Today, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey issued a sweeping emergency regulation instituting a prohibition on debt collectors making outbound debt collection calls or pursuing other debt collection practices as a result of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) health crisis. These rules take effect on March 28, and end when either of the following occurs: (1) 30 days
Today, a bipartisan group of 33 state attorneys general, led by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, sent a letter urging online marketplaces to more rigorously monitor price gouging practices by online sellers using their services, insisting that these companies “have an ethical obligation and duty to help [their] fellow citizens in this time of need.”
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
On December 17, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware approved a settlement between Starion Energy Inc. and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in which Starion agreed to pay up to $10 million to resolve claims that it engaged in deceptive business practices and violated state telemarketing laws.
Starion is a retail provider
A recent report issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Private Education Loan Ombudsman recommends actions against scammers who seek to take advantage of and abuse student loan borrowers by offering no-value and sometimes harmful services.
On October 15, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Private Education Loan Ombudsman issued its 2019 Annual Report, which actually
On October 22, a proposed class of over 7,000 former college students filed a lawsuit against Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education (“DOE”) in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, citing the department’s “enduring refusal to discharge the federal student loans”
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is proposing changes to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (commonly referred to as “Dodd-Frank”). State attorneys general from 28 states have banded together to comment on the changes, which may impact an estimated 49 million American consumers who
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which takes effect January 1, 2020, aims to provide California residents with greater transparency and control over how businesses collect and use their personal information. Organizations have been waiting for the California Attorney General (AG), Xavier Becerra, to adopt regulations to clarify and further the purpose and intent of
On September 12, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, in a precedential ruling, held that courts are not required to hold an in-person hearing prior to granting a government’s request to dismiss a qui tam whistleblower’s federal False Claims Act (“FCA”) or Delaware False Claims Act (“DFCA”) suit. However, the Court
