FTC Scam Suit Leads to $102 Million in Refunds ​to Consumers Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

FTC Scam Suit Leads to $102 Million in Refunds

Payback due for consumers misled by websites mimicking DMVs benefit programs

Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg 13+ / Alamy Stock Photo Consumers deceived by a sprawling online scam promising easy access to government services like driver’s license renewals and housing vouchers are in line for relief with the help of a federal lawsuit that secured more than $102 million in refunds for victims.​
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) this month of a process to reach people who did business with On Point Global, the umbrella entity for a network of Miami-based companies that operated more than 200 websites offering supposed shortcuts to government benefits and services. ​ Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Stretto, the company handling the refund process, is contacting people misled by the multiyear scheme, which targeted consumers nationwide. If you made a payment or provided personal data such as your age, income, gender, or credit or debit card number to an On Point Global site, you have until July 17 to . ​

Search ads led to phony sites

The sites, with names like DMV.com, floridadriverslicense.org and my-food-stamps.org, used to target people looking for information about driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals in their state, hunting and fishing licenses, and eligibility for federal aid such as Section 8 housing vouchers and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, according to the FTC, which filed suit against the operators in late 2019. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. after On Point and its affiliates sold their data, the FTC says. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > The consumer-protection agency in early 2020 shutting down the sites, which a U.S. District Court judge described as “patently misleading.” The same judge convicted several individual defendants and dozens of interlinked companies in a nonjury trial in November 2021 and awarded damages of $102.8 million based on the On Point network’s revenue from sales of guides and monetizing users’ data.

How to claim a refund

The FTC says eligible claimants should have received emails by mid-April, at the address they used in dealing with On Point, with instructions on the refund process. Legitimate emails related to the settlement will be from [email protected] or an ftc.gov address. If you believe you are eligible but did not receive an email, visit for information on filing a claim. The FTC also has information on the refund process at separate websites on the and schemes. Consumers who paid fees to an On Point guide site between January 2017 and December 2019, and who have not already gotten a refund from the company or secured a credit card charge-back, can receive full repayment. Those who provided personal information to one of the network’s benefit sites can get up to $15 in damages. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. More on money AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS