BALTIMORE, MD—A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting the proposed merger of supermarket giants Kroger and Albertsons, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced this week. The decision comes as a legal challenge to the merger, spearheaded by Attorney General Brown and a coalition of states, gains momentum. The lawsuit, filed in February 2024, argues that the merger of […]
TOWSON, MD—The Baltimore County Police Department is issuing a warning to residents following a reported increase in scammers posing as police officers and demanding money and personal information over the phone. These scammers are part of a regional trend, according to the department. The Baltimore County Police Department emphasizes that they never solicit funds, bank details, or social security numbers […]
BALTIMORE, MD—Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined a multistate coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief (PDF) in National Automobile Dealers Association et al. v. FTC, supporting the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) defense of its new Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Trade Regulation Rule. The rule addresses several persistent unfair and deceptive practices in the auto […]
BALTIMORE, MD—A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general, including Maryland’s Anthony G. Brown, sent a letter (PDF) to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urging the agency to update and strengthen the rules that technology companies must follow when collecting personal data about children online. The letter argues that the current rules, outlined in the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which […]
BALTIMORE, MD—The Kroger Company and Albertsons Companies are facing a lawsuit from the Maryland Attorney General’s office over their proposed merger. The lawsuit claims that the merger violates the Clayton Act, which prohibits the merger of businesses that would substantially reduce competition or create a monopoly. The merging of the two companies would create the largest national supermarket chain in […]
SUNBURY, PA—Weis Markets is notifying customers after skimming devices were found in two of the grocery chain’s Baltimore-area locations. On November 1, 2023, Weis Markets discovered a skimmer at its store located at 7848 Wise Avenue in Dundalk. On the same day, Weis found a second skimmer at its store located at 1080 Maiden Choice Lane in Baltimore. Upon discovering […]
BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, along with 16 other Attorneys General and the Federal Trade Commission, this week sued Amazon.com, Inc. alleging that the online retail and technology company is a monopolist that uses a set of interlocking anticompetitive and unfair strategies to illegally maintain its monopoly power. The coalition of Attorneys General and the FTC say Amazon’s […]
BALTIMORE, MD—The Office of the Attorney General is once again warning that businesses in Maryland have been receiving a letter entitled “2023 Certificate of Good Standing Request Form.” The letter requests a fee in exchange for a letter of good standing with an “official seal of the Secretary of State.” This letter is a scam and is the same fraudulent […]