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Compliance news & scam alerts

What’s getting businesses fined — or robbed — right now

Real enforcement actions and active scams targeting U.S. small businesses, from official agencies and reputable news sources. Every story links to the original. Use “Am I at risk?” to check your own business against the questions behind each story.

EnforcementOR2026-04-22

US Department of Labor recovers $200K in back wages after investigation finds Oregon restaurant denied 19 workers overtime, operated invalid tip pool

A Wage and Hour Division investigation found Taste of India 1 in McMinnville, Oregon incorrectly classified 19 workers as exempt, paid straight-time instead of the required overtime premium, and used workers' tips to supplement base wages. The division recovered $200,137 in back wages and assessed $15,256 in civil money penalties for the willful nature of the violations.

U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division · Read the original →

Scam alertNational2025-03-27

BBB Business Tip: Top 10 scams targeting small businesses

The BBB's rundown of the ten scams that hit small businesses hardest: phony invoices for supplies and directory listings never ordered, business email compromise, fake check overpayments, ransomware, and more. Small firms are prime targets because they often lack the accounting controls and security support of larger companies.

Better Business Bureau · Read the original →

Scam alertNational2024-09-11

Business Email Compromise: The $55 Billion Scam

The FBI reports $55.5 billion in exposed losses to business email compromise between October 2013 and December 2023, across 305,033 reported incidents. Criminals compromise legitimate business email accounts and use them to redirect wire transfers or change payment instructions. The scam targets everyone from small local businesses to large corporations, with U.S. victims alone losing $20.1 billion.

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) · Read the original →

EnforcementCA2026-02-03

Office of Labor Standards Enforcement secures record-breaking restitution for San Francisco workers

San Francisco's OLSE collected $21.6 million in worker restitution and penalties in FY 2024-2025, resolving 454 cases affecting more than 17,000 workers under the city's minimum wage, paid sick leave, health care, prevailing wage, and related ordinances — the highest collections since the office opened in 2001.

City and County of San Francisco · Read the original →

EnforcementTX2026-01-08

Peak Performers to Pay $160,000 in EEOC Disability Lawsuit

Austin, Texas staffing firm Peak Performers agreed to pay $160,000 to settle an EEOC lawsuit alleging it denied a disabled executive assistant's request for four to six weeks of unpaid leave for mental health treatment and terminated her instead, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission · Read the original →

EnforcementFL2025-12-29

EEOC Recovers $135,000 for Florida Employees Under Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

The EEOC recovered $135,000 in two Pregnant Workers Fairness Act settlements against Florida employers: Brandt Information Services of Tallahassee paid $100,000 after firing a pregnant employee who requested unpaid leave as a reasonable accommodation, and Health and Behavior Dimensions of Hallandale Beach paid $35,000 after terminating an employee the same day she requested an accommodation.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission · Read the original →

Scam alertMI2025-12-26

AGs Unite to Keep Gift Cards Safe

Michigan's Attorney General joined AGs from 13 other states in a PSA campaign against gift card fraud, partnering with retailers and gift card networks to dismantle the criminal operations behind these scams. Scammers demanding payment by gift card — often while impersonating utilities or government agencies — remain a leading way businesses lose money, because those payments can't be reversed.

Michigan Department of Attorney General · Read the original →

EnforcementWA2025-12-01

Washington L&I Workplace Rights Investigations Report, Fiscal Year 2025

L&I's annual report to the Governor states that in fiscal year 2025 the agency conducted over 8,600 investigations of workplace rights issues under the Minimum Wage Act, Wage Payment Act, and related statutes, identified over $7 million in wages owed to Washington workers, and issued just over 1,000 penalties for violations.

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries · Read the original →

EnforcementCA2025-11-24

California Labor Commissioner's BOFE Unit Cites Janitorial Companies and OptumCare for $438,204 in Wage Theft Violations

The Labor Commissioner's Bureau of Field Enforcement cited a group of janitorial companies operating as a single enterprise, their owners, and client OptumCare Management LLC for wage theft affecting more than 90 janitors in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Workers were denied minimum and contract wages, overtime, split-shift, and meal and rest period premiums, and received inaccurate wage statements.

California Department of Industrial Relations · Read the original →

EnforcementIN2025-11-18

Holsum Settles EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit

Holsum of Fort Wayne, an Indiana wholesale bakery, agreed to pay $50,000 to settle an EEOC lawsuit alleging it refused to accommodate an employee's need for a walker under a blanket policy banning personal items in production areas, forced her onto medical leave, and then terminated her, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission · Read the original →

EnforcementNational2025-09-30

Citizens Disability to Pay $1 Million over FTC Charges that it Made Tens of Millions of Illegal and Misleading Calls to Consumers Nationwide

Citizens Disability LLC agreed to a $2 million civil penalty, partially suspended upon payment of $1 million, to resolve FTC charges that it made tens of millions of illegal telemarketing calls — including over 25 million calls to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry — and misrepresented why it was calling consumers, in violation of the Telemarketing Sales Rule.

Federal Trade Commission · Read the original →

Scam alertMI2025-09-30

Wyandotte Man Charged with Embezzling More Than $166,000 From Former Employer

A Michigan man was bound over for trial on ten felony charges for allegedly embezzling more than $166,000 from his employer, Montway Auto Transport, by offering customers unauthorized discounts if they paid him directly through peer-to-peer payment apps. A reminder that payment controls matter inside the business, too.

Michigan Department of Attorney General · Read the original →

Scam alertCA2025-06-10

Attorney General Bonta, DA Partners Announce $275,000 Settlement with Magazine Billing Company for Misleading California Consumers

California's Attorney General and six county DAs settled with Pacific Magazine Billing over tens of millions of solicitation mailers deceptively disguised as bills for magazine subscriptions. The company pays $275,000 and is permanently banned from the mail-order magazine solicitation industry — a textbook fake-invoice operation.

California Department of Justice · Read the original →

Scam alertNational2025-04-04

FTC Highlights Actions to Protect Consumers from Impersonation Scams

One year after its Government and Business Impersonation Rule took effect, the FTC reported $2.95 billion lost to impersonation scams in 2024 — consistently among the top frauds reported. The agency brought five enforcement cases under the rule and shut down 13 websites that illegally impersonated the FTC itself.

Federal Trade Commission · Read the original →

EnforcementWA2025-03-31

Seattle Office of Labor Standards Resolved Investigations, January-March 2025

In a single quarter, OLS settlements included Qdoba paying $123,996 to 89 workers for Wage Theft, Secure Scheduling, and Paid Sick and Safe Time violations; Guanaco's Tacos Pupuseria paying $200,160 to 3 workers for wage theft, PSST, and minimum wage violations; Seattle Concessions paying $353,280 to 685 workers; and two Fair Chance Employment settlements. Amounts also include fines paid to the City of Seattle.

Seattle Office of Labor Standards · Read the original →

EnforcementAZ2025-03-24

Cutting Edge Supply to Pay $150,000 in EEOC Disability Discrimination and Retaliation Lawsuit

Black Diamond Blade Company, doing business as Cutting Edge Supply, agreed to pay $150,000 to settle an EEOC lawsuit alleging it refused to let a welder with diabetes take periodic snack breaks to regulate his blood sugar, retaliated when he complained, and ultimately fired him, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission · Read the original →

Scam alertNational2025-03-10

FTC Sends More than $25.5 Million to Consumers Impacted by Tech Support Firms' Scam

The FTC is returning more than $25.5 million to people tricked into buying computer repair services by two tech-support operations, Restoro and Reimage. The companies used deceptive pop-ups and scare tactics to sell unneeded fixes, and agreed to a $26 million settlement in 2024. Fake tech-support pop-ups and calls also routinely target small-business computers.

Federal Trade Commission · Read the original →

Scam alertPA2025-02-11

Attorney General Sunday Warns Consumers to be Aware of Trending PayPal Scam

Pennsylvania's Attorney General warned of a surge in fraudulent 'invoices' sent through PayPal — real payment requests, sometimes sent repeatedly to look urgent, with a phony support number that connects victims to the scammers. Anyone who pays invoices for a business should verify unexpected payment requests before acting.

Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General · Read the original →

EnforcementNational2025-01-16

Department of Labor secures agreement from cleaning contractor to pay penalties, take steps to prevent dangerous child labor employment

The Department of Labor found QSI LLC, a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based cleaning contractor, employed children on overnight sanitation shifts at 13 meat and poultry processing facilities across multiple states between January 2021 and February 2024. The agreement requires QSI to pay $400,000 in civil money penalties and adopt monitoring, auditing, and reporting measures to prevent employment of minors in dangerous jobs.

U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division · Read the original →

EnforcementOH2024-12-09

Bakeware company faces $182K in fines following 2 worker amputations because of unguarded machines

OSHA cited G&S Metal Products Co. of Cleveland, Ohio for one willful and five serious violations after two workers suffered amputation injuries on unguarded machinery. Investigators found the manufacturer lacked adequate machine guarding, lockout/tagout procedures, and effective employee safety training, proposing $182,000 in penalties.

U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration · Read the original →

Scam alertWA2024-12-04

Scam alert: Fraudulent Secretary of State notices targeting Washington small businesses

Scammers posing as the Secretary of State's Office are mailing Washington small businesses letters that demand inflated payments for routine state filings and threaten fines or dissolution of the business. The AG's office logged at least 40 complaints in a month, plus reports of parallel phone scams targeting Latino-owned businesses.

Washington State Attorney General · Read the original →

Scam alertWA2024-10-18

Judge: Owner of repeat scammer Labor Law Poster Service broke the law nearly 600,000 times

A King County judge found the owner of Labor Law Poster Service violated Washington's Consumer Protection Act 594,788 times by mailing small businesses fake government-style invoices for workplace posters that are free from state and federal agencies. The mailers targeted 60,000-70,000 newly registered businesses a year and pulled in at least $558,052.

Washington State Attorney General · Read the original →

EnforcementNH2024-08-28

New Hampshire restaurants' operators pay $151K in penalties, agree to comply with federal child labor law after Department of Labor investigation

Operators of New Hampshire restaurants paid $151,000 in civil money penalties and agreed to comply with federal child labor law following a Department of Labor investigation into violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's youth employment provisions.

U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division · Read the original →

EnforcementHI2024-06-21

Department of Labor recovers $307K in back wages, damages for 23 restaurant workers deprived of overtime pay in Hawaii

A Wage and Hour Division investigation found Asian Restaurant Group Inc., operating two Max's of Manila restaurants in Honolulu and Waipahu, paid kitchen staff fixed salaries with no overtime for hours over 40 and allowed a manager to unlawfully take a portion of workers' tips. The department recovered $307,000 in back wages and damages for 23 workers and assessed $8,000 in penalties.

U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division · Read the original →

EnforcementNY2024-01-26

Protecting Workers: DCWP Settles With Six Major Companies Over Workplace Violations

DCWP settled with White Castle, a Taco Bell franchisee, Domino's Pizza, Amazon, Farm Country grocery, and Public Preparatory Network over violations of the Paid Safe and Sick Leave and Fair Workweek Laws, including failing to provide paid safe and sick leave and non-compliant leave policies. The companies pay $2.7 million in restitution to more than 3,570 workers plus over $343,000 in civil penalties.

NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection · Read the original →

EnforcementNY2023-12-31

NYC Commission on Human Rights 2023 Settlement Highlights (Fair Chance Act enforcement)

The Commission's annual settlement highlights document multiple Fair Chance Act cases against employers that asked about criminal history before a conditional offer or unlawfully denied employment over convictions, including one settlement of $85,000 in emotional distress damages plus $100,000 in civil penalties, and others of $30,000 plus $5,000 and $7,000 plus $5,000, each with required training, postings, and policy changes.

NYC Commission on Human Rights · Read the original →

EnforcementFL2023-05-24

US Department of Labor recovers $60K for restaurant employee denied protected medical leave, terminated for exercising rights

The Wicked Taco Inc., operating as Wicked Cantina in Bradenton Beach, Florida, forced an employee back to work the same day as a hospital discharge against doctor's orders and fired them less than a week later. Investigators found the employer never notified the worker of their right to protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Federal investigation and litigation recovered $60,065 in back wages and liquidated damages.

U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division · Read the original →

EnforcementKS2023-04-14

A.V.I. Sea Bar & Chophouse Restaurant to Pay $55,000 in EEOC Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit

A Wichita, Kansas steakhouse agreed to pay $55,000 to settle an EEOC lawsuit under Title VII after managers took away a stool provided to a pregnant hostess to ease pain, demanded medical documentation, and then fired her after she complied. The consent decree also requires staff training and EEOC reporting on pregnancy-related complaints.

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission · Read the original →

EnforcementCO

Denver Labor Restitution Stories: a record $2,300,010 recovered for workers in 2025

Denver Labor's published restitution cases show sustained citywide minimum wage enforcement against small businesses: Goosetown Tavern paid $75,519 to 27 workers, AK Nails paid $72,926 to 24 workers, Denver Chophouse paid $70,010 to 44 workers, Boulder Barbers paid $23,240 for illegal sub-minimum tipped wages, and a cleaning company paid for subcontracted worker wage theft. The office recovered a record $2,300,010 for Denver workers in 2025.

Denver Auditor's Office, Denver Labor · Read the original →

Stories are aggregated from official agency releases and reputable news reporting, and each links to its original source. Comply-Wiz verifies that sources exist and match the summary, but the reporting belongs to the linked publishers. Risk checks use the same deterministic engine as the full assessment — never a guess.