In early February, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that the agencies had reached a settlement with Woodbridge Coins and Jewelry Exchange, Inc. d/b/a Woodbridge Gold & Pawn (“Woodbridge Pawn”) to provide $56,763.60 in refunds to approximately 1,000 consumers. The CFPB and the AG’s Office alleged that the business
Washington Court Orders 5-Hour Energy To Pay $4.3M For Deceptive Ads in AG Suit
On February 7, Living Essentials LLC and Innovative Ventures LLC, the makers of 5-Hour Energy were ordered to pay nearly $4.3 million in penalties and attorneys’ fees and costs after a Washington State court found the makers deceived consumers with misleading claims regarding things like the effectiveness of the flavored energy shots.
Living Essentials
FTC and NJ AG Announce Settlement with Vizio over Collecting Consumer Viewing Habits
On February 6, the FTC and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General announced a $2.2 million settlement with Vizio, Inc. over allegations the TV manufacturer installed software on its TVs to collect viewing data on 11 million consumers without their knowledge or consent.
According to the complaint, Vizio manufactured smart
First Defendant Prosecuted Under New Arizona Telemarketing Law Pleads Guilty
On January 18, Lukeroy Rose, owner of Phoenix-based Rose Marketing LLC, pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement to charges of theft, unlawful telephone solicitations, and conspiracy to commit theft. Rose was arrested in December 2016 pursuant to the newly amended Arizona Telephone Solicitations statute, Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 44-1277, which makes it a Class
Virginia AG Reaches Settlement Agreement with CashCall
On January 31, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced a settlement with CashCall, Inc. over allegations that the company illegally deceived borrowers and collected interest in excess of legal rates.
According to the press release, the A.G.’s Office alleged that CashCall violated Virginia’s usury, lending, and licensure laws by entering into an arrangement in
NY AG Settles with Acer for $115,000 over Data Breach
On January 26, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced a settlement with Acer Service Corporation over an alleged data breach involving more than 35,000 credit card numbers, including the credit card information and other personal information of 2,250 New York residents. As part of the settlement, Acer agreed to pay $115,000 in penalties
Six Attorneys General File Motion to Intervene in School Accreditation Case
On January 24, attorneys general for Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Illinois, New York, and the District of Columbia filed a motion to intervene in a case between the U.S. Department of Education and the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (“ACICS”).
ACICS, which previously has come under federal scrutiny for its accreditation practices, filed the
Ban the Box Bill Passes Virginia State Senate, Awaits Review by House
On January 27, Sen. Rosalyn Dance’s “ban the box” bill, SB 1171, passed the Virginia Senate by a 22-17 vote. The bill proposes to “ban the box” by preventing prospective employers from asking about a job applicant’s criminal history at the initial employment application stage. The bill was introduced as follows:
“Public employment; inquiries by
Democratic AGs File Motion to Intervene in CFPB “For Cause” Removal Case
On January 23, Democratic attorneys general from 16 states and the District of Columbia filed a motion to intervene in the closely watched PHH Corp. v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau case, currently pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. As we reported here and here, in October
CFPB and State AGs Sue Largest Student Loan Servicer
On January 18, the CFPB and the state attorneys general for Illinois and Washington filed three separate enforcement actions against Navient Corporation and its related entities for violations of a number of consumer protection laws. Navient is the largest student loan servicer in the United States, servicing the loans of more than 12