Search Results for:

Florida AG and FTC Obtain $23 Million Judgment in Robocall Enforcement Action

On December 14, the Florida Attorney General (AG) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a $23 million federal district court judgment against the owner of an Orlando-based “robocall” operation.  The massive robocall operation tricked consumers into paying upfront fees of $500 to $1500 for false credit card interest-rate-reduction and debt-elimination services,…

Read More

DOJ Announces $14.5 Million Settlement in False Claims Act Suit Against FHA Lender

On December 12, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a $14.5 million settlement of a whistleblower suit alleging False Claims Act violations against a lender who endorsed loans for insurance by the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”).  The settlement resolves an investigation triggered by a qui tam lawsuit filed by a former employee of the…

Read More

FTC Settlements Ban Student Loan Debt Relief Operators

FTC

On December 7, 2018, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida had entered stipulated orders banning the operators of two Florida-based student loan debt relief providers from the debt relief business, the latest actions from the Operation Game of Loans enforcement initiative targeting…

Read More

CFPB Enters Consent Order with Federal Savings Association Over Alleged Credit Reporting Violations

On December 6, 2018, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (“CFPB”) announced that it had entered into a consent order with a federal savings association headquartered in Bloomington, Ill.  According to the consent order, the CFPB alleged that the savings association violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.,…

Read More

New York AG Announces Court Order Requiring Debt Collectors to Pay $27 Million

On September 21, New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced a stipulated court order against three entities and individuals for illegal debt collection practices (collectively, “defendants”), which permanently bans the defendants from the debt collection industry and requires collective payment of almost $27 million in restitution and damages. The court…

Read More

New York AG Sues Nine Student Loan Debt Relief Companies Over Misrepresentations

On September 20, New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced a lawsuit against nine student loan debt relief companies, their financing company, and two individuals with leadership roles in several of the companies (collectively, “defendants”).  The lawsuit alleges that defendants violated the Federal Credit Repair Organization Act, 15 U.S.C. §…

Read More

Pennsylvania AG Sues Five Companies Involved in Alleged Mortgage Modification Scam

On July 26, 2018, the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania announced a lawsuit against five Pennsylvania mortgage foreclosure companies and two company owners for cheating consumers into signing contracts to have their mortgage loans modified—but never delivering the services paid for—in violation of Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer…

Read More

CFPB Settles with South Carolina Companies Over Improper Debt Collection Practices

On June 13, 2018, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau​ (CFPB) annou​nced its settlement with a South Carolina corporation and its subsidiaries over allegations that the companies engaged in improper debt collection and credit furnishing practices. According to the consent order, the CFPB found that the companies made improper in-person and…

Read More

FTC Settles Claims Against Student Loan Debt Relief Company for Over $2.3 Million

FTC

On June 11, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had settled claims against an individual and his loan debt relief companies in connection with its coordinated federal-state enforcement initiative to target deceptive student loan debt relief scams, called “Operation Game of Loans.”  Enforcement Watch covered a similar enforcement action earlier…

Read More

DOJ Settles With Mortgage Lender for $11.7 Million for FHA Mortgages

On December 8, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it had settled allegations that a Louisiana-based mortgage lender violated the False Claims Act (FCA) through its underwriting of Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured mortgage loans.  In the lawsuit, which is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the…

Read More

MA AG Enters Settlement for Refunds to Thousands of Consumers for Company’s Abusive Debt Collection Practices

On September 22, 2017, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey (AG) announced a settlement with a company to resolve claims that the company used abusive and illegal debt collection practices.  The AG’s complaint alleges that the company added hidden, illegal, and unauthorized late fees and charges to consumers’ accounts—including a $25 late…

Read More

Q2 2017 Sees Significant Decrease In Civil Penalties and Consumer Relief

In the second quarter of 2017, Consumer Enforcement Watch tracked 40 enforcement actions taken against consumer financial service providers. This represents a marginal decrease from the 46 enforcement actions taken against consumer financial service providers that we tracked last quarter, and from the 46 enforcement actions tracked in the second…

Read More

Massachusetts AG Sues Student Loan Servicer

On August 23, 2017, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced that her office had sued one of the nation’s largest federal student loan servicers, alleging that the servicer deprived public servants of relief under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF), a federal student loan forgiveness program that forgives loans of borrowers that hold public service positions…

Read More