FOLLOW US

Georgia-based company Global Processing Solutions, LLC (formerly known as Global Processing Solutions, Inc.,) along with more ten other defendants, are charged in federal court with fraudulently taking more than $3 million from consumers who were told they owed a non-existent debt. The FTC’s complaint alleges that the defendants have a business that is “founded on false claims that consumers have committed a crime and face dire consequences – including a lawsuit, garnishment, and even imprisonment – if a purported debt is not paid.” Additionally, the FTC alleged that the defendants illegally contacted employers, family members, and friends. The defendants did not provide the legally required written notices about the debt, either.

How to Protect Yourself from Illegal Debt Collection Practices

With the prevalence of debt collection agencies currently in the news over violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Protection Action, it’s important that you know how to protect yourself from illegal debt collection practices. You have the right to request that the debt collector sends you proof that you owe on the account. It is their legal obligation to prove that the debt is owed by you. You have the right to request that the debt collector doesn’t contact you, your employer, your family, or your friends by phone. Additionally, if the debt collector is contacting others about a debt you allegedly owe, they are legally limited as to what they can say or ask the other person. Debt collectors are not allowed to threaten you with jail time or to have you arrested. They cannot threaten to garnish your wages or seize your assets.

Reporting Debt Collectors Who Break the Law

If you’re being harassed or abused by a debt collector over a debt (regardless of whether you owe it), you have the legal right to report the debt collector to the FTC. You also have the right to talk with an attorney to determine if you can file a lawsuit against the company.