If you’re going to be involved in a massive, nationwide retail theft scheme, you might as well have a good nickname — like “Baby Arm Johnson” or the “Field Marshall” — for when you get caught. [More]
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman
4 Things To Remember To Avoid Getting Scammed In Wake Of Equifax Breach
By 9.12.17
As everyone now knows, 143 million Americans had their personal data compromised during a two-month-long data breach at credit reporting agency Equifax earlier this year. Authorities are now reminding consumers to watch out for bad actors looking to profit from everyone’s worries about their newfound vulnerability. [More]
$183M Settlement Means 41,000 Former Corinthian Students Will Get Private Loan Forgiven
By 8.17.17
Nearly 41,000 former students of now-defunct for-profit educator Corinthian Colleges will soon receive refunds for the private student loans they received to attend college, after a coalition of state attorneys general and federal agencies reached a $183.3 million settlement with Aequitas Capital Management, the issuer of these loans. [More]
Student Loan Company With Allegedly Shoddy Recordkeeping Under Investigation
By 7.20.17
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office has opened an inquiry into the business practices of National Collegiate Student Loan Trust following reports that the company often files collection lawsuits against defaulted borrowers without proper or correct paper. [More]
Ticket Brokers Must Pay $4.2M For Using Bots To Illegally Snatch Up Tickets
By 5.11.17
Have you wondered how ticket brokers are able to scoop up so many tickets so quickly while you hit “refresh” on your browser and resign yourself to sitting in the back row? They’re using automated “bots,” which are illegal in New York state. That’s why a handful of brokers have agreed to fork over millions of dollars to the state after being caught deploying ticket-buying bots and selling tickets without a license. [More]
Mobile Health App Makers Settle Allegations Of Misleading Marketing Claims
By 3.23.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
A trio of smartphone health apps that claim to do things like measure your heart rate or the vitals of your unborn child have agreed to settle allegations brought by the state of New York that these products made promises they couldn’t keep. [More]
12 Indicted In Massive Organized Retail Theft Ring That Spanned 28 States, 20 Years
By 3.15.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
When someone mentions the takedown of an organized crime ring, the first thing to come to mind is probably something along the lines of The Sopranos. But in New York today, the Attorney General’s office announced the indictment of 12 organized crime members accused of stealing over $12 million in high-end electronics and ink cartridges from national retailers in 28 states. [More]
Immigration Fraud Reports Increasing Amid Deportation Fears
By 2.15.17
Four months after New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and a number of immigration advocates warned of a potential increase in immigration scams following the November election and the uncertain status of many consumers, the office says it has seen an uptick in fraudsters preying on immigrants uncertain about their status. [More]
Legal Fund Accused Of Deceiving 9/11 First Responders & NFL Players Out Of Settlement Payments
By 2.7.17 — Updated: 2.8.17
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the state of New York have accused a New Jersey company of defrauding customers — including Sept. 11 first responders and former NFL players suffering from long-term brain injuries — into signing away millions of dollars in settlement payouts. [More]
DeVry Will Pay $2.75M To Settle State’s Allegations Of Misleading Advertising
By 1.31.17
One month after DeVry Education Group agreed to pay $100 million to settle federal regulatory charges that it used deceptive ads to recruit students, the for-profit educator has come to a multimillion-dollar settlement that should close the book on one state-level investigation. [More]
Feds, New York Accuse Maker Of Prevagen Dietary Supplement Of False Advertising
By 1.9.17
Prevagen is a dietary supplement that claims to help improve memory in 90 days, but both federal and state regulators are accusing the company behind Prevagen of making false and unsubstantiated claims. [More]
Bristol-Myers Squibb Agrees To Pay $19.5M Over Improper Marketing Of Medication
By 12.8.16 — Updated: 12.12.16
Prescription medication, when used properly and safely, can provide needed relief to consumers suffering a wide range of illnesses or physical conditions. However, those medications must be marketed and advertised properly. That apparently wasn’t the case for a antipsychotic prescription drug manufactured Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS). As a result, the company has agreed to pay $19.5 million in a settlement with 42 states and the District of Columbia. [More]
