The following year, the court approved the Commission’s motion for summary judgment against Douong. The court prohibited him from advertising, marketing, or promoting debt relief services or misrepresenting any fact material to consumers relating to any product or service.
In 2018, the FTC filed a complaint, seeking permanent injunction and other equitable relief, against Doung, Brenda Avitia-Pena and their companies Impetus Enterprise and Fig Tree LLC also doing business as Aiding Student Relief, Aiding Students & Teachers, Aidnest, among others.
The Commission alleged that the defendants operated an illegal debt relief scheme that targeted consumer with student loan debt. They falsely promised to reduce students’ monthly loan payments or to eliminate or reduce their educational debts. However, the defendants illegally charged consumers upfront fees of $300 or more and failed to deliver the promised services.
At the time, a federal court stopped the defendants’ student debt relief scheme and froze their assets at the request of the FTC.
