{"id":44599,"date":"2019-03-10T14:59:34","date_gmt":"2019-03-10T18:59:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/?p=44599"},"modified":"2019-03-19T08:22:18","modified_gmt":"2019-03-19T12:22:18","slug":"hot-takes-taking-the-fight-to-the-scammers-via-the-ftc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/2019\/03\/hot-takes-taking-the-fight-to-the-scammers-via-the-ftc\/","title":{"rendered":"Hot Takes: Taking the Fight to the Scammers… via the @FTC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you been reading my blog & following the\u00a0#HotTakes<\/a>\u00a0about\u00a0#KindleUnlimited<\/a>‘s scamming problem?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of people are wondering what to do and how to fight it. I know a lot<\/em> of people want to fight it, but are afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation from the scammers themselves. Guess what…I’ve got a form for that. The FTC Online Complaint Form<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This handy form is also useful for readers who want to do something about the regurgitated works proliferating on Kindle Unlimited, and for authors in general who want to take action.

What you should need is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OTHER <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u203a\u203aBOOKS AND MAGAZINES<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u203a\u203a\u203a\u203aOTHER\/Not Applicable <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u203a\u203a\u203a\u203a\u203a\u203aSKIP THE NEXT AREA <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From here, you\u2019ll have to start giving\ndetails, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had a chat with somebody at the FTC and these\nwere the steps I was advised to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think we should try this. A LOT OF US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And by all means, yes…readers, too, because you<\/em> are being cheated, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How, you say?\u00a0 See this comment from my blog. Cassandra’s insight led me to dig into this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not a lawyer, but\u2026
It seems to me that slapping a new title and new author name on a previously published book and then advertising it as a new, original work without any disclaimers whatsoever runs afoul of FTC regulations on consumer fraud and deception and also violates truth in advertising laws.
Might be interesting to take some of the research done on repackaged books, plus any ads or newsletters advertising them as new works, and see what the FTC thinks.
Anyone have a contact at the FTC? <\/p>
Cassandra S.\ufeff<\/strong> <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Readers are being misled, intentionally. These books are being produced and packaged as new. See the various Hot Takes for more examples, although people need to start looking at more titles from these authors, and the lists from other authors mentioned by readers who uncovered this scam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dictionary,<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Read about my trip down the rabbit hole<\/a> detailing a book that was pubbed FOUR TIMES in under 30 MONTHS.) There’s never disclosure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also try reporting these to @Amazonhelp<\/a> @amazon<\/a> for\nlack of quality\/etc as there is no disclosure. There have been reports made to\nAmazon but no action thus far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This makes it valid as a complaint to the FTC even more valid, in my understanding by the FTC act itself, specifically: <\/p>\n\n\n\n


\nThe Federal\nTrade Commission Act<\/a> is the primary statute of the Commission. Under this\nAct, as amended, the Commission is empowered among other things, to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n