Each week, Crowell & Moring’s State Attorneys General team highlights significant actions that State AGs have taken. Here are this week’s updates.

Multistate

  • A coalition of 41 attorneys general called on Meta Platforms, Inc. to address the risk of scammers taking over user accounts on Facebook and Instagram. The letter sent by the attorneys general outlined a series of steps that Meta could take to increase efforts in mitigating account takeovers.
  • A coalition of nine attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission filed suit against the Cancer Recovery Foundation International, Inc. (CRFI), also known as the Women’s Cancer Fund, and its founder and president, Gregory Anderson for allegedly knowing that funds raised for cancer patients were not actually helping women with cancer or their families. Instead, the funds were used to pay professional fundraisers and Anderson’s salary. A civil investigation revealed that CRFI allegedly directed significantly less funds to cancer patients and their families than actually donated. Between 2017 and 2022, approximately $18.25 million was donated to the charity and only $194,809 went to women with cancer. 
  • A coalition of 16 attorneys general demanded answers from Wells Fargo concerning the company’s debanking policies. Wells Fargo announced that the company will close the accounts of organizations or individuals it views as a risk. The attorneys general indicated that the company’s debanking policies carry out the Biden administrations agenda on gun control and environmental policy. The attorneys general believe that these debanking policies discriminate against certain businesses and consumers.

Arizona

  • Attorney General Mayes filed a lawsuit against Oh La La by Posh, LLC, a quinceañera dress store, and its owner, Renne Cuellar. The lawsuit alleges that Oh La La and Cuellar participated in deceptive and unfair practices in violation of the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act by accepting deposits for orders totaling thousands of dollars before closing the store and failing to give customers the order or a refund.             

Connecticut

  • Attorney General Tong called on the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to reject Connecticut Water Company’s (CT Water) application to raise water utility rates from 1.5 cents per gallon to 1.8 cents. This would be about a $21.8 million rate increase. The Attorney General indicated that water utility rates should be no higher than necessary and identified areas of accounting, revenue, and expenses where shareholders could cover the cost instead of ratepayers.

Michigan

  • Attorney General Nessel secured a consent judgment to resolve a lawsuit against Rockford business owner David Foster, Choice Tree Service, LLC, and Storm Support Emergency Tree Removal, LLC for illegal business practices including charging excessive prices and intentionally misleading customers about their rights, agreements they were signing, and liabilities outside of insurance coverage. Pursuant to the settlement, Foster and the two LLCs will pay $13,500 to the Department for its enforcement efforts, a portion of which will be distributed among three consumers who assisted in the suit.

Minnesota

  • Attorney General Ellison announced a lawsuit against four solar-lending companies for violating state laws prohibiting deceptive trade practices, deceptive lending, and illegally high rates of interest. The lawsuit claims that GoodLeap, Sunlight Financial, Solar Mosaic, and Dividend Solar Finance deceived consumers to take out loans according to the companies’ false promise of low interest and collected approximately $35 million in hidden fees.

Missouri

  • Attorney General Bailey filed charges against David V. Lott for defrauding investors through his business, Missouri Holding Group, Inc. Lott allegedly falsely promised high investment yields with quick return. Instead he used client funds for his other business ventures and personal expenses causing victims to lose $1,120,000.

New Jersey

  • Attorney General Platkin announced that an Essex County vascular surgeon, Marc Watson, agreed to permanently cease to engage in clinical practice of medicine and surgery in the state to resolve allegations of indiscriminately prescribing high volumes of controlled dangerous substances (CDS) to patients with addictions. Watson allegedly engaged in gross negligence and professional misconduct by prescribing high volumes of controlled dangerous substances (CDS), such as benzodiazepines, stimulants, and narcotics, without sufficient medical justification. Additionally, Watson conducted inadequate physical examinations, maintained insufficient record-keeping, and failed to properly monitor patients.

New York

  • Attorney General James announced Shake a Paw, a pet store, will pay an estimate of $300,000 to about 190 customers for illegally and knowingly selling sick puppies. Shake a Paw misled customers by advertising about selling the “healthiest” and “best of the best puppies” from the “most trusted breeders.” In fact, Shake a Paw kept dogs in inhumane conditions and sold sick puppies which caused customers to spend thousands of dollars on medical bills after the puppies fell sick.

Pennsylvania

  • Attorney General Henry resolved pending litigation against Great Conventions LLC, and its owner, Christopher Wertz, with the defendants agreeing to pay $20,000 in restitution to be distributed to individuals who purchased tickets to Great Philadelphia ComicCon in March 2021 and filed a complaint with the attorney general’s office. Attorney General Henry alleged that Great Conventions violated the Unfair Trade Practices Act and Massachusetts’ Consumer Protection Act by failing to reschedule the event or refund consumers.
  • Attorney General Henry reached a settlement with Vantage Travel Services, Inc. that permanently prevents bars the company from engaging in tour operations in the state. Vantage and its owner, Henry Lewis, allegedly engaged in unfair and deceptive business practices by promising risk-free traveling services to consumers who never received their trip or a refund. The settlement resolves only the pending litigation against Vantage, not Lewis.