FTC Mails Checks to Victims of DOTAuthority.com, AMG Services Scams

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The Federal Trade Commission is sending refund checks to consumers to compensate them for two different scams perpetrated by DOTAuthority.com and AMG Services.

DOTAuthority.com Scam

The FTC is mailing refund checks to small businesses who were affected by a scam committed by DOTAuthority.com Inc.

The total amount to be given to the small businesses is $89,736 and will be sent to 246 small businesses.

Allegedly, DOTAuthority.com misled customers into believing that the company was associated with the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Unified Carrier Registration System, or another government agency.

The FTC says that the company intimidated consumers into paying them for fees related to commercial vehicle registration.

DOTAuthority.com reached a settlement deal with the FTC to end the agency’s claim. As part of the settlement deal, the company will be banned from using misleading tactics to convince small businesses that the company is associated with federal agencies.

A monetary fine was also imposed, totaling $900,000, around $90,000 of which will be returned to affected small businesses.

Reportedly, DOTAuthority.com failed to adequately inform consumers that the company was a third-party organization and not a government agency. According to the FTC, the company charged businesses fees between $25 and $550.

Consumers who have questions about the refunds or did not receive a refund check when they believe they were supposed to have should contact the refund administrator Rust Consulting at 866-303-8537.

AMG Services Scam

The FTC says that AMG Services Inc. and Scott A. Tucker operated a large-scale payday loan scheme. The FTC won a civil judgement over the issue, and is now mailing 1,179,803 refund checks to affected individuals, totaling $505 million in funds returned.

According to the FTC, this scheme affected consumers who borrowed money from a range of companies connected with AMG. More than 1.1 million consumers will receive refunds.

Allegedly, Tucker and the company misled consumers with false loan disclosure, and did not fully describe the costs of loans.

The FTC says the company stated that customers who borrowed with the company would be only charged a one-time finance fee, but charged consumers far more fees.

The FTC claims that in reality, AMG would make multiple withdrawals from a customer’s bank account, and would asses them a new finance fee each time they did this.

This reportedly caused consumers to have to pay more for the loans than they agreed to pay or knew they would be charged.

The FTC has used AMG’s records to determine what consumers were affected by the scheme. Checks are being sent to consumers who borrowed money with a number of AMG-related companies between January 2008 and January 2013.

The companies involved in the scheme are 500FastCash, Advantage Cash Services, Ameriloan, OneClickCash, Star Cash Processing, UnitedCashLoans, and USFastCash.

Consumers do not need to contact the FTC to receive their claims, because the FTC has a record of all affected consumers.

However, consumers with questions, or those who borrowed from one of these companies before January 2008 should call 1-866-730-8147.

UPDATE: August 2019, the FTC is mailing out a second round of DOTAuthority.com refunds worth close to $758,000 to 14,948 small businesses.