InfoBytes Blog
New York AG takes action against debt collection operation
On September 25, the New York attorney general announced a temporary restraining order was granted against a debt collection operation (consisting of a leader and at least six other individuals and entities) for allegedly contacting consumers using deceptive and abusive collection tactics. According to the press release, the operation allegedly contacted consumers by spoofing phone numbers to appear associated with the local court house or sheriff’s office in order to impersonate government officials and threaten the consumers with false legal action in order to collect debts, in violation of the state laws, the FDCPA, and the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009. The temporary restraining order prohibits the operation from engaging in debt collection practices and freezes the corporate defendants’ assets. The operations’ leader is also allegedly in breach of a 2014 Assurance of Discontinuance with the AG for previous violations of the FDCPA.
The AG is seeking a permanent injunction, disgorgement, restitution, and civil penalties.