SEATTLE -- More than 1,150 Washington consumers who were overcharged for the anti-anxiety drug BuSpar began receiving restitution payments today, Attorney General Christine Gregoire announced.

Washington claimants will receive a full refund of their overcharges based upon their BuSpar purchases. Payments will average $800 per claimant, with payments to Washington consumers totaling about $938,000. State agencies, including Medicaid, will receive $2.1 million.

Defendant allegedly used Microsoft’s name in online ads to deceive consumers

SEATTLE – Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced a settlement with a New Hampshire man accused of using Microsoft’s name in advertisements to deceive consumers into purchasing a software program that falsely claimed computers were infected with spyware.

OLYMPIA -- Attorney General Christine Gregoire today urged the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to consider filing additional claims to disgorge profits on both long- and short-term BPA/Enron contracts on behalf of Northwest power customers who suffered because of Enron's fraudulent and manipulative actions in the West Coast energy market in 2000-2001.

SEATTLE -- The Attorney General's Bankruptcy & Collections Unit (BCU) has passed a major milestone-recovering more than $100 million in taxes owed the state over the past 11 years. The amount is nearly double what was anticipated when the unit was created in September 1993.

OLYMPIA -- Four private attorneys paid by Clark County to provide legal services to indigent criminal defendants have agreed not to set terms and rates for their services in a manner that would violate state antitrust laws.

The Attorney General's Office filed a consent decree today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma ordering Clark County defense attorneys to stop uncompetitive business practices. The four attorneys named by the decree were accused of leading other local attorneys in a scheme to fix the terms and rates of their legal services to the county.

SEATTLE -- A Redmond-based Internet web service company which failed to deliver promised services has agreed to stop misrepresenting its services and pay restitution to consumers, Attorney General Christine Gregoire said today.

A lawsuit was filed against Internet Advancement (IA) along with a simultaneous settlement in King County Superior Court. IA also does business as 4GreatBuys.com. Others named in the suit and settlement include Todd Wickham, Chief Executive Officer of Internet Advancement, Ken Committee, President, and Ernesto Villamor, Secretary and Treasurer.

SEATTLE -- The Attorney General’s Office is warning consumers about the re-emergence of a long-distance scam called advance fee fraud because they often originate in that African country.

The scam usually involves a fraudster who convinces victims to perform a “good deed” by sending money, saying the victim will benefit financially once the money is received. Of course, the fraudster keeps the money, never delivering on his promise to share the wealth.

SEATTLE -- Attorney General Christine Gregoire announced a settlement today with Worldlink, Inc., a Shoreline-based Internet provider accused of engaging in unfair business practices.

Worldlink, run by the husband and wife team of Darwin and Lori Lee Hill, offers Internet services including dial-up accounts and DSL service. Under the settlement, entered in King County Superior Court, the company has agreed to pay $17,876 in restitution, civil penalties and fees and stop the business practices alleged to be unfair by the Attorney General in the complaint.

OLYMPIA -- Attorney General Christine Gregoire has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to take a case involving the rights of states to regulate direct-to-consumer shipments of wine.

Gregoire joined 35 other State Attorneys General in requesting the court take an appeal of a Federal Court of Appeals decision which struck down Michigan's ban on direct-to-consumer shipment of wine by out-of-state wineries. The legal analysis applied by the court would also call into question laws by states that, unlike Michigan, allow direct shipment of wine to customers in some other states.

OLYMPIA -- Attorney General Christine Gregoire has appointed Assistant Attorney General Mary Sue Wilson as the new chief of the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Division.

The division represents the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the State Parks and Recreation Commission. It also assists local prosecutors and provides general information to the public on natural resources issues.