A debt settlement company telling you to pay a fee before they settle anything isn’t industry standard — it’s a federal violation. The FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule has banned advance fees since 2010.
A debt settlement salesperson’s handwritten journal just landed in federal court. What it reveals about the person on your call changes how to hear the pitch.
I paid into a debt settlement program for months — and nothing settled. You have legal rights: the FTC advance-fee ban and the right to get your escrow money back in 7 days. Here’s what to do right now.
The FTC stopped NERD Solutions and ED REF from collecting $8.8 million in illegal student loan relief fees — here’s what to do if you were targeted.
Debt settlement fees are federally regulated — the FTC advance fee ban means companies cannot charge you before a debt is settled and you’ve made your first payment. Here’s what’s legal, what isn’t, and what to do if you’ve been overcharged.
Debt settlement companies found a legal loophole: partner with an attorney and the FTC’s advance-fee ban doesn’t apply. Here’s how the attorney model works, why it often costs more, and the red flags that reveal a scam hiding behind a law license.
A debt settlement company can’t change material contract terms without proper notice. Here’s what your rights are, what federal law says, and what to do if they changed the terms on you.
Quick Answer: Zurixx’s TV house flip coaching scheme was illegitimate, with the FTC securing a $12 million settlement and permanent bans for operators who used celebrity partnerships and false earnings claims. The company charged consumers up to tens of thousands of dollars for real estate coaching that failed to deliver promised returns.The operators of a …
Quick Answer: The CFPB sued DMB Financial for violating telemarketing rules and consumer protection laws in their debt settlement services. The agency alleges DMB collected fees before performing promised services and charged fees based on inflated debt amounts rather than original balances.Not long ago I wrote about a debt relief company, DMB Financial that sued …
Quick Answer: Student Aid Center is a scam that was shut down by the Federal Trade Commission and State of Florida in May 2016. The company illegally operated from 2013-2015, falsely promising student loan forgiveness while preying on consumers’ debt anxieties through deceptive telemarketing practices.On May 23, 2016 the Federal Trade Commission and State of …
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