Was Digital Altitude Legit? Six Figures in 90 Days and the FTC Refunds

01

Identified claim

Digital Altitude sold online business coaching with claims that consumers could earn six figures in 90 days. The FTC obtained settlements and a default judgment, then distributed nearly $4.7 million in refunds.

Digital Altitude was a real online business-coaching operation with a severe enforcement record.

The Federal Trade Commission sued the company and related entities in February 2018.

The FTC alleged that Digital Altitude deceived consumers by claiming they could earn “six figures in 90 days.”

The case produced multiple stipulated orders and a default judgment against corporate defendants. In 2021, the FTC announced nearly $4.7 million in refunds to people who lost money through the scheme.

This is not a current vendor recommendation question. The historical operation should be avoided, and the case should be used as a due-diligence template for any successor coaching offer.

02

Sources and evidence

Sources reviewed.

1. Digital Altitude FTC case — Federal Trade Commission; accessed 2026-08-05. ^[1]
2. FTC sends Digital Altitude refunds — Federal Trade Commission; accessed 2026-08-05. ^[2]

What Digital Altitude sold.

Digital Altitude marketed business coaching and an online income opportunity.

The broader funnel associated online marketing education with the possibility of rapid, substantial earnings.

A buyer can reasonably interpret a “six figures in 90 days” claim as evidence that:

• the method has been tested;
• results are repeatable;
• the seller knows the typical outcome;
• the time frame is realistic;
• required costs are disclosed;
• the claim describes net income rather than gross sales.

The FTC alleged those implications were deceptive.

Why a short time frame is persuasive.

A ninety-day claim turns uncertainty into a calendar.

It suggests that the buyer can:

• recover the purchase price quickly;
• finance the program safely;
• replace income;
• leave a job;
• avoid long experimentation;
• measure success before debt becomes burdensome.

A short time frame therefore needs stronger evidence than a vague statement that “results are possible.”

The seller should disclose the percentage of all purchasers who achieved the claimed result in the claimed period.

Revenue is not income.

An online business can report substantial revenue while losing money.

A proper calculation includes:

sales
minus refunds
minus advertising
minus software
minus coaching
minus contractors
minus platform fees
minus taxes
minus financing
minus fulfillment
= net result

A business-coaching testimonial that says “I generated $100,000” is incomplete until the costs and time period are known.

The Digital Altitude case is useful because it reminds buyers to ask whether “six figures” means revenue, commission, profit, or a projection.

The upsell funnel.

High-ticket coaching programs often begin with an inexpensive entry product.

The initial purchase can lead to:

• a strategy call;
• a success coach;
• a higher membership tier;
• software;
• events;
• traffic packages;
• done-for-you services;
• financing.

The buyer should request the complete product ladder before the first purchase.

A $49 course can function primarily as lead generation for a much larger sale.

That is not automatically deceptive, but it changes the economic decision.

The court record.

The FTC case page lists:

• a temporary restraining order and asset freeze;
• preliminary-injunction orders;
• settlements with individual and corporate defendants;
• a default judgment and final order against several corporate defendants;
• later consumer refunds.

The legal outcomes differed by defendant.

Do not collapse every individual and entity into one procedural status.

The useful buyer conclusion is that the central operation was halted and subjected to extensive court relief.

The nearly $4.7 million refund program.

In February 2021, the FTC announced refunds totaling nearly $4.7 million.

Refunds are significant evidence because they show that money recovered through enforcement was returned to consumers identified through the case.

A refund distribution does not mean every buyer was made whole.

It also does not establish that every training module was worthless.

It confirms that the case moved beyond allegations into judgments, settlements, and redress.

Was Digital Altitude a scam?

The FTC described Digital Altitude as a business-coaching scheme and obtained court orders against the operation.

The record supports treating the historical company as an operation to avoid.

The article does not need to rely on anonymous complaints or infer a current business under the same name.

Its practical value is warning buyers about familiar claims:

• rapid six-figure income;
• low-risk financing;
• proven systems;
• selected success stories;
• urgency;
• a cheap front-end product leading to expensive upsells.

How to audit a business-coaching offer.

Ask for:

1. All products and prices.
2. The percentage of buyers who purchase each upsell.
3. Median net income for all purchasers.
4. Median time to first profit.
5. Advertising and software costs.
6. Refund and cancellation rules.
7. Financing terms.
8. Instructor business records.
9. Conflicts in testimonials.
10. The number of buyers earning zero.

Do not accept a call in place of the dataset.

Contract questions.

Review:

• automatic renewal;
• refund milestones;
• coaching attendance;
• nondisparagement;
• arbitration;
• forum selection;
• financing assignment;
• intellectual-property license;
• account ownership;
• testimonial permission.

A buyer can lose the fee and still become marketing material for the next buyer if testimonial rights are buried in the contract.

Search visibility and credibility.

Business-coaching sellers often dominate search with:

• founder interviews;
• affiliate reviews;
• webinar pages;
• success stories;
• comparison articles;
• branded reputation content.

Search visibility does not verify the income claim.

Check official records, legal entities, refunds, and former brand names.

03

Conclusion

Verdict.

Digital Altitude was not a credible opportunity for buyers relying on the “six figures in 90 days” message.

The FTC case produced multiple settlements, a default judgment, and nearly $4.7 million in refunds.

Avoid the historical operation and apply the same skepticism to any current coaching funnel that turns selected revenue screenshots into a predictable short-term income promise.

Conclusion in brief.

Digital Altitude sold online business coaching with claims that consumers could earn six figures in 90 days. The FTC obtained settlements and a default judgment, then distributed nearly $4.7 million in refunds.

04

Limitations

This audit was completed on 2026-08-05. Primary legal and regulatory records were preferred over review summaries. Allegations, settlements, convictions, final orders, and complaints are labeled separately. No anonymous complaint is treated as independently proven. No current service outcome, ranking result, or financial return is guaranteed. The article should be rechecked before any material update because corporate status and enforcement matters can change.

Verification record.

• FTC allegations, the “six figures in 90 days” claim, court-order timeline, default judgment, and nearly $4.7 million refund amount were checked on 2026-08-05.
• Procedural outcomes are not generalized across every defendant.
• No current successor business is alleged.
• Revenue-versus-profit analysis is editorial buyer guidance, not an additional factual allegation.

Duplication and search-intent record.

No prior RankBuilder package audited Digital Altitude. The article targets historical company legitimacy, business coaching, rapid earnings claims, upsell funnels, and FTC refunds.

References

Sources behind this record

1. Digital Altitude FTC case — Federal Trade Commission (accessed August 5, 2026)
2. FTC sends Digital Altitude refunds — Federal Trade Commission (accessed August 5, 2026)

Corrections

Correction history

No corrections recorded.

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