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WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action to protect kids and not let “Grinch Bots” steal Christmas toys. So-called Grinch Bots are algorithms and software deployed by online scammers to buy up popular toys and merchandise at lightning speed, and then re-sell those items at wildly inflated prices on websites like Ebay. After The New York Times reported that Grinch Bots have caused a shortage of Fingerlings, the Barbie Hello Dreamhouse and the Vampirina Scare B&B, among other toys, Udall, Schumer, and Blumenthal called on the FTC to convene a workshop to assess and address the damage these scammers have caused to kids and families this holiday season.
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Udall, Schumer, Blumenthal to FTC: Don’t Let Grinch Bots Steal Christmas
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action to protect kids and not let “Grinch Bots” steal Christmas toys. So-called Grinch Bots are algorithms and software deployed by online scammers to buy up popular toys and merchandise at lightning speed, and then re-sell those items at wildly inflated prices on websites like Ebay. After The New York Times reported that Grinch Bots have caused a shortage of Fingerlings, the Barbie Hello Dreamhouse and the Vampirina Scare B&B, among other toys, Udall, Schumer, and Blumenthal called on the FTC to convene a workshop to assess and address the damage these scammers have caused to kids and families this holiday season.
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action to protect kids and not let “Grinch Bots” steal Christmas toys. So-called Grinch Bots are algorithms and software deployed by online scammers to buy up popular toys and merchandise at lightning speed, and then re-sell those items at wildly inflated prices on websites like Ebay. After The New York Times reported that Grinch Bots have caused a shortage of Fingerlings, the Barbie Hello Dreamhouse and the Vampirina Scare B&B, among other toys, Udall, Schumer, and Blumenthal called on the FTC to convene a workshop to assess and address the damage these scammers have caused to kids and families this holiday season.
Wnited States Senate
WASHINGTON, DC 20510
December 12, 2017
‘The Honorable Maureen Ohlhausen ‘The Honorable Terrell MeSweeny
Acting Chairman Commissioner
Federal Trade Commission Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest 600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, D.C., 20580 Washington, D.C., 20580
Dear Acting Chairman Olhausen and Commissioner McSweeny:
Millions of Americans are turing to online retailers in search of hard-to-find gifts for
their family and friends this holiday season. Unfortunately, unscrupulous scammers are also
taking note of the limited availability of popular items online, and are succeeding at gaming the
system by aggressively deploying cyber bots that automatically spot and snap up the most
popular produets.
‘As reported by the New York Times, these bots are able to scoop up the season’s hottest
toys before the typical consumer can even log on'. They will then tun around and sell these
limited availability items at large markups in the remaining shopping days of the holiday season,
The profiteers behind these programs are becoming the Grinch bots of the 2017 holiday season —
maiking it more difficult than ever for parents hoping to surprise their children with the ultimate
gift at a reasonable price
We respectfully request that the Federal Trade Commission convene a workshop on the
use of bots that usurp technology and purchase large quantities of a particular product, including
in-demand toys, with the intent to resell them. We request that you and your staff work with
retailers, both online and traditional, to determine ways to protect consumers from high-speed
purchases made by bots designed to game the system and take advantage and deprive consumers
of online discounts. The Commission should also collaborate with the nation’s 51 Attorneys
General to share information and best practices about how to protect consumers from these
unfair practices. Such a workshop can help bring much needed attention to this issue, and help
retailers and consumers assess the full extent of damage caused by these bad actors.
‘Additionally, we will be introducing legislation in the coming week and hope that we can gain
your support for it.
We urge you to act quickly to prevent cyber Grinches from ruining the holiday season
this year, and take the necessary steps to prevent these kinds of scams from occurring in the
future.
' Christina Caron, “How the Bot Stole Christmas: Toys Like Fingerlings Are Snapped Up and Resold,” New York
‘Times, , Web last accessed 11 December 2017Sincerely,
Son. vbhare Chat SL
Tom Udall Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator United States Senator
ichard Blumenthal
United States Senator
CC: National Association of Attorney’s General