Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

Washington state strikes back against rigged Internet auctions SEATTLE – Bidders on electronics and other goods auctioned on ArrowOutlet.com thought they were competing with other human beings. But it turns out, according to a lawsuit filed by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, they were often battling “bots.”
SEATTLE – A powerful spam-sending application is attacking the most common smartphone operating system.
MyLife.com changes practices to resolve Attorney General’s investigation SEATTLE – “Go to MyLife.com, the Internet’s leading people search site, just type in your name and see if someone is searching for you – for free,” proclaimed a television advertisement for Los Angeles-based website MyLife.com. “It could be an old boyfriend,” an attractive young woman with a laptop wonders aloud. But unfortunately, according to documents filed today by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, there was nothing free about MyLife.com’s services.
 Seattle-based company accused of unfair and deceptive practices will pay restitution SEATTLE – Over the last seven years, more than 500 complaints flowed into the Washington State Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau regarding Seattle-based digital media provider RealNetworks, Inc. Consumers spoke of “odd charges” appearing on their credit cards, complaining of bills for monthly subscriptions for premium television, sports or game content that they never ordered.
 Adscend Media LLC also pays $100,000 in attorneys’ fees to state SEATTLE – The owners of a California-based online marketing company have agreed to stop spamming Facebook users. The details were revealed today in a settlement – a consent decree – between Adscend Media LLC and the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.
OLYMPIA – Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna and Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood released a joint statement Wednesday applauding Congressional action to address online counterfeiting and piracy.
OLYMPIA – The U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to hear the multi-state lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the federal health care law.
SEATTLE – Consumers who purchased massage chairs, bath tubs and range hoods from a Bellevue-based company were left waiting … and waiting … for their simulated shiatsu, soaks and steam ventilation, said the Washington Attorney General’s Office.
SEATTLE – You may be owed money if you paid a Washington-based company that sold search-engine optimization, shopping cart integration and Web design and hosting services. The Washington Attorney General’s Office says small businesses nationwide are potentially eligible for refunds as a result of a consumer protection settlement with a group of defendants who used multiple business names since 2005.
SEATTLE – Despite warnings, many computer users unknowingly leave them themselves vulnerable to financial fraud or privacy invasions. In recognition of Data Privacy Day, Attorney General Rob McKenna today warned Washington residents to protect their personal information by checking the privacy settings on social Web sites and using secured networks.

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