AARP Hearing Center
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) announced the launch 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.
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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 file a claim.
Search ads led to phony sites
The sites, with names like DMV.com, floridadriverslicense.org and my-food-stamps.org, used search engine advertising 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.