Following Gov. Mike Dewine’s declaration of a state of emergency due to the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic, Ohio legislators have introduced numerous emergency measures to address the public health and economic crises facing the State. This includes a bill introduced on March 25 by Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton), which would require creditors and debt collectors to
The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia issued an administrative order on Sunday, March 22 that covers public health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus (“COVID-19”). In it, the Court recognizes “the current COVID-19 crisis creates an unprecedented public health emergency that requires immediate action to encourage effective social distancing and reduce the
Wire fraud cases, arising from what the Federal Bureau of Investigation calls “business email compromise,” are on the rise. In 2018, the FBI reported that business email compromise and other internet-enabled theft, fraud, and exploitation resulted in $2.7 billion of financial loss. See FBI – IC3 Annual Report Released. Surprisingly, even sophisticated parties and
A pro se plaintiff’s lawsuit brought pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was dismissed by the District of New Jersey for lack of standing in Kraft v. Phelan Hallinan Diamond & Jones, P.C., U.S. Dist. LEXIS 126323 (D. N.J. July 30, 2019). Plaintiff Warren R. Kraft inherited real estate from his deceased
The Second Circuit remains a hotbed for consumer claims under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act related to disclosures of interest and fees in collection letters. Plaintiffs bombard New York courts with these claims, forcing courts to meticulously review every possible disclosure of amounts due. While most of these claims ultimately fail on summary judgment,
The Federal Trade Commission has announced a settlement with LightYear Dealer Technologies, LLC, doing business as DealerBuilt, a company that sells software and data services to auto dealers. The FTC alleged that DealerBuilt’s poor data security practices resulted in a breach that exposed the personal information of millions of consumers. A hacker gained unauthorized access
On March 29, in Marshall v. Verde Energy USA, Inc., Judge John Vazquez of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey dismissed a plaintiff’s putative class action lawsuit against Verde Energy, finding, in part, that the plaintiff failed to state a claim under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act (“CFA”). Marshall
On March 22, 2018, the Governor of West Virginia signed into law HB 3143, which amends select provisions of the West Virginia Consumer Credit Protection Act (WVCCPA). First, the Bill amends section 46A-4-101 to clarify that the licensing provisions of the WVCCPA do not apply to any “collection agency” as defined by the Collection Agency
The Eastern District of Pennsylvania concluded that an admitted professional litigant stated a claim under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act when he received the defendant’s telemarketing calls on his cell phone. The determinative factor was lack of allegations and evidence that the plaintiff used the phone for the sole purpose of bringing TCPA lawsuits. A
The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled against a debt collector in LTD Financial Services, L.P. v. Collins, affirming the lower court’s order granting the plaintiff’s motion for a directed verdict. Specifically, the Court ruled that the plaintiff was not required to prove intent as part of his affirmative claim and LTD Financial Services did
