1.2: Law Enforcement
Stop fraud, deception, unfairness, and other unlawful practices through law enforcement Other Information:
The FTC protects consumers by enforcing Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in
or affecting commerce, as well as by enforcing an increasing number of statutes and rules proscribing specific unlawful practices.
The agency initiates civil cases, primarily by filing actions in federal court, which allege that defendants have violated
these laws and rules and seeking injunctions and other relief. Strategies: • Focus agency enforcement on cutting-edge issues
that threaten consumer protection in emerging areas, including e-commerce, globalization, and the marketing of new products
and services. • Stop injury to consumers by applying fundamental consumer protection principles to new practices, such as
those arising from emerging payment systems and the convergence of information technologies. • Halt advertising and marketing
practices that are most injurious to consumers or that prey on specific groups of vulnerable consumers. • Challenge practices
that threaten consumer privacy. • Enforce consumer credit statutes and rules to protect consumers from deceptive lending practices
and other illegal credit practices. • Use the results of the consumer fraud and identity theft surveys to determine where
enforcement needs are greatest and meet these needs with targeted enforcement efforts. • Update, rescind, or promulgate trade
regulation rules and other agency rules in response to regulatory reviews and Congressional mandates. • Create and implement
a comprehensive order-enforcement program that targets those individuals and corporations that violate federal court and administrative
orders obtained by the FTC. • Promote the criminal prosecution of the most egregious fraud violators through coordination
and cooperation with criminal law enforcement authorities. • Continue to coordinate with local, state, federal, and international
law enforcement partners for initiatives and sweeps. Annual and Five-Year Performance Measures: - Stop fraudulent and deceptive
practices by obtaining at least 130 orders each year - Stop approximately $400M in economic injury to consumers each year;
save consumers a total of at least $2B through law enforcement by 2011
Indicator(s):
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