Get-Rich-With-Amazon Scheme Operators Settle With the FTC

Get-Rich-With-Amazon Scheme Operators Settle With the FTC

On June 18, 2018, the FTC announced that the operators of a scheme that sold “secrets for making money on Amazon” have been banned from marketing and selling business opportunities and business coaching services under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, and they will surrender millions of dollars for return to consumers.

According to the FTC, the defendants, who have no affiliation with Amazon.com, falsely claimed their “Amazing Wealth System” would enable consumers to create a profitable online business selling products on Amazon. Buyers, however, did not earn the advertised income. Most buyers lost significant amounts of money, and many frequently experienced problems with their Amazon stores, including suspension and the loss of their ability to sell on Amazon.com.

The settlement order also bans the defendants from making false earnings claims. It imposes a judgment of more than $102 million, which will be partially suspended when they have surrendered approximately $10.8 million to the FTC. The order also prohibits the defendants from profiting from consumers’ personal information collected as part of the scheme, and failing to dispose of it properly.

Specifically, the order states

A. Judgment in the amount of . . . $102,481,596.00 . . . is entered in favor of the Commission against Settling Defendants, jointly and severally, as equitable monetary relief.

B. Settling Individual Defendants are ordered to make the following payments to the Commission, which, as Settling Individual Defendants stipulate, their undersigned counsel holds in escrow for no purpose other than payment to the Commission:

1. Individual Defendant Christopher F. Bowser is ordered to pay to the Commission . . . $325,000.00[];

2. Individual Defendant Adam S. Bowser is ordered to pay to the Commission . . . $325,000[]; and

3. Individual Defendant Jody Marshall is ordered to pay to the Commission . . . $75,000.00[].

The defendants, according to the FTC, are Adam Bowser, Christopher Bowser, Jody Marshall, AWS LLC, FBA Distributors LLC, FBA Stores LLC, Info Pros LLC, Info Solutions LLC, Online Auction Learning Center Inc. (Massachusetts), and Online Auction Learning Center Inc. (Nevada).

For more information, please see AWS, LLC, et al. (FBA Stores).

Source: FTC.gov

Kehoe Law Firm, P.C.