Penalty Amount
$650,000
The FTC settled charges against Experian Consumer Services for violating the CAN-SPAM Act by sending marketing emails to consumers who signed up for credit management accounts without providing an opt-out mechanism. The emails promoted products like Experian Boost and Dark Web scans but lacked unsubscribe links. Experian must pay $650,000 and is prohibited from future violations.
Experian must pay a $650,000 penalty and is enjoined from sending marketing emails without an opt-out mechanism through a consent decree.
In-house legal teams should review all customer-facing agreements, particularly those for credit management, credit monitoring, or identity protection services (e.g., Experian Boost enrollment). Focus on clauses governing marketing communications, consent to receive promotional emails, and the specific mechanism provided for opting out. Agreements must clearly distinguish between transactional/account-related messages and marketing offers, and must include a functional, conspicuous unsubscribe method in every marketing email as mandated by the CAN-SPAM Act. Teams should audit how consent is obtained during account sign-up and ensure marketing email practices align with the explicit terms of the customer agreement. Updates may be needed to add or clarify opt-out instructions, revise consent language, and implement processes to honor opt-out requests promptly.
Entity
Experian Consumer Services
Also known as: Experian
Industry
Financial ServicesOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/08/ftc-charges-experian-spamming-consumers-who-signed-company-accounts-marketing-emails-they-couldnt
1ECSComplaint
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/1ECSComplaint.pdf
4 2 ECSProposedOrder
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/4-2-ECSProposedOrder.pdf
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"Experian Consumer Services"
"$650,000"
"CAN-SPAM Act"
"failed to provide clear and conspicuous notice of consumers’ ability to opt out"
"did not contain an unsubscribe link"
The FTC, Utah, and Nevada sued Lens.com Inc., alleging that it advertised artificially low contact lens prices while hiding mandatory checkout charges and misleading consumers about its AutoRefill subscription. The complaint seeks to stop the alleged practices; the court has not yet decided the case, and no penalty or remedy has been imposed.
The FTC issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking seeking public comment on whether ad-optimization tools offered by online platforms may help scammers impersonate businesses and government agencies. This is a proposed regulatory inquiry, not an enforcement action against a named company; no penalty or remedy was imposed.
$2.5B
A federal court approved a revised order in the FTC's Amazon Prime case under which Amazon will accelerate and expand redress payments under the September 2025 $2.5 billion settlement, which resolved allegations that Amazon enrolled millions of consumers in Prime subscriptions without their consent and knowingly made cancellation difficult. More consumers now qualify for refunds, the maximum payment cap rises from $51 to $200, and all future payments will be distributed automatically starting October 1, 2026, with potential supplemental $149 payments by April 2027. Amazon has already issued more than $845 million in redress payments as of September 2026.
$225.0M
The FTC and the state of Washington filed a joint complaint and proposed stipulated order requiring Amway Corp. and two affiliates—World Wide Group, L.L.C. (WWG) and Leadership Team Development Inc. (LTD)—to pay a $225 million judgment, the largest monetary recovery ever obtained from an MLM in an FTC action, over allegations that they used deceptive earnings claims and unfair tactics to recruit Independent Business Owners. The complaint alleges the companies falsely promised substantial income and recruitment success, pressured IBOs to buy products they could not resell, and instructed IBOs to falsely report sales. Nearly all of the judgment will be used as redress for IBOs who lost money, and the proposed order imposes structural reforms including a 70% resale requirement, independent audits of sales records, and a ban on approved providers charging new IBOs for first-year training.
$100.0M
FleetCor Technologies Inc. (now Corpay Inc.) and its CEO Ronald Clarke agreed to pay $100 million to settle an FTC administrative action alleging the company charged small business customers hidden and unauthorized fees for fuel cards and misrepresented gas savings, fraud-control features, and fees. A federal district court granted the FTC summary judgment on all counts in 2023, and a federal appeals court upheld that judgment and the permanent injunction in 2026. The settlement funds will be used to provide redress to harmed business customers.
FTC staff published FAQs on price transparency to help the automobile industry comply with the FTC Act, reiterating that an advertised vehicle price must be the actual price any consumer can pay, excluding only government-required charges. The guidance follows warning letters the FTC sent to 97 auto dealership groups earlier in 2026 and signals continued litigation against dealers that advertise one price but charge more through undisclosed fees. No specific entity was charged and no penalty was imposed.