As debt collectors become more invasive in contacting consumers, spoofing has been utilized with greater frequency. Spoofing is a calling scheme that allows a telephone caller to fool the caller ID system of the recipient. Unfortunately, the law has yet to catch up with the problem as is so often the case, allowing ‘spoofing’ to…
An investigation by Canada’s federal regulatory arm, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CTRC), found one of the country’s largest debt collectors iQor Canada Ltd guilty of violating consumer rights. Chiefly iQor was accused of using robocalls in an attempt to reach consumers at all hours of the day and night, and not identifying on whose…
A deceptive-practices lawsuit against Pressler & Pressler, New Jersey’s largest collections firm, is moving forward as a class action. U.S. District Judge Katharine Hayden in Newark certified a class of individuals who allege misrepresentations in a form letter they received from the debt-collecting firm. The form letter in question offered to settle and said once…
Lawsuit alleges Allied Interstate charged hidden fees after settlement offers have been accepted Third party debt collector Allied Interstate of Columbus, Ohio, allegedly failed to inform credit-card holders who defaulted on payments and then accepted settlement offers, that interest on the debt would continue to accrue, according to the suit, Luna v. Allied Interstate filed…
Are you being contacted by phone and mail about a debt that you owe but haven’t paid or can’t pay? Maybe you are being called about somebody else’s debt? Does it seem like your phone won’t stop ringing or that you are threatened that calls will continue until you have cash to pay? Do you…
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) has a number of complex stipulations that prohibit debt collectors from utilizing practices deemed as harassing. Although some laws within the act can be pretty straightforward, other policies are more complex. For years, reputable debt agencies have understood that certain phone calling activities are illegal. For example, calling…
JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay out nearly a billion dollars to close investigations related to the 2012 “London Whale” trading fiasco, and now is told it must pay out $309 million in refunds and $80 million in penalties over illegal credit card charges for ID and fraud-protection services customers never ordered. In order to…
A Glendale, California-based debt collector will pay $1 million dollars to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the defendants violated federal law. This is the first FTC action against a debt collector who used text messaging to attempt to collect debts in an unlawful manner. The FTC, the nation’s consumer protection agency, alleged that Archie…
New report blames “Sewer Service,” “Robosigning,” and lack of legal representation Last month the New Economy Project (NEP), a New York-based non-profit advocacy group, released its report detailing abuses in New York courts that are to blame for overburdening the system and siphoning billions of dollars from the state’s low-income neighborhoods and communities. Chief among…
For many 20- and 30-somethings, paying off the cost of student loans is a necessary priority, coming before marriage, having a family or buying a house. A recent report titled “Student Loan Affordability” from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), suggests myriad ways in which student loan debt may be having a ripple effect on…
