Debt collection

When times are hard, fraud often gets worse. Americans are under great financial pressure, and there is no shortage of criminals waiting to take advantage of it. 24/7 Wall St. examined the 10 states that had the most per-capita fraud complaints.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is pumping up its budget for 2013, in part because it will start regulating large debt collectors and credit reporting companies, two sectors of that have heretofore had little federal oversight.

Far too many customers aren't paying their phone bills on time, if you ask the phone companies. Three of the top four submitters to third-party collection agencies are major telephone carriers. And the reasons why should come as no surprise.

This is International Fraud Awareness Week, when various companies and nonprofit organizations work to educate people about how to avoid becoming victims of financial fraud. And we need the help: Last year, American consumers lost more than $1.7 billion to financial scams.

A trustee for the now-bankrupt Hollywood Video and Movie Gallery chains has agreed to repair the credit reports of millions of consumers to settle allegations of misconduct by debt collectors hired to collect on the rental chains' accounts, according to a settlement announced by the attorneys...

West Asset Management Inc. will pay a $2.8 million fine to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations its use of belligerent collection tactics violated federal law, the largest civil penalty ever won by the FTC in a debt collection case. The FTC, which pursued West Asset Management as part of...

About 1.3 million consumers complained to the Federal Trade Commission last year, saying they had problems with identity theft, Internet auctions and fake sweepstakes and lotteries. The number of complaints leveled off in 2010 after years of sharp increases. The top complaint, for the 11th year...

Following a series of debt-collection violations that victimized consumers, New York's attorney general has issued a stern warning to debt collectors. In the wake of a debt collection scam that targeted military personnel, one of a rash of recent violations, state officials have issued a warning...

Getting a call from a debt collector can be unsettling in any circumstance. But what if the collector is chasing one of your relatives or a friend? Or what if they are trying to collect the debt from you, or have mistaken you for the person who owes? Is the phone call legal? Yes, debt collectors...

Federal Circuit Court Judge Denny Chin has ruled that a class action can go forward against a law firm, a process-serving company and a debt-buying company that sues them for being a criminal enterprise under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) law.