The rules in this case are "don't enter into a drug based money laundering business", which is allegedly what went on here. It's certainly not new or obscure.

If you're trying to avoid taxes and do shady stuff with your money, eyeah. You're going to have a bad time.

"The US government is cracking down on companies that scam millions of dollars out of people looking for jobs, WHERE'S THE FREEDOM??"

Come on, man.

I can't think of many people less deserving of sympathy than the people in the linked article (even the Bitcoin money-launderer deserves more), and the world is unequivocally a better place for the FTC moving the goalposts to catch them. Frankly, you shouldn't need to read FTC guidelines to understand that peddling lies and then not honouring promised refunds might get you into trouble, and conmen whose businesses get suspended by court 12 months after the FTC introduces explicit guidelines banning their business practices are not victims, unlike their paying customers.

These rules were publicized in November of 2011,[1] and implemented March 1, 2012.

Press release November 15, 2012.

I don't think 6+ months qualifies as "a matter of days."

1: http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2011/11/ftc-ad...