FTC refunds | January and February 2024

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent refunds to eligible consumers in January and February, compensating them for unlawful debt collection, scams, lending, robocalls and other consumer issues.

Vantage Point Services FTC refunds

The FTC sent a second round of refunds in February to consumers harmed by Vantage Point Services’ debt-collection practices.

According to the FTC and the state of New York, Vantage Point lied and used false threats to pressure consumers into making debt payments. The debt collector allegedly impersonated law firms and government offices or threatened legal action to force debtors to pay.

The FTC sent more than $148,000 in refunds in May 2022. With remaining settlement funds, the agency is sending a second round of payments. These refunds returned nearly $80,000 to 1,474 consumers who paid more than $700 to Vantage Point and cashed their first payment.

Individuals who receive a refund check should cash it within 90 days. 

Consumers can direct additional questions about these refunds to JND Legal Administration at 877-389-2224.

Nexway FTC refunds

The FTC sent more than $610,000 in refunds to consumers who lost money to a Nexway tech-support scam that operated under the names Tech Live Connect, Saburi TLC and Sensei Ventures.

The tech-support scam allegedly used misleading security warnings and pop-up messages to trick consumers into paying for costly tech support services. The FTC claims Nexway processed payments for these scammers after they collected credit card numbers over the phone.

As part of a settlement, Nexway had to turn over assets to pay the FTC for its part in the scams. The FTC is now returning more than $610,000 to 6,490 scam victims. Refunds may vary depending on how much consumers lost to the scheme.

Individuals who receive a refund check should cash it within 90 days. Consumers who receive a PayPal payment should accept it within 30 days.

Consumers can direct additional questions about these refunds to JND Legal Administration at 1-888-995-0315.

Tate’s Auto FTC refund payments

The FTC sent a second round of payments in January to consumers who financed a car through Tate’s Auto that was later repossessed.

According to the FTC, Tate’s Auto lied to automotive lenders about borrower income and down payment amounts to skew their approval odds. As a result of this scheme, borrowers allegedly found themselves with auto loans they couldn’t afford to pay back, resulting in vehicle repossessions. 

The FTC sent an initial round of payments in September 2022 that returned nearly $290,000 to affected consumers. With remaining settlement funds, the FTC is sending out a second round of payments to 2,444 people who accepted their initial payments. This second round of payments will return over $78,000 to affected consumers.

Individuals who receive a refund check should cash it within 90 days. Consumers who receive a PayPal payment should accept it within 30 days.

Consumers may direct additional questions about these FTC refunds JND Legal Administration at 888-964-0009.

Pointbreak Media FTC refunds

The FTC is refunding small-business owners affected by Pointbreak Media’s illegal robocall scheme.

Pointbreak allegedly called thousands of small businesses and claimed to represent Google with fraudulent robocalls. According to the FTC, the company threatened to take small businesses off Google search results unless they paid a steep fee. Pointbreak allegedly followed up these calls with additional robocalls asking for further fees in exchange for top Google search placements. The scheme reportedly operated under several business names, including Pointbreak Media, Modern Spotlight, National Business Listings and Modern Source Media.

The FTC mailed two rounds of refund checks in August 2020 and March 2023 that returned more than $1.7 million to affected business owners. Now, with residual settlement funds, the FTC is reissuing checks to 514 individuals who didn’t cash their first check. These reissued checks total $322,200.

Individuals who receive a refund check should cash it within 90 days. 

Consumers with additional questions about these refunds can contact JND Legal Administration at 1-877-595-0141.

Consumer Defense FTC refunds

The FTC is sending over $1.2 million in refunds to consumers who paid fees to Consumer Defense as part of its mortgage loan relief scam.

According to the FTC, Consumer Defense and other related companies operated an illegal mortgage relief scam that promised to help homeowners struggling with their mortgage payments. Instead of making mortgage payments more affordable, Consumer Defense allegedly collected upfront fees and told borrowers not to pay their mortgages or contact their lenders.

In addition to being permanently banned from the debt-relief business, Consumer Defense was required to refund consumers for their lost money. The FTC sent more than $1.2 million in refunds to 6,261 people affected by the scheme.

Individuals who receive a refund check should cash it within 90 days.

Consumers may direct additional questions about these refunds to JND Legal Administration at 1-833-928-2553.

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