The International Association of Privacy Professionals recently conducted an interview with Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen. General Jespen has been considered a leader among the State Attorneys General in the area of privacy, and Connecticut is considered one of the most active states in privacy policy and legal enforcement actions related to privacy issues. In
CFPB and FTC File Amicus Brief Urging Application of FDCPA Beyond Initial Debt Collection Notice
On August 20, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission jointly filed an amicus brief in Hernandez v. Williams, Zinman & Parham, P.C. The case concerns the interpretation and enforcement of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and is currently on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Court Decision Issued on Background Check Adjudication
Employers utilizing background checks in their applicant screening process often battle two competing forces – the need to screen and hire employees quickly and the requirement that they wait a reasonable time before taking adverse action under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania recently issued a decision
New York AG and FTC Allege New York Based Debt Collector Used Illegal and Fraudulent Methods to Collect Debts
The Federal Trade Commission and the New York Attorney General’s Office filed a joint complaint against a New York based debt collector that goes by several names, including National Check Registry. As a result of the complaint, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York froze the operation’s assets and appointed a
FTC Settles With Consumer Credit Reporting Agency Over CROA Violation
A Texas-based credit repair organization has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that it violated federal law by making misrepresentations to consumer reporting agencies and charging consumers up-front fees before providing its services.
In its complaint filed in October 2011, the FTC charged that RMCN Credit Services, Inc. and its individual owners, Doug and
FTC Commission Member Voices Additional Concern Over Practices of Data Brokers
On June 2, 2014, U.S. Federal Trade Commission member Julie Brill, speaking at the European Data Protection Supervisor’s workshop on privacy, consumer protection and competition in Brussels, said that companies’ privacy protection regimes focused on limiting or stopping harmful uses of data overlook the potential damage to consumers’ privacy through the incremental accumulation of small
FTC Urges Regulation of Data Brokers
On May 27, 2014, the Federal Trade Commission issued a long-awaited report on the data broker industry. The report, titled “Data Brokers: A Call for Transparency and Accountability,” is the result of an eighteen-month study of certain data brokers that represent a cross-section of the industry.
The report encouraged Congress to step in to enact
Mortgage Lead Generator to Pay $225,000 to Settle FTC Lawsuit Alleging Deceptive Advertising of Mortgage Rates
On May 7, 2014, the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Case No. 4:14cv1262, against GoLoansOnline.com (“GoLoansOnline”), an online company that finds potential borrowers for mortgage companies, alleging violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Mortgage Acts and Practices Advertising Rule, the Truth
FTC Settles $4 Million Enforcement Action Against California Debt Collectors
Asset Capital and Management Group (“Asset”), a debt collector based in Southern California, has agreed to a $4 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission to resolve allegations that it extorted payments from consumers by using false threats. According to the FTC, Asset and its principals employed a vast network of related companies and used
FTC Enforcement Action Recovers More Than $3.3 Million for Consumers and Agreement to Permanent Ban from the Debt Collection Business
The two principal owners of Rincon Debt Management – Jason R. Begley and Wayne W. Lunsford – will surrender more than $3.3 million worth of assets that will be used to provide refunds to victims under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. In addition to the permanent ban from the debt collection business