Debt collection

Sure, the U.S. government recently handed down strong new rules designed to protect consumers from unwanted robo-calls. But maybe some robo-calls aren't so bad. Like debt-collection calls in cases where the debt happens to be backed by Uncle Sam.

A collection agency allegedly fraudulently collected more than $31 million from thousands of people across the U.S., a sum that could make it the largest collection scheme ever prosecuted.

Sure, the U.S. government recently handed down strong new rules designed to protect consumers from unwanted robo-calls. But maybe some robo-calls aren't so bad. Like debt-collection calls in cases where the debt happens to be backed by Uncle Sam.

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of collection agency Van Ru Credit Corp. in a case involving a voicemail message left at a consumer’s business.

Utah officials want to make it easier to garnish the bank accounts of delinquent taxpayers by requiring banks and credit unions to turn over targeted customer information.

The operators of an advance fee recovery scheme that falsely claimed it could recover money that consumers had lost to telemarketing scams will be banned from selling recovery services, and from telemarketing, under a court order issued at the FTC's request.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Monday announced a $63,000 resolution of an investigation into alleged unfair debt collection practices and deceptive advertising by retailer Freedom Stores Inc.

Sprint will pay $2.95 million in penalties to settle FTC charges that it failed to give proper notice to consumers who were placed in a program for customers with lower credit scores and charged an extra monthly fee.

More than 6.9 million U.S. residential properties were classified as seriously underwater at the end of the third quarter, a drop from the second quarter and from one year ago.

WASHINGTON — Credit risk is once again taking center stage with regulators after several years in which they warned banks about operational risk and other threats.

The ACLU filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday accusing Biloxi, Mississippi officials of jailing people if they did not pay their court fees and fines.

In Minnesota, Anoka-Hennepin School District officials plan to hire a collection agency to pursue approximately $160,000 in unpaid breakfast and lunch money.

NARCA held elections for secretary, treasurer and board of directors at the NARCA 2015 Fall Collection Conference in Washington, D.C. While the secretary and treasurer positions were uncontested, ten NARCA members ran for six board seats.

The third-largest county in Tennessee is looking to hire Ohio-based collection agency Capital Recovery Systems to help it pursue a combined $160 million that offenders owe in fines, fees and court costs.

The operators of an alleged tech support scam agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they tricked consumers into paying millions of dollars for technical support services they did not need and software that was otherwise free.

Consumer litigation against collection agencies had mixed results in September with Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Telephone Consumer Protection Act lawsuits dropping and Fair Credit Reporting Act litigation making a jump.

Companies of all types are turning to social media — Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and beyond — as well as tracking cookies for clues about customers' behavior, identity, preferences, habits and "life events."

A blog post published Monday by the New York Fed offered the embattled payday lending industry a rare show of regulatory support.

Fannie Mae plans to make several changes that could help more consumers, including those with little credit history, qualify for a home loan.

Consumer confidence in October remained flat amid concerns about slower growth in the labor market and across the broader economy.