FTC Scam Suit Leads to $102 Million in Refunds 

Users who paid fees starting at $22.98 received little more than a PDF “guide” with general, publicly available information on the relevant service or program. Those who provided personal information were deluged with sales and marketing calls after On Point and its affiliates sold their data, the FTC says.

The consumer-protection agency secured an injunction 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 noreply@onpointclaimform.com or an ftc.gov address.

If you believe you are eligible but did not receive an email, visit onpointclaimform.com for information on filing a claim. The FTC also has information on the refund process at separate websites on the fake DMV and fake government assistance 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. 

Andy Markowitz is a contributing writer and editor for AARP, covering Social Security and fraud. He is a former editor of The Prague Post and Baltimore City Paper.