The State of Oregon now has a dedicated page on their site for consumers to report ads for debt relief companies. Apparently Oregon is also targeting debt relief companies that advertise on the web as well as television. radio and mail.
The page says:
HELP STOP ILLEGAL DEBT MANAGEMENT COMPANIES IN OREGON
Have you heard or seen ads for companies that say they can help you get out of debt, fix your credit rating, or negotiate with creditors? Any company advertising these services is required by law to include an Oregon registration number in their ad. If you hear an ad without an Oregon registration number, the company is not legal. Please help us enforce the law – record the information from the ad (as much as you can) and send it to us (e-mail, online, or regular mail – our contact info is below).
Department of Consumer and Business Services
Division of Finance and Corporate Securities
350 Winter St. NE, Rm. 410, Salem, Oregon 97301-3881
Mailing address: P.O. Box 14480, Salem, OR 97309-0405
dc***********@******or.us
http://dfcs.oregon.gov
1-866-814-9710 (toll-free)The page also allows people to file complaints online.
The Oregonian reports:
The department also plans to send a letter to TV, radio and newspaper advertising directors across the state, reminding them of the new marketing requirements. Among them: Companies must disclose their registration number on the ad, said Lisa Morawski, a department spokesperson.
“I see them all the time on television,” Morawski said. “We found a bunch (online). We were going to look into them.”
Debt management firms include those that offer to help consumers pay off and consolidate credit card or other debt for a fee. – Source
A listing of registered Oregon debt relief providers can be found online here.
