The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") recently charged
two Utah individuals and their telemarketing operation with
violating the FTC Act and the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule by
deceptively claiming that their business coaching services could
help consumers start home-based businesses that could earn
thousands of dollars a month. According to the FTC, the defendants
targeted consumers who purchased bogus work-at-home programs online
for less than $100, encouraging these consumers to contact a
"specialist" or "expert consultant" to see if
they qualify for an "advanced" coaching program. Once
these consumers called to speak with the specialist/expert
consultant, they were routed to the defendants' telemarketers
who sold consumers phony business coaching programs and business
development services for up to $13,995, largely based on
information available to consumers for free on the internet,
leaving consumers heavily in debt with no functioning business. The
U.S. District
