Attorney General Doug Peterson is urging Nebraska residents to file claims or make their views known on a $125 million multistate settlement that provides $35 million for distribution to consumers who paid for the brand-name drug Provigil or generic modafinil from June 24, 2006, to March 31, 2012.

Provigil, which includes the active ingredient modafinil, is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve wakefulness in adult patients with excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, and shift work disorder.

In August 2016, Nebraska and 47 other state attorneys general announced the settlement with biopharmaceutical company Cephalon and its affiliated companies, including Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA and Barr Laboratories, that resolved allegations that the companies engaged in unlawful "pay-for-delay" anticompetitive conduct involving the patent exclusivity for Provigil.

The settlement included $35 million to compensate eligible consumers who may have been harmed by the alleged conduct. While the claims period has been advertised for several months, many consumers may not realize that the claims period will close. Originally, the deadline for consumers to file claims seeking to receive some of that $35 million or object to the settlement was Thursday, April 13, 2017.  The states sought and were granted an extension of the time to claim or object to June 25, 2017.

Lincoln – In recognition of National Consumer Protection Week - a campaign that encourages consumers nationwide to take full advantage of their consumer rights and make better-informed decisions – the Attorney General’s Office is focusing educational efforts on child identity theft.

Each year, millions of U.S. consumers become victims of identity theft. It is a growing crime in which thieves use stolen personal information, such as a Social Security number, to open credit accounts in someone else’s name. Unfortunately, criminals target children because of their clean Social Security numbers. Child identity theft is one of the worst forms of identity theft because it often goes unchecked and unnoticed for years.

A child’s Social Security number can be used by identity thieves to apply for government benefits, open bank and credit card accounts, apply for a loan or utility service, or rent a place to live. Why would ID thieves wish to assume a child’s identity? Because that child’s credit is a clean slate, which likely means available credit.

States file amended complaint in lawsuit against six generic drug companies, alleging violations of federal antitrust laws and state antitrust and consumer protection laws

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson today joined a federal antitrust lawsuit alleging that six generic drug-makers entered into illegal conspiracies in order to unreasonably restrain trade, artificially inflate and manipulate prices, and reduce competition in the United States for two generic drugs.

An amended complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut increases from 20 to 40 the number of plaintiff states in the lawsuit. The original complaint was filed in December 2016. The amended complaint adds claims of alleged violations of state antitrust laws – in addition to the alleged violations of federal antitrust laws – in each of the 40 states, as well as state consumer protection laws in most of the states, against the defendant generic companies Heritage Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc., Citron Pharma, LLC, Mayne Pharma (USA), Inc., Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.

States file amended complaint in lawsuit against six generic drug companies, alleging violations of federal antitrust laws and state antitrust and consumer protection laws

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson today joined a federal antitrust lawsuit alleging that six generic drug-makers entered into illegal conspiracies in order to unreasonably restrain trade, artificially inflate and manipulate prices, and reduce competition in the United States for two generic drugs.

An amended complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut increases from 20 to 40 the number of plaintiff states in the lawsuit. The original complaint was filed in December 2016. The amended complaint adds claims of alleged violations of state antitrust laws – in addition to the alleged violations of federal antitrust laws – in each of the 40 states, as well as state consumer protection laws in most of the states, against the defendant generic companies Heritage Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc., Citron Pharma, LLC, Mayne Pharma (USA), Inc., Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.

Lincoln-Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson today announced a settlement with Colorado-based The Western Union Company, resolving a multistate investigation which focused on complaints of consumers who used Western Union’s wire transfer service to send money to third parties involved in schemes to defraud consumers.  In addition to Nebraska, 49 states and the District of Columbia participated in this settlement.  

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office is pleased to announce the 2017 Nebraska Charities Conference: A View from the Regulators. The conference, to be held at Bellevue University on February 9, 2017, will provide an overview of state laws applicable to charitable entities and assets, plus other helpful information. The conference is intended for executive directors, nonprofit corporation office staff, nonprofit board members, attorneys, accountants, and all others interested in state regulation of charitable assets and entities. Attending attorneys and accountants will be eligible for CLE and CPE credits respectively. Presenters will include representatives from the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office, Nebraska Department of Revenue, Nebraska Charitable Gaming Division of the Nebraska Department of Revenue, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Nebraska Counsel for Discipline. Additional information about the conference and a link to the agenda can be found below.

Attorney General Doug Peterson joined with thirteen other states, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Trade Commission in entering a Complaint and Consent Judgments with ruby Corp., which owns the AshleyMadison.com website. The settlements include an immediate payment of $1,657,000 split between the states and the Federal Trade Commission, of which Nebraska will receive $51,355.48. The remainder of the $17.5 million payment is suspended based on ruby Corp.’s inability to pay a further amount, which it demonstrated through disclosure of financial documents.

Attorney General Doug Peterson announces that he, along with 42 other Attorneys General, have reached a $19.5 million dollar settlement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (“BMS”) related to its alleged improper marketing of Abilify, an atypical antipsychotic drug.  In a complaint filed in court, along with the settlement agreement, Attorney General Peterson alleges that BMS engaged in unfair or deceptive trade practices when it marketed Abilify. 

Attorney General Doug Peterson is issuing a consumer alert regarding an individual or a group of individuals posing as former Nebraska State Senator, Mike Flood, and attempting to solicit “charitable donations” from members of the public.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson announced a settlement today with a company that allegedly placed unauthorized charges on consumers’ telephone bills using a practice called “cramming.”

Lincoln - Attorney General Doug Peterson announces today that the State of Nebraska will receive $ 663,835.35 as part of a multistate settlement with automakers Hyundai and Kia to resolve claims that the companies misrepresented the mileage and fuel economy ratings for some of their model year 2011, 2012 and 2013 vehicles.

The $41.2 million settlement between the 33 states and the District of Columbia and the Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai Motor America, Kia Motors Corporation, Inc., and Kia Motors America, Inc. concludes a multi-state investigation into the companies' business practices relating to fuel economy estimate adjustments that occurred at a time when gasoline prices in the United States were especially high.