Graphic of website search engine for veterans benefits

• "I Am Not Invisible Exhibit"Oregon | Commemoration/Acknowledgement
  N/A or not disclosed
  Female
  
• Anti-Discrimination Law (Military Status and Spouses of Deploying Veterans)Oregon | Anti-Discrimination Law/Policy (Vet Status)
  N/A or not disclosed
  State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty, Dependents
  
• College Credit for Military TrainingOregon | Educational Credit/Diploma
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans, State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty
  
• Direct Professional Licensing for Military ExperienceOregon | License/Certification
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans, State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty
  
• Employment ProtectionOregon | (Re-)Employment Protection
  N/A or not disclosed
  State National Guard/Reserve
  
• Federal Pension Income Tax Subtraction for Military RetireesOregon | Income Tax
  N/A or not disclosed
  Retired
  
• Free Camping at State Parks for Disabled Veterans and Active DutyOregon | Park/Camping/Lodging Admissions
  No fee
  Disabled (Service-Connected), State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty
  
• Free Fishing and Hunting Licenses for Disabled War VeteransOregon | Fishing/Hunting License
  No fee
  Disabled (Service-Connected), Served in Combat
  
• Free Parking at State Parks for Disabled Veterans and Active DutyOregon | Toll/Travel Fare/Parking Discount
  No fee
  Disabled (Service-Connected), State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty
  
• In-State Tuition for VeteransOregon | Tuition-Rate
  Discount Equivalent to In-State/Resident Rate
  All Veterans, Killed/Died (Service-Connected), Survivors
  
• Income Tax Deduction for Active Duty Pay Earned Inside of StateOregon | Income Tax
  Up to $6,000 deduction
  State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty
  
• Income Tax Exemption for Active Duty Pay Earned Outside of StateOregon | Income Tax
  No income tax
  Active Duty
  
• Military and Veteran License PlatesOregon | Vehicle License Plates
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans, 100% Disabled, Purple Heart, Killed/Died (Service-Connected), Served in Combat
  
• ODVA Home Loan ProgramOregon | Loan/Financing
  N/A or not disclosed
  Other than Dishonorable Discharge
  
• Oregon DVA Conservatorship ProgramOregon | Guardianship/Custodianship
  N/A or not disclosed
  Indigent/Unable to Care for Self
  
• Oregon DVA Conservatorship ProgramOregon | Legal Assistance
  N/A or not disclosed
  Indigent/Unable to Care for Self
  
• Oregon Service-Disabled Veteran CertificationOregon | Preferred Status (Business)
  N/A or not disclosed
  Disabled (Service-Connected)
  
• Oregon Veterans' Emergency AssistanceOregon | Emergency Relief
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans, Low Income/Homeless vet/Hardship, Dependents
  
• Oregon Veterans' HomesOregon | Residential Housing
  N/A or not disclosed
  Honorable Discharge, Dependents
  
• Oregon Veterans' HomesOregon | Residential Housing
  N/A or not disclosed
  Honorable Discharge, Dependents
  
• Oregon Wounded Warrior Parking PlacardOregon | Toll/Travel Fare/Parking Discount
  No fee
  Disabled (Service-Connected)
  
• Property Tax Exemption for Disabled VeteransOregon | Property
  No property tax
  Disabled (Service-Connected), Other than Dishonorable Discharge, Survivors
  
• Resident Rate Hunting and Fishing Licenses for Active DutyOregon | Fishing/Hunting License
  Discount Equivalent to In-State/Resident Rate
  Active Duty
  
• State Council - Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military ChildrenOregon | Primary/Secondary School Assistance
  N/A or not disclosed
  State National Guard/Reserve, Active Duty, Dependents
  
• State Tuition Assistance for Oregon National GuardOregon | Scholarship/Tuition-Assistance
  100% covered
  State National Guard/Reserve
  
• Statewide Apprenticeships (BOLI)Oregon | Training/Apprenticeship
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans
  
• Veteran Volunteer ProgramOregon | Benefits Counseling/Determinations
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans
  
• Veteran's Day Off for All VeteransOregon | Commemoration/Acknowledgement
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans
  
• Veterans Designation on Driver's LicenseOregon | Driver's License/ID - Designation
  N/A or not disclosed
  Other than Dishonorable Discharge
  
• Veterans PreferenceOregon | Preferred Status (Employment/Training)
  N/A or not disclosed
  Other than Dishonorable Discharge
  
• Voyager Tuition Assistance ProgramOregon | Scholarship/Tuition-Assistance
  To the "Last Dollar," or the difference between what federal aid programs cover and the actual cost of tuition
  State National Guard/Reserve
  
• Women Veterans CoordinatorOregon | Claims Assistance/Benefits Advocacy
  N/A or not disclosed
  Female
  
• WorkSource Oregon Priority for Veterans and SpousesOregon | Preferred Status (Employment/Training)
  N/A or not disclosed
  All Veterans, Dependents
  
• Troops to Teachers Grant Coordination OfficesOregon | Hiring Facilitation
  N/A or not disclosed
  Honorable Discharge, Active Duty
  
  

Graphic of slick promotional piece trying to lure people to a "real estate flipping" course

A mailer sent by defendants enticing consumers to attend a Nudge “preview event.

“These defendants presided over a sales process that started with empty promises of future wealth and ended with many consumers left in financial ruin,” said Andrew Smith, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The lure of easy income is strong, but consumers should stop and evaluate the facts behind any money-making promise.”

Nudge began selling real estate training packages at least as early as 2012. In its complaint, the FTC alleges that Nudge’s revenues from late 2014 to late 2017 alone were more than $400 million.
According to the complaint, the scheme starts with advertisements featuring real estate television celebrities, including Scott Yancey from A&E’s “Flipping Vegas,” Doug Clark from Spike TV’s “Flip Men,” Drew Levin and Danny Perkins from HGTV’s “Renovate to Rent,” and Josh Altman from Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles.” These advertisements, which promise celebrities’ insider tips on how to make money in real estate, allegedly have enticed thousands of consumers to attend free 90-minute seminars.
The FTC’s complaint charges that the free seminars are predominantly a sales pitch to spend more than $1,100 to attend a three-day workshop, where consumers will supposedly get access to a “system” for finding “lucrative” deals. Those promises also prove empty, as the three-day workshops largely consist of general information about real estate investing, misrepresentations about services offered by Nudge, and a sales pitch for “advanced training” that costs as much as $40,000, according to the complaint.
Until at least 2016, according to the complaint, the advanced training pitched by Nudge included access to so-called “Buying Summits” or “Investor Expos.” At these events, consumers were promised special access to properties at discounted prices for purchase. However, as alleged in the complaint, defendants typically sold or brokered the properties to consumers at inflated prices.
The complaint was filed by the FTC and Utah Division of Consumer Protection against Nudge, LLC and two of its affiliates, Response Marketing Group, LLC and BuyPD, LLC. The defendants also include five individuals who are principals or executives of one or more of those companies: Brandon B. Lewis; Ryan C. Poelman; Phillip W. Smith; Shawn L. Finnegan; and Clint R. Sanderson. The real estate celebrities featured in Nudge’s marketing are not named as defendants.
The complaint alleges the defendants violated the FTC Act and the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule, as well as three Utah statutes: the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act; the Business Opportunity Disclosure Act; and the Telephone Fraud Prevention Act.
The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint was 5-0. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah.
NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the named defendants are violating or are about to violate the law and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The case will be decided by the court.
The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).