A federal district court in New York has barred the operators of an illegal robocall scheme from falsely telling consumers they could get refunds from the Federal Trade Commission for them.
In its lawsuit, the FTC charged that the operators of The Cuban Exchange “spoofed” the FTC’s toll-free number on consumers’ caller ID and misled more than 13,000 people into believing the operation had a connection with the FTC and could help get refunds from the agency.
The claims were a scam, known as “imposter fraud,” that is designed to trick consumers into providing their personal information and bank account numbers, according to the FTC.
The company also did business as CrediSure America and MyiPad.us.
The order bars The Cuban Exchange from making misrepresentations when selling goods or services. In addition, the order prohibits defendants from claiming an affiliation with, or endorsement by, the FTC, or claiming that they can get refunds from the FTC for consumers.
The judgment also bars the defendants from making illegal robocalls and calling consumers whose phone numbers are on the Do Not Call Registry.
In addition, the judgment shut down the websites that were used in the scheme – including ftcrefund.com – and prohibits defendants from starting any new website that advertises an ability to provide government refund services.
