Illinois AG Kwame Raoul sued marketing company Southeast Energy Consultants LLC, which acquires customers on behalf of alternative retail electric suppliers (ARES), for allegedly deceiving consumers into switching from their public utility companies to more expensive contracts with ARES in violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and the Illinois Telephone…

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California AG Rob Bonta reached a settlement with the University of Phoenix, Inc., and its parent company Apollo Education Group, Inc., to resolve claims that the University intentionally solicited servicemembers, veterans, and their family members to enroll in its programs using tactics that violated California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law. According to the…

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The FTC entered into a settlement with Williams Sonoma, Inc., to resolve allegations that the retailer—which includes brands such as Pottery Barn, PBTeen, and West Elm—violated a previous FTC order by falsely representing that multiple products are “Made in USA” or otherwise of U.S. origin, when they are wholly imported or contain significant imported components. In…

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Massachusetts AG Andrea Campbell secured a preliminary injunction against VICA Trading, Inc. d/b/a VapeSourcing, prohibiting the company from advertising or selling flavored tobacco products within the state, online or in-person. The Preliminary Injunction bars VapeSourcing from offering discount deals on flavored tobacco products to consumers or conducting mail-order or online sales of vape nicotine devices…

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The CFPB has issued a new circular warning remittance transfer providers—including “digital wallets”—that deceptive advertising about the cost or speed of sending a remittance transfer can violate the Consumer Financial Protection Act, even if the provider is otherwise in compliance with the Remittance Rule under the Electronic Funds Transfer Act. The CFPB warns that, among…

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