Jul 22, 2024 · According to the FTC’s complaint, since at least April 2019, Florida-based Start Connecting LLC and Colombia-based Start Connecting SAS (collectively doing business as USA Student Debt Relief (USASDR) and their owners and operators Douglas Goodman, Doris Gallon-Goodman, and Juan Rojas have enticed consumers by falsely suggesting an ...

Aug 5, 2024 · Debt relief service scams target consumers with significant credit card debt by falsely promising to negotiate with their creditors to settle or otherwise reduce consumers' repayment obligations. These operations often charge cash-strapped consumers a large up-front fee, but then fail to help them settle or lower their debts – if they provide ...

The FTC has obtained federal court orders banning the companies and people listed below from participating in all or specific types of debt relief businesses. Generally speaking, debt relief is any program or service that offers to change the terms of a debt between a person and one or more creditors or debt collectors, including a reduction of ...

Dec 10, 2015 · In June 2024, the Federal Trade Commission announced that it took action to stop Prosperity Benefit Services, a student loan debt relief scheme that the agency says bilked more than $20.3 million from consumers seeking debt relief by pretending to be affiliated with the Department of Education.

May 23, 2017 · Many of their victims had worked for years with their previous debt relief providers and had saved money in escrow accounts for use in negotiating with creditors. The defendants told these consumers to transfer their escrow money to defendants, and then debited up to $1,000 each month from the consumers’ bank accounts.

Oct 6, 2023 · Under the proposed orders with SL Finance, its owners, and BCO Consulting and its owners, the defendants will be permanently banned from debt relief of any kind. They will also be banned from making any misrepresentations about financial products or services and from using false statements to collect consumers’ financial information.

Aug 22, 2023 · According to the lawsuits, the defendants contacted consumers, pretending to be affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and charging up to $800 in illegal upfront fees and $45-$99 monthly fees as part of the scheme. Frere was banned from providing debt relief services, sentenced to prison, and required to pay money to provide refunds.

May 8, 2023 · SL Finance takes it one step further by representing that their program is part of the CARES Act or some other federal COVID-19 relief program. And just in case people might be suspicious of out-of-the-blue offers of student loan debt relief, both SL Finance and BCO Consulting Services tout purported affiliations with the Department of Education.

Nov 30, 2022 · Making phony debt relief promises: In marketing their services, the scheme’s operators claimed to use several bogus methods to reduce or eliminate consumers’ credit card debt. For example, they falsely claimed that consumers may qualify for a federal debt relief program or that a consumer doesn’t owe the debt because it hasn’t been ...

Jun 14, 2023 · The settlements required the defendants to pay money to provide refunds and banned them from the student loan debt relief industry. If you get a check, please cash it within 90 days. You can find answers to common questions about FTC refund payments on our FAQ page. If you have any other questions, please call the refund administrator at 855 ...