On October 11, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it entered into a consent order with a national credit union over allegations that the credit union made false and misleading representations to consumers when attempting to collect on past due accounts. The credit union serves military members and their families. The…
On September 28, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office announced that it had entered into a settlement with a national mortgage servicer to resolve allegations that the servicer had engaged in abusive debt collection practices affecting over 5,000 Massachusetts consumers. The assurance of discontinuance, filed in Suffolk County Superior Court, alleged…
On August 1, 2016, Colorado Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman announced a settlement of two lawsuits against lenders for targeting the military and other allegedly illegal lending practices. According to the Attorney General, the settlement comes after charges filed against the lenders in 2015, alleging that the lenders used illegal…
On July 26, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it filed a lawsuit against a regional credit union over alleged violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). The SCRA prohibits lenders from repossessing servicemembers’ vehicles without a court order while servicemembers are on activity military duty. The DOJ alleged in…
On July 14, 2016, the FTC announced that, as part of an ongoing crackdown on deceptive collection practices, it reached a settlement with two debt collectors and three companies charged with using illegal collection tactics. As Enforcement Watch previously covered here, the FTC initially brought the action against the companies in October of 2015 for allegedly taking payments…
On May 9, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had entered into a consent order with a Texas-based debt collector, stemming from allegations that the debt collector had violated the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTCA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and the Duties of Furnishers of Information to Consumer…
On April 25, 2016, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced it entered into two settlements, available here and here, with a law firm and a financial services company over allegations the entities filed debt collection lawsuits without properly verifying the underlying debt obligations, in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Act…
On March 21, the West Virginia Attorney General’s office announced that it had settled allegations against a debt collector over alleged violations of the West Virginia Collection Agency Act, W. Va. Code §§ 47-16-1 (“Collection Agency Act”) and the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act, W. Va. Code §§ 46A-1-101 (“WVCCPA”). The…
On February 25, the West Virginia Attorney General’s office announced that it had reached a settlement with an Ohio payday lender, resolving allegations that the payday lender had engaged in debt collection activities that “may violate” provisions of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act (WVCCPA), W. Va. Code § 46A-…
On February 23, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it had entered into a consent order with a national bank, resolving allegations that the bank inaccurately reported interest rate information on credit card debts sold to debt purchasers, failed to remit payments made by consumers to debt purchasers,…
On February 23, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it had entered into consent orders with a national bank, two of its affiliates, and two debt collection law firms over allegations that the debt collection law firms altered affidavits filed in New Jersey courts. The consent orders allege that…
On December 28, 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it entered into a consent order with a Georgia-based law firm over allegations that the law firm used improper and abusive debt collection tactics in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA). The…
On December 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it had entered into a consent order with a state debt collector over allegations that the debt collector, which collected telecommunications debt, reported inaccurate information to credit-reporting agencies and collected and reported debt that consumers disputed and that it could not…
On October 27, 2015, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced the indictment of fifteen individuals in connection with a nationwide debt collection operation. The Defendants operated a large debt collection company that allegedly collected debts from consumers who had defaulted on payday loans…
On November 4, 2015, the Ohio Attorney General announced that it had filed a civil enforcement action against a regional debt collection company. The lawsuit is part of an ongoing partnership with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other federal agencies to investigate abusive debt collection practices. Enforcement Watch previously…
On November 4, 2015, the Washington Attorney General announced five enforcement actions against debt collection companies. The enforcement actions are part of an ongoing partnership with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other federal agencies to investigate abusive debt collection practices. Enforcement Watch previously reported on the FTC partnership, named…
On November 4, 2015, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a new enforcement initiative targeting debt collection companies. The initiative, which is known as “Operation Collection Protection,” involves partnerships with state authorities to investigate debt collectors and prosecute civil and criminal enforcement actions against debt collection companies engaged in illegal…
On November 3, 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released its Supervisory Highlights report detailing the Bureau’s supervision efforts for May through August of 2015. The report summarizes the violations of consumer protection laws the Bureau observed during the four-month period and identifies the areas in which the Bureau has…
On November 2, 2015, the California Attorney General’s Office announced that it had entered into a $100 million stipulated judgment with a national bank over allegations that the bank engaged in abusive debt collection practices, in violation of California’s Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The allegations relate to the bank’s…
On October 28, 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it entered an administrative consent order against an Ohio-based auto lender that specializes in loans to military servicemembers. The CFPB consent order, and the companion stipulated order issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, resolve…