The objective of the FTC is to apply the provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits "unfair or deceptive acts or practices in commerce." In addition, the Clayton Antitrust Act (1914) also granted the FTC the authority to act against specific and unfair monopolistic practices. Business owners should be educated on FTC practices as it helps them understand their rights and legal responsibilities. False advertising is advertising for products or services that misleads consumers, whether the act is deliberate or not. False advertising is classified as an unfair trade practice and is thus regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Remedies may also be pursued under federal and state laws. Examples of False Advertising Practices : There are a diversity of ways in which advertisers can manipulate advertisements to mislead consumers. A few of these are: Manipulation of Terms: for example, describing foods as "light" without justification for doing so. Bait-and-Switch: advertising cheap products to entice customers, then trying to sell them much more expensive items. Misleading Illustrations: often of food, misrepresenting portion sizes. Incomplete Comparisons or Inconsistent Comparisons: when comparing their goods to other companies, advertisers are misleading in calling their products "better" or in reaching only the good points of their products while leaving out detrimental characteristics. Federal Protection Against False Advertising : The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the initial federal agency that monitors fraudulent advertising practices. The FTC relies on consumers and competitors to report unlawful advertising. If FTC investigators find that an ad violates the law, there are several ways in which the agency can act: They may try to bring the violator into voluntary compliance through informal means; The FTC can issue a cease-and-desist order and get a civil lawsuit on behalf of people who have been harmed; The FTC may seek a court injunction to stop a false advertisement; and The FTC may require an advertiser to run corrective advertisements that state the correct facts and admit that earlier advertising was deceptive.

You mentioned bait and switch tactics. How often do you think that these types of schemes actually happen?