{"id":9739,"date":"2024-08-08T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-08T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/?p=9739"},"modified":"2024-08-08T12:42:11","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T16:42:11","slug":"ftc-action-leads-to-sweepstakes-ban-for-individual-who-helped-run-massive-scheme-that-cost-consumers-millions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/ftc-action-leads-to-sweepstakes-ban-for-individual-who-helped-run-massive-scheme-that-cost-consumers-millions\/","title":{"rendered":"FTC Action Leads to Sweepstakes Ban for Individual Who Helped Run Massive Scheme that Cost Consumers Millions"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a result of a Federal Trade Commission case, one of the operators of a sweepstakes scam that cost consumers millions has agreed to a settlement that permanently bans him from operating sweepstakes or making claims to consumers about prizes they have won or may win.<\/p>\n

The FTC first filed its complaint against Victor Ramirez<\/a> in 2015, alleging that he helped operate a sprawling sweepstakes operation that took more than $28 million from consumers throughout the United States and other countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince the Supreme Court\u2019s decision in AMG, we are no longer able to return money to consumers who\u2019ve been harmed,\u201d said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC\u2019s Bureau of Consumer Protection. \u201cIt is urgent that Congress restore the Commission\u2019s ability to make consumers whole when they are targeted by scammers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The FTC\u2019s complaint charged that Ramirez, along with three other individual defendants and eleven corporate defendants, mailed personalized letters falsely telling consumers that they had won large cash prizes, typically more than $2 million. To collect the \u201cguaranteed\u201d money, consumers had to mail the defendants a $20-$30 fee by cash, check or money order typically within 10 days, and the letters warned consumers they would forfeit their winnings if they didn\u2019t pay on time. In reality, consumers had not won anything. The defendants had no connection to any sweepstakes and could not award or pay anyone the promised prizes.<\/p>\n

Under the terms of the settlement<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>Ramirez is permanently banned from any involvement in any sweepstakes or other form of prize promotion that tells consumers that they either have won or could be eligible to win a prize. In addition, the settlement prohibits him from any further deception related to any product or service and from making use of any consumer information acquired through running the sweepstakes scam.<\/p>\n

The Commission vote approving stipulated final order was 5-0. The FTC filed the proposed order\u00a0<\/strong>in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and it has now been entered by the court.<\/p>\n

NOTE:\u00a0<\/strong>Stipulated final orders or injunctions have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge.<\/p>\n

The staff attorney on this matter is William J. Hodor of the FTC\u2019s Midwest Region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a result of a Federal Trade Commission case, one of the operators of a sweepstakes scam that cost consumers millions has agreed to a settlement that permanently bans him from operating sweepstakes or making claims to consumers about prizes they have won or may win. The FTC first filed its complaint against Victor Ramirez […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-2x5","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9078,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/ftc-action-leads-to-sweepstakes-ban-for-three-individuals-who-ran-massive-scheme-that-cost-consumers-millions\/","url_meta":{"origin":9739,"position":0},"title":"FTC Action Leads to Sweepstakes Ban For Three Individuals Who Ran Massive Scheme That Cost Consumers Millions","author":"jmayfield","date":"June 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"As a result of a Federal Trade Commission case, the operators of a sweepstakes scam that cost consumers millions have agreed to settlements that permanently ban them from operating sweepstakes or making claims to consumers about prizes they have won or may win.The FTC first filed its complaint against Matthew\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7051,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/as-nationwide-fraud-losses-top-10-billion-in-2023-ftc-steps-up-efforts-to-protect-the-public\/","url_meta":{"origin":9739,"position":1},"title":"As Nationwide Fraud Losses Top $10 Billion in 2023, FTC Steps Up Efforts to Protect the Public","author":"jmayfield","date":"February 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Newly released Federal Trade Commission data show that consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023, marking the first time that fraud losses have reached that benchmark. 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