WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced it will return close to $20 million to more than 145,000 consumers around the U.S. who were allegedly victimized by One Technologies LP and its two partner companies.
These defendants purportedly ran an online scheme that attempted to convince consumers that it provided “free” credit score access. According to the FTC, after consumers signed up, the defendants charged a recurring $29.95 monthly fee for un-ordered credit monitoring.
The FTC charged the defendants with violations of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA). ROSCA bans the charging of consumers for goods or services sold online through “negative option” marketing. The defendants also were charged with violating the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act and the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act.
“It’s our goal whenever possible to put money back in the hands of hard-working American consumers who have been victimized,” said Jessica Rich, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection. “We are pleased to announce that $20 million in refunds are going to back to consumers this week.”
The amount of refund money given to each consumer will vary depending on how much he or she originally lost due to the alleged scheme.