The settlement also contains various record keeping and reporting requirements designed to assist the FTC in monitoring the defendants' compliance. The Commission vote to forward the complaint and consent order to the Department of Justice for filing was 4 to 1. They were filed by DOJ at the request of the FTC, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, on October 18. The settlement is subject to court approval. This consent order is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by the defendants of a law violation.
Consent orders have the force of law when signed by the judge.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies worldwide.