Bad debt collector tactics are finally getting some much needed publicity. National Association of Consumer Advocates’ co-member Stephanie Tatar (of The Tatar Law Firm) posts very helpful consumer law/debt collection articles. Visit Debt Collection Harassment Digest at http://paper.li/ConsumerLawNet/1430249856?edition_id=54af3610-8d5a-11e5-b6bc-0cc47a0d1609 to read more. Yesterday’s shared post involves a look at the New York Times’ editorial piece “Bad Debt Collectors and their Prey.”
The editorial focuses on three areas of consumer protection concern: (1) debt collectors filing false affidavits in court when consumers have not properly been served with a collection lawsuit; (2) threatening to sue on debts that are too old to collect on through litigation; and (3) targeting of minority communities in bulk debt filings.
Also highlighted in the Digest is a discussion of the November 4, 2015 Federal Trade Commission announcement — http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/ftc-cfpb-and-states-collaborate-to-36291/. The FTC’s new initiative Operation Collection Protection, is “an unprecedented coordinated federal-state enforcement effort targeting deceptive and abusive debt collection” and reports 30 new coordinated law enforcement actions targeting debt collectors using illegal methods such as harassing phone calls and false threats of litigation, arrest, and wage garnishment.
We’ll continue to keep consumers updated on problematic debt collection trends, settlements, and media alerts — an educated consumer is the first step towards fairness in the marketplace.
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