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Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

CFPB Announces Suit Against Debt Settlement Firm

CFPB Dodd-Frank Enforcement Telemarketing Sales Rule

Consumer Finance

On August 20, the CFPB announced an enforcement action against a debt settlement company for violations of the Telemarketing Sales Rule and the Dodd-Frank Act. The complaint alleges that the company disguised illegal upfront fees charged for debt-relief services as bankruptcy-related charges and deceived consumers into believing they would become debt free when only “a tiny fraction” of its customers actually do. The enforcement action follows a lawsuit filed against the CFPB on July 22, in which the same debt settlement company and an attorney jointly accused the CFPB of “grossly overreaching its authority” in the investigation on which the enforcement action is based.