In a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, DK Automation and its owners, Kevin David Hulse and David Shawn Arnett, have agreed to surrender $2.8 million in refunds to consumers who were deceived by their fraudulent practices. The company used false claims of significant returns to lure consumers into money-making schemes involving Amazon and Walmart business packages, business coaching, and cryptocurrency investments.
The FTC’s November 2022 complaint accused the company of misleading consumers by promising “passive income on autopilot” when, in reality, very few consumers actually made money from these schemes. They marketed their programs under various names such as AMZDFY, Amazon Done For You, and Amazon Done With You, as well as offering cryptocurrency investment services with a supposed “passive income crypto trading bot” that allegedly generated profits even while the user slept. Their marketing materials contained fake consumer reviews boasting of large profits.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, DK Automation and its owners will surrender $2.8 million to be used for refunding deceived consumers. The FTC is sending payments through PayPal to 890 consumers who are advised to redeem the payments within 30 days. For inquiries regarding the payments, consumers can contact the refund administrator Rust Consulting Inc., at 1-833-637-3833 or visit the FTC website for more information on the refund process. It is important to note that the Commission never asks individuals to pay money or disclose account information to receive a refund.
In 2023, the FTC’s actions resulted in $324 million in refunds being disbursed nationwide.
According to an interactive dashboard on the FTC’s website, over $15 billion has been returned to American consumers since January 1st 1977 through law enforcement actions brought by
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