The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 53,240 checks totaling more than $532,000 to people who paid VGC Corp of America for expensive vacation packages they never received.

According to the FTC’s complaint, the company advertised a vacation package worth thousands of dollars as a prize to people who called and answered a trivia question. Callers were told they had won, but had to pay up to $400 in "taxes" or "fees.”

Under settlements with the FTC and the State of Florida, the defendants are banned from selling vacation packages and required to pay money for restitution.

The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund check. Recipients should deposit or cash checks within 60 days. If they have questions about the case, they should contact the FTC’s refund administrator, Epiq Systems, Inc., at 844-308-8911.

To learn more about the FTC’s refund program, visit www.ftc.gov/refunds.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).