SMS Scammer Settles FTC Charges

One of the scammers targeted in last year’s Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) crackdown on affiliate marketers that sent deceptive and unwanted text messages has agreed to settle Commission charges. The FTC received a judgment against Jason Q. Cruz, an affiliate marketer from West Bend, Wisconsin who the FTC says was responsible for sending millions of illegal and deceptive text messages to consumers nationwide. The agency alleged that Cruz sent messages offering free merchandise, luring unsuspecting consumers to websites that requested personal information and required them to sign up for multiple trial offers in order to qualify. Under the terms of the stipulated final order, Cruz is now permanently banned from sending or assisting others in sending any unsolicited texts to consumers, which of course, is illegal in the first place. In addition, he was fined more than $185,000. The monetary judgment is suspended based on Cruz’s inability to pay the full amount. He will pay $10,000. Finally, he is required to destroy all consumer information he may have acquired over the course of the scam and cooperate with any further FTC investigations.