Vortex Debt Group Inc., a Florida-based debt settlement firm accused of consumer protection violations, will refund fees paid by Missouri residents and cease operating in the state.
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced the settlement on Wednesday. The firm had been accused of deceptive and unfair practices, including promising to reduce client debt, taking significant fees for purported services and failing to actually reduce debts.
Koster reports his office will soon send notices to approximately 300 affected people in Missouri to inform them of their right to a fees refund.
In December 2010, the Attorney General’s Office obtained a consent judgment against Elite Financial for similar conduct. Elite Financial has returned approximately $20,000 since that time to consumers who had done business with the company (
