Corporate Corruption Case Study: Blueprint to Wealth & Its Impact on Aspiring Entrepreneurs Table of Contents Introduction: A Multimillion-Dollar Deception Targeting Hope A sophisticated scheme, operating under ever-shifting names but sometimes referred to as “Blueprint to Wealth,” allegedly bilked consumers,…
How Sitejabber Built a Business on Lies TL;DR The Corporation: GGL Projects, Inc., operating as Sitejabber, a major online review platform. The Scheme: Sitejabber was caught collecting and displaying customer reviews solicited at the moment of purchase. This means the…
TL;DR The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charged a for-profit education corporation with systemic deception for lying to prospective students about their job prospects and potential earnings. The company used false and unsubstantiated claims, such as job placement rates “up to…
The Data Trap: ITMedia’s Predatory Loan Empire TL;DR A sprawling network of companies under the “ITMedia” banner operated over 200 websites like badcreditloans.com, luring financially vulnerable people with promises of “trusted lenders.” They collected highly sensitive data including Social Security…
A Scrap Giant’s Ozone Bill: Paid in Pennies TL;DR Scrap metal giant Alter Trading Corporation was cited for repeated violations of the Clean Air Act across at least six facilities in Wisconsin and Illinois. The company systematically failed to safely…
TL;DR SYSTEMIC FRAUD: Vivint Smart Home’s commission-only, door-to-door sales force engaged in widespread identity theft to sign up customers who failed credit checks. “WHITE PAGING”: Sales reps used a technique called “white paging”—finding an unrelated person with a similar name—to…
Corporate Corruption Case Study: Amazon’s Grip on American E-Commerce Table of Contents 1. Introduction A single company now stands astride America’s digital marketplace, extracting monopoly profits from shoppers and small businesses alike. Internal records reveal that Amazon routinely seizes nearly…
Corporate Greed Case Study: American Future Systems, Inc. & Its Impact on Businesses and Nonprofits Introduction For years, a calculated scheme targeted unsuspecting organizations across America—businesses, schools, fire departments, police departments, and nonprofits. Operating under names like Progressive Business Publications…
TL;DR The Facts: Fintech company Brigit marketed a $9.99/month subscription promising users living paycheck-to-paycheck access to “instant” cash advances of up to $250 to avoid overdraft fees. The Misconduct: The Federal Trade Commission alleges Brigit engaged in deceptive practices. Very…
FTC Complaint: Grand Canyon University’s For-Profit Scheme TL;DR The FTC is suing Grand Canyon University (GCU), its for-profit operator Grand Canyon Education (GCE), and CEO Brian E. Mueller for multiple deceptive practices. GCU allegedly lied about being a “nonprofit” to…