United States of America: Proposed orders in FTC lawsuit against Express Enrollment LLC and Intercontinental Solutions LLC regarding alleged fraudulent advertisement

On 6 February 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed orders in connection with its case against Express Enrollment LLC and Intercontinental Solutions LLC for alleged fraudulent advertising practices. These proposed stipulated orders, subject to approval by a federal judge, seek to prohibit Express Enrollment LLC, Intercontinental Solutions LLC, Kissinger, and Esquivel from participating in the debt relief industry. The orders also aim to prevent them from making any false representations about financial products or services and from using deceptive statements to gather consumers' financial information. Additionally, the proposed orders include a monetary judgment of USD 7.4 million. The companies, according to the FTC, falsely claimed an affiliation with the Department of Education, leveraging the term "Biden Loan Forgiveness" to create the impression of a connection with the Biden-Harris Administration's Student Loan Debt Relief Plan. The FTC alleged that the operators of the scheme collected approximately USD 8.8 million in misleading fees for student loan debt relief services that were non-existent. Furthermore, the companies were accused of illicitly obtaining consumers' bank account, debit card, or credit card information through these misrepresentations, often resulting in the unlawful collection of hundreds of dollars in advance fees.