Tagged as: debt collection

Debt Collection Firm Enters Consent Judgment for $1 Million in Restitution with Massachusetts AG

On July 27, 2017, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (Massachusetts AG) annou​​nced that it ​entered into a consent judgment​ with the largest debt collection law firm in the state and two of its principals.  The agreed consent judgment, which asserted violations of the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act, G.L. chapter 93A, section 2, was entered​​ in…

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FTC Obtains Temporary Restraining Order Freezing Assets of Debt Collection Operation

​On July 10, 2017, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida entered a temporary restraining​ order (“TRO”) halting operations and freezing the assets of a debt collection operation, at the request of the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”)​. The FTC charged the defendant company and individuals with violating Section 5(a)…

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Debt Collector Ordered to Pay $25 Million to State of Texas for Illegal Debt Collection Practices

On July 11, 2017, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a $25 million judgment and permanent injunction against a portfolio management company and a small law office for violations of the Texas Debt Collection Act, Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act, and Identity Theft Protection and Enforcement Act. A jury in the District Court of…

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Massachusetts AG Obtains Preliminary Injunction Against Debt Collection Law Firm Over Illegal Practices

On July 13, 2017, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (“Massachusetts AG”) announced​ that it obtained a preliminary injunction against a debt collection law firm and its principal attorney.  The Massachusetts AG alleged that the law firm engaged in unlawful collection practices, in violation of the Massachusetts AG’s debt collection regulations. The law firm collected debts for…

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DC Attorney General Obtains Consent Order Against Phony Debt Relief Company

​On May 23, 2017, the District of Columbia Attorney General’s Office announced that it had entered into a consent order with a Maryland debt relief company and its owner for violating the District of Columbia’s Consumer Credit Service Organizations Act, D.C. Code § 28-4601, et seq., by falsely promising to help consumers reduce or eliminate debt. The debt relief…

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DC Attorney General Announces Settlement With Debt Collection Company Resulting in Forgiveness of $219,000 in Consumer Debt

On April 14, 2017, the District of Columbia Attorney General’s Office (AG) announced that it had entered into a settlement agreement​ with a California-based debt collection company and its owner arising from allegations that their debt collection practices violated the District of Columbia’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act and Debt Collection Law. The…

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FTC Announces Settlement with Municipal Debt Collector Over Alleged Abusive Debt Collection Practices

​On March 24, 2017, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced​ that it entered into a consent order with a debt collection company, resolving allegations that the company engaged in unfair and abusive debt collection practices in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692-1692p, and section 5 of…

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Student Loan Debt Collector Settles with FTC for $700,000 Over Alleged FDCPA and FTC Act Violations

FTC

On February 14, 2017, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had entered into a stipulated order with a student loan debt collector, resolving allegations that the debt collector violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act) in its servicing of over two million accounts in…

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CFPB Files Lawsuit Against Largest U.S. Student Loan Servicer Over Deceptive Practices

On January 18, 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it had filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania against a servicer of private and federal student loans, alleging that the servicer used deceptive practices related to borrower repayment. The student loan servicer is…

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CFPB Orders Medical Debt Collection Law Firms To Pay Over $600,000 For Alleged Misrepresentations

On January 9, 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it entered into a consent order with two affiliated medical debt collection law firms over allegations that the law firms used deceptive collection letters and illegally notarized collection affidavits.  The consent order alleges that the law firms would send debtors collection…

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Arkansas AG Files Suit Against Auto Dealerships Over Deceptive Financing Practices

On December 17, 2016, the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office (“Arkansas AG”) announced that it had filed a lawsuit against affiliated auto dealerships for violations of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.  The Arkansas AG alleged that these auto dealerships would submit loan applications to third-party lenders, who would then deposit…

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United States Attorney’s Office Announces Guilty Pleas in Criminal Prosecution of Alleged $31 Million Debt Collection Scheme

On November 18, 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (“USAO”) announced that the co-owner and chief financial officer of a debt collection company, and a company manager, pleaded guilty to engaging in illegal and abusive debt collection practices.  The Court also sentenced another company employee to…

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