According to the FTC, Traffic Jam Events and Jeansonne have been sending consumers mailers containing deceptive advertising since March 2020. The mailsers were labeled “IMPORTANT COVID-19 STIMULUS DOCUMENT” and instructed consumers to go to the “relief headquarters” to “claim these stimulus incentives.”
The mailers also included a notice stating, “URGENT: COVID-19 ECONOMIC AUTOMOTIVE STIMULUS PROGRAM RELIEF FUNDS AVAILABLE • ALL PAYMENTS DEFERRED FOR 120 DAYS.”
It also included a supposed check issued by the “Stimulus Relief Program” with the memo field stating “COVID-19 AUTO STIMULUS” and space to endorse the check on the back. The notice header included a barcode, a notice number, and a watermark similar to the Great Seal of the United States.
The defendants’ mailers led consumers to believe they could obtain the COVID-19 stimulus relief in person at the “relief headquarters” in Florida and “designated local headquarters.” In reality, the “headquarters” were auto sales events, according to the FTC.
