InfoBytes Blog
CFPB Announces Action Against National Debt Collection Company
On March 30, the CFPB announced an enforcement action against a nationwide debt collection operation and its CEO for allegedly violating the FDCPA. The Bureau’s complaint alleges that the debt collection operation (i) posed as state or district attorneys by sending communication letters on prosecutors’ letterheads; (ii) threatened consumers with criminal prosecution for bounced checks before a state or district attorney had determined if a violation had occurred; and (iii) deceived consumers into believing that they must enroll in and pay for a financial education class to avoid potential criminal prosecution for bad checks. In addition to the $50,000 civil money penalty the company will pay, the proposed consent order requires that the debt collection operation: (i) end its deceptive communication practices; (ii) stop threatening customers with imprisonment; (iii) no longer use district attorney letterhead; and (iv) increase its supervision – to include state and district attorneys – of communicating with consumers about diversion programs.