On June 15, the Federal Trade Commission and the Office of the New York State Attorney General hosted a “Debt Collection Dialogue” in Buffalo, New York. FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Jessica Rich and New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman delivered opening remarks, and officials from the New York State Department of Financial
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Recent FCRA Lawsuit Demonstrates Growing Trend of Class Actions Challenging Employment Background Screening Disclosure Forms
A putative nationwide class action was recently filed under the Fair Credit Reporting Act against Dollar Tree Stores Inc. The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Florida.
The complaint alleges that Dollar Tree failed to properly disclose in a separate document that it was going to obtain employees’ consumer reports for hiring purposes…
Federal Courts in New York and Georgia Grant FTC’s Request to Stop Several Debt Collectors from Engaging in Certain Collection Activities
Federal courts in New York and Georgia have granted the Federal Trade Commission’s request to temporarily stop certain debt collection practices that the FTC alleges violate federal law. Specifically, the FTC alleges that the unlawful and scandalous activity includes threatening and deceiving consumers through text messages, emails, and certain types of phone calls.
On May…
The Good, the Bad, and the Unclear: FCC Proposal Foreshadows Major News Under TCPA for Financial Services Companies
A growing avalanche of lawsuits under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act spurred industry groups and businesses, particularly financial services companies, to file more than 20 petitions with the Federal Communications Commission seeking clarifications and interpretations of the TCPA’s requirements. An announcement by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler indicates that the Commissioners will be acting on the…
FTC and State Attorneys General Charge Cancer Charities With Bilking Over $187 Million from Consumers
On May 19, the Federal Trade Commission and all fifty state attorneys general and the District of Columbia charged four cancer charities and their operators with bilking more than $187 million from consumers. The alleged fraud, detailed in a complaint filed in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, is said to…
FTC Settles $26M Enforcement Action Against Credit Card Payment Processor
On May 5, the Federal Trade Commission obtained court approval of a settlement against CardFlex, Inc. and its CEO and President, Andrew Phillips, and Executive Vice President of Operations, John Blaugrund. The lawsuit, captioned FTC v. CardFlex Inc. et al., No. 3:14-cv-00397 (D. Nev.), involved allegations that the defendants operated a $26 million credit…
FTC and New York Attorney General Erich Schneiderman Announce June Meeting with Debt Collection Industry
On April 23, the Federal Trade Commission and the Office of the New York Attorney General announced they will host a “dialogue” to discuss consumer protection issues with the debt collection industry, including recent enforcement actions, consumer complaints about debt collection practices, and compliance issues.
The first “Debt Collection Dialogue” in Buffalo, New York will…
Busted: FTC Speaks About Auto Dealer Fraud and “Operation Ruse Control”
On March 26, the Federal Trade Commission conducted a media call regarding the completion of “Operation Ruse Control,” a joint effort targeting deceptive auto dealer practices involving approximately 252 enforcement actions executed by the FTC and approximately 30 other government agencies. During the media call, two individuals – Jessica Rich, Director of the…
FTC Settles With Two Debt Sellers Requiring Them to Strengthen Security Protocols
After alleging in two separate cases that two debt portfolio brokers – Cornerstone and Co. LLC and Bayview Solutions LLC – were exposing too much personal information about consumer-debtors, the Federal Trade Commission announced that the parties have reached final settlements.
Specifically, in the cases of Federal Trade Commission v. Cornerstone and Company, LLC, et…
Ten State Attorneys General Join FTC Action Against Robocallers Who Combined Survey with Marketing Pitch in Violation of Telemarketing Rules
Ten state attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission this month announced that they had secured consent judgments against a number of companies that had engaged in a telemarketing campaign involving billions of robocalls.
The regulators alleged that the robocalls incorporated sales pitches for cruise vacations with political surveys.
Although political surveys are not barred…