Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) – Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor filed a lawsuit today against A and S Systems LLC, a Maryland company doing business as “FirstChoice Auditors.”
The lawsuit alleges that during the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, FirstChoice Auditors sent letters into Alaska that were designed to convince Alaskans that they were being offered financial assistance by a government relief program.
In fact, the letters were advertisements for FirstChoice Auditors’ debt relief services intended to fool Alaskans into calling FirstChoice Auditors’ sales line.
“Some companies seem to believe that they need to trick consumers to get their attention,” said Attorney General Taylor. “But deceptive advertising is not just bad business. It’s against the law.”
The letters sent by FirstChoice Auditors were titled “Financial Relief for Affected Alaska Families” and described themselves as a “notice” about a “financial relief program” that was “made available due to the current public health emergency.”
The letters never used the name “FirstChoice Auditors” but rather concealed the identity of the sender by using the initials “FCA,” which resembles the acronyms of several federal administrative agencies.
The Attorney General’s Office discovered this deceptive marketing campaign because of an Alaskan who received one of these letters, recognized deceptive marketing practices, and filed a consumer complaint.
If you experience deceptive marketing or any other unfair trade practice please fill out a consumer complaint form or call the Department of Law’s Consumer Protection Unit at (907) 269-5200.
Source : KINYRADIO