliance Administration.
The defendant’s company would purportedly call business owners and pretend to be the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or some other agency. The defendants would tell the business owners that they were not in compliance with federal laws and that they needed to purchase regulatory posters that cost at least $179.99, according to the FTC.
After business owners realized they were dealing with a company and not the government, they would often try and call for refunds but could only leave voicemails, which were never returned.
The FTC voted 3-0 to approve the complaint. The FTC was granted a temporary restraining order against the defendants on June 8 by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.