Tag Archives: united-states

Canada Oil – U.S.A. or China?

September 1st, 2011. Published under Economic News. No Comments.

Wow. This is pretty interesting.

FTC Sends Refund Checks to Victims of Wal-Mart Shopping Spree Scam

April 29th, 2011. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

This week, an administrator working for the Federal Trade Commission began mailing checks to more than 172,000 consumers nationwide who were defrauded by a scam in which consumers were falsely promised free gifts such as shopping sprees, movie passes, and gas vouchers and wrongfully paid monthly fees for “program memberships” in discount buying and travel clubs. Consumers who were victims of the “Wal-Mart Shopping Spree” scam will receive a total of more than $3 million in refunds. These are legitimate checks, and the FTC urges consumers to cash them. In this 2008 case, known as Universal Premium Services, Inc. , the court banned Brian K. McGregor, the architect of the scheme, from telemarketing and selling program memberships. McGregor and Membership Services Direct, Inc., also known as Continuity Partners, Inc., were ordered to pay $28.2 million. The amount of money consumers receive from the redress administrator will vary, depending on how much they lost in the scam. The average check will be for about $18 per consumer. The redress administrator will mail checks directly to eligible consumers. The refund checks must be cashed within 60 days of receipt, or they will become void. Consumers should call 1-866-783-5589 with any questions or click on the Internet link here . The FTC never requires the payment of money up front, or the provision of additional information, before consumers cash refund checks issued to them. Source: FTC Federal Trade Commission, Plaintiff, v. UNIVERSAL PREMIUM SERVICES, INC., a California corporation (also known as Premier Benefits Inc.); CONSUMER REWARD NETWORK , INC., a California corporation; STAR COMMUNICATIONS LLC, a California limited liability company; MEMBERSHIP SERVICES DIRECT, INC., a Nevada corporation (also known as Continuity Partners, Inc.); CONNECT2USA, INC., a Nevada corporation; BRIAN K. MACGREGOR; HARIJINDER SIDHU; JOSEPH F. LAROSA, JR.; PRANOT SANGPRASIT; WILLIAM THOMAS HEICHERT; MICHAEL HOWARD CUSHING; PAUL P. TOSI.; MANH D. CAO; Midwest Properties, Inc. and Christine MacGregor, Defendants. (United States District Court Central District of California) Civil Action No.: CV06 0849; FTC Matter No.: 052 3153

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FTC Sends Refund Checks to Victims of Wal-Mart Shopping Spree Scam

Maker of Rascal Scooters to Pay $100,000 for Violating Do Not Call Law

April 21st, 2011. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Called Consumers on Registry Using Phone Numbers Gathered From Sweepstakes Entry Forms The manufacturer of Rascal Scooters, used by disabled and senior consumers with limited mobility, will pay $100,000 to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it illegally called millions of consumers who had chosen to avoid unwanted telemarketing calls by listing their phone numbers on the national Do Not Call Registry. The FTC alleges the firm illegally used phone numbers gathered from sweepstakes entry forms to contact consumers whose numbers are on the Registry. The FTC’s complaint charges scooter manufacturer Electric Mobility Corporation and its owner Michael Flowers with making more than three million illegal sales calls since 2003 to consumers on the Do Not Call Registry who had entered the company’s “Win a Free Rascal” sweepstakes. According to the FTC, in small print under the part of the sweepstakes form provided for the entrant’s phone number, EMC reminded consumers to list their numbers so the company could contact them if they were “the next lucky winner.” EMC encourages consumers to enter its sweepstakes through direct mailing, newspapers, and television advertisements. The FTC charged that its conduct violated both the FTC Act and the Do Not Call provisions of the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule allows a company to call a consumer on the Do Not Call Registry for up to 18 months if it has an “established business relationship” with the consumer and he or she has not asked the firm to stop calling. However, under the Rule, a company may not rely on a completed sweepstakes entry form to establish a business relationship with a consumer. In fact, the FTC consistently has said that simply obtaining a consumer’s phone number – as EMC did with its sweepstakes – does not establish a relationship that would exempt it from the Do Not Call rules. The order settling the FTC’s charges bars EMC from using sweepstakes entries as the basis for claiming an established business relationship with any consumer. The order also includes monitoring and reporting requirements to ensure that EMC complies with its terms. In addition, the order imposes civil penalties against both EMC and Flowers for their alleged violation of the FTC Act. Flowers will pay $100,000, and EMC is subject to a $2 million penalty, which is suspended based on its inability to pay. If EMC is found to have misrepresented its financial condition, the full penalty will become due immediately. Source: FTC United States of America, Plaintiff, v. Electric Mobility Corporation, doing business as Rascal Scooters, and Michael J. Flowers, individually and as an officer of Electric Mobility Corporation, Defendants (United States District Court for the District of New Jersey) Case No. 1:11-cv-02218-RMB-KMW

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Maker of Rascal Scooters to Pay $100,000 for Violating Do Not Call Law

Announcement of Filing a Class Action Lawsuit Against Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC for Alleged Violations of The Telephone Consumer Protection Act

April 19th, 2011. Published under Business Scams, Scams. No Comments.

The law firms of Turner Law Offices, LLC and Arcadier & Associates, P.A. have filed a Class Action lawsuit against Defendant Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC (“PRA”) in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida on behalf of all persons in the State of Florida who, since February 18, 2011, received a non-emergency telephone call from PRA to a cellular telephone through the use of an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice and who did not provide prior express consent for such calls during the transaction that resulted in the debt owed. The action is captioned Karen Harvey et al. v. Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC, and is numbered 6:11-CV-00582. The law firms of Turner Law Offices, LLC and Arcadier & Associates, P.A. have filed a Class Action lawsuit against Defendant Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC (“PRA”) in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida on behalf of all persons in the State of Florida who, since February 18, 2011, received a non-emergency telephone call from PRA to a cellular telephone through the use of an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice and who did not provide prior express consent for such calls during the transaction that resulted in the debt owed. The action is captioned Karen Harvey et al. v. Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC, and is numbered 6:11-CV-00582. According to the Complaint, PRA violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) by using automatic dialing systems and/or an artificial or prerecorded voice to contact cell phone users about purported debts without their prior consent. As described in the Complaint, Ms. Harvey, the named plaintiff in the action, was repeatedly contacted since February 18, 2011 on her cell phone about a purported credit card debt. The plaintiff never consented to those calls, nor did she provide PRA with her telephone number. Under the TCPA, PRA could be ordered to pay attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses and costs of the lawsuit, and statutory damages of $500 for each negligent violation, and/or $1,500 for each knowing and/or willing violation. According to the Complaint, the potential Class Members are estimated to number in the tens of thousands. Additionally, the complaint alleges collective damages exceeding five million dollars ($5,000,000). The Attorneys who have filed the lawsuit have significant experience litigating high profile and collective action cases on behalf of consumers and plaintiffs. Henry A. Turner , Esq., MBA from Turner Law Offices, LLC concentrating in consumer rights litigation, is a trial attorney with twenty years of experience and has been successful in recovering millions of dollars for consumers including a $2,950,000 Class Action Settlement with Pitney Bowes, Inc. in a case involving the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Martin K. O’Toole et al. v. Pitney Bowes, Inc.; United State District Court for the Northern District of Georgia; Case No. 1:08-CV-1645. Maurice Arcadier , Esq., MBA from Arcadier and Associates, P.A. is also an experienced trial attorney with 14 years of experience and board certified by the Florida Bar. Mr. Arcadier likewise brings class action experience and is currently co-counsel in a high profile collective action case against Florida Power and Light , Romero v. Florida Power and Light Company, Case No.: 6:09-cv-1401, in the Middle District of Florida. Indeed, with the combined experience, background and resources of the Turner Law Office and Arcadier and Associates, many consumers in Georgia and Florida may receive protection from the unsolicited calls as well as $1,500.00 for each call they received. If there are any consumers who likewise have received unsolicited calls, they may contact any of the attorneys below. While the cases only address claims in Georgia and Florida at this time, the alleged violations may be occurring nationwide and any consumer who is experiencing the type of calls described above from Portfolio Recovery or other debt collectors are encouraged to contact the law offices below or an attorney of your choosing. For further information please contact: Henry A. Turner, Esq., MBA TURNER LAW OFFICES, LLC 403 W. Ponce de Leon Avenue Decatur, Georgia 30030 (404) 261-7787 hturner(at)tloffices(dot)com http://www.tloffices.com or Maurice Arcadier, Esq., MBA ARCADIER AND ASSOCIATES, P.A. 2815 W. New Haven, #304 Melbourne, Fl. 32904 T: 321-953-5998 F: 321-953-6075 arcadier(at)wamalaw(dot)com http://www.wamalaw.com

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Announcement of Filing a Class Action Lawsuit Against Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC for Alleged Violations of The Telephone Consumer Protection Act

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Regulators Seeks to Halt 10 Operators of Fake News Sites from Making Deceptive Claims About Acai Berry Weight Loss Products

April 19th, 2011. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

The Federal Trade Commission is requesting federal courts to temporarily halt the allegedly deceptive tactics of 10 operations using fake news websites to market acai berry weight-loss products.

Debt Collector West Asset Management to Pay a Record 2.8 Million for Abusing Consumers

March 16th, 2011. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

A leading debt collection company has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $2.8 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its aggressive collection techniques violated federal law. As part of its efforts to protect consumers affected by the struggling economy, the FTC alleged that West Asset Management, Inc. violated the FTC Act and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. According to the FTC’s complaint , thousands of consumer complaints have been filed against West Asset Management Inc., which employs 1,500 debt collectors in 13 states and one offshore location. West Asset Management debt collectors allegedly violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by calling consumers multiple times each day, often regarding accounts that did not belong to them, and sometimes using rude and abusive language. The FTC further charged that West Asset Management also illegally disclosed the existence of consumers’ debts to third parties and ignored consumers’ written demands that West Asset Management stop calling them. The company also allegedly withdrew funds from consumers’ bank accounts or charged their credit cards without consent and falsely claimed that consumers would be sued, arrested, or have their property seized for nonpayment of their debt. In addition, the FTC alleged that West Asset Management falsely claimed that partial payments would be accepted as full settlement on accounts and that negative information would stay on consumers’ credit reports until debts were paid. According to the complaint, West Asset Management has collected on more than 24 million accounts on behalf of clients in the healthcare, telecommunications, consumer credit, and government service industries. The settlement imposes a $2.8 million civil penalty, which is the largest civil penalty obtained by the FTC in a debt collection case. The settlement order permanently prohibits West Asset from using false, deceptive or unfair debt collection tactics, including: Misrepresenting itself as a law firm or that its collectors are attorneys; Misrepresenting that debtors will be arrested or have their property seized if they don’t pay; Threatening actions that would be illegal, or actions that the company has no intention of taking; Making false statements to collect a debt or obtain information about a consumer; Withdrawing funds from consumers’ bank accounts or charging their credit cards without their consent; Depositing postdated checks before the date on the check, or threatening to do so; Revealing to third parties that a consumer owes a debt; Asking a third party for a consumer’s location information more than once without the third party’s consent or a reasonable belief that the person’s earlier response was wrong or incomplete and that the person now has correct location information; Calling consumers before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., or at their workplace; Communicating with a consumer after receiving written notice that the consumer refuses to pay or wants the collector to stop calling; and Using obscene or profane language, or harassing consumers with repeated phone calls. Source: FTC United States of America, Plaintiff, v. West Asset Management, Inc., Defendant (United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia) Case No. 1:11-cv-0746 File No. 0723006

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The Retarded Tax Collectors of San Joaquin California and GMP Services Inc of Georgia

February 14th, 2011. Published under Business Scams. No Comments.

This has to be the dumbest tax assessors / collectors ever. Evidently a company in California, named GMP Services Inc, the same name as my company, which has never done business in the state of California, and only in the state of Georgia since 1996 received a notice of tax lien from the San Joaquin County California tax assessors office for delinquent taxes in the amount of $5,251.18. Number one we’ve never had a business address outside of the state of Georgia since we incorporated in 1996 IN THE STATE of GEORGIA. We have insufficient ties with the state of California to even warrant paying taxes in any state outside of the state of Georgia. I wouldn’t be surprised if every company in the United States that goes under GMP Services Inc (and there are quite a few of them) received the same tax lien notification from San Joaquin County California. Front what I can tell (see below) the GMP Services Inc in question resided at 17270 W Commerce Way, Tracy California 95377, which I have no idea who is owns it, is the company in question.

Lonegan group announces new push against NJ cap-and-trade – Examiner.com

February 14th, 2011. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

Lonegan group announces new push against NJ cap-and-trade Examiner.com Did you know New Jersey has cap and trade ? The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is the first mandatory, market-based effort in the United States to … and more

Business Opportunity Con Artist Surrenders Million-Dollar Las Vegas Home

February 12th, 2011. Published under Business Scams, Scams. No Comments.

After trying for years to keep assets he acquired while deceiving consumers with false promotions and bogus business opportunity pitches, a repeat offender has agreed to turn over his Las Vegas home, valued at over $1 million, and give up his appeal of the Federal Trade Commission’s case against him. The settlement announced today wraps up the FTC’s case against Richard C. Neiswonger, who twice has been held in contempt of court at the FTC’s request – first, for deceptively marketing business opportunities in violation of an earlier court order, and second, for failing to turn over assets to pay a multi-million-dollar judgment against him. In April 2007, a federal district court held Neiswonger, his business partner William S. Reed, and their firm, Asset Protection Group, Inc., in civil contempt for violating a 1997 court order that prohibited them from deceptively promoting business opportunities and failing to disclose material facts to consumers. The court banned Neiswonger from selling business opportunities to consumers and telemarketing. The court also entered a $3.2 million judgment against him – the amount of his ill-gotten gains – and required him to transfer the title of his Las Vegas home to a court-appointed receiver within 20 days if he failed to pay the judgment in full. Neiswonger never made the payment, and in September 2009, at the FTC’s request, the district court held him in contempt for a second time and ordered him to turn over the title to the house or face jail time. The court found that he had failed to deliver a marketable title to his home. Under the final settlement order, Neiswonger will surrender the house in Las Vegas, valued at more than $1 million. The order requires his wife, Shannon Neiswonger, and any other people living in the house to move out and turn it over for sale by a court-appointed receiver. It also requires the Neiswongers to dismiss all related appeals and release any claims they may have against the receiver or the FTC, and it directs the receiver to sell the house to help pay the judgment. The FTC previously obtained Neiswonger’s $379,000 retirement account to help pay the judgment as well. As part of the settlement, Shannon Neiswonger, who was not a defendant in the FTC action, will be paid $100,000 from the proceeds of the sale of the house, which she owned jointly with Richard Neiswonger. Source: FTC FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, Plaintiff, v. RICHARD C. NEISWONGER, individually, d/b/a “MARKETING SYSTEMS,” and as an officer of each corporate defendant; S&K GROUP, INC.; SHAPIRO, KOSSMEYER & FLOM PC d/b/a S&K GROUP, INC. and S&K PC; CARL F. KOSSMEYER, individually and as an officer of S&K Group, Inc., and Shapiro, Kossmeyer & Flom PC; MEDICAL RECOVERY SERVICE, INC. (Joliet, Illinois and Las Vegas, Nevada); NANCY FREEMAN, individually and as an officer of Medical Recovery Service, Inc.; and MARC FREEMAN, individually and as an officer of Medical Recovery Service, Inc., Defendants. (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri) Civil Action No.: 4:96CV02225 SNL FTC File Nos.: 962 3134; X970012

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Business Opportunity Con Artist Surrenders Million-Dollar Las Vegas Home

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Court Freezes Assets of Massive Internet Enterprise in Alleged Billing Scheme

January 28th, 2011. Published under Business Scams, Scams. No Comments.

At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a federal court has frozen the assets of corporations and an individual behind a far-reaching Internet enterprise that allegedly made more than $275 million by luring consumers into deceptive “trial” memberships, and bogus government-grant and money-making schemes. The court froze the assets of 61 corporations (collectively known as “I Works”) and their alleged ringleader, Jeremy Johnson. It placed these defendants’ assets under the control of a court-supervised receiver to help ensure that funds are available for consumer restitution when the case is concluded. In December 2010, the FTC alleged that I Works lured consumers into “trial” memberships for bogus government-grant and money-making schemes, and then repeatedly charged monthly fees for these and other memberships the consumers never ordered. According to the FTC’s complaint, the operation used websites that pitch various money-making programs or tout the availability of government grants to pay personal expenses. The websites offer “free” information at no risk and ask consumers to provide their credit or debit card numbers to pay a small shipping and handling fee such as $1.99. But when consumers provide their billing information, I Works charges them a hefty one-time fee of up to $129.95 and monthly recurring fees of up to $59.95 for the advertised programs, and other monthly fees for unrelated programs. The FTC’s complaint alleges that this scheme has caused more than 500,000 consumers to seek chargebacks – reversals of charges to their credit cards or debits to their bank accounts. The high number of chargebacks landed the defendants in VISA’s and MasterCard’s chargeback monitoring programs, resulted in millions of dollars in fines for excessive chargebacks, and prevented the defendants from getting access to the credit card and debit card billing systems using their own names. To keep the scam going, the defendants tricked banks into giving them continued access to these billing systems by creating 51 shell companies with figurehead officers, and by providing the banks with phony “clean” versions of their websites. According to the FTC, the defendants, which include the 61 corporations, Johnson, and nine other individuals, violated the FTC Act by misrepresenting that government grants are available for paying personal expenses, that consumers are likely to obtain grants by using the defendants’ program, that users of their money-making products will earn substantial income, and that their offers are free or risk-free. The complaint also alleges that they failed to disclose that consumers who pay a nominal shipping and handling fee would be enrolled in expensive plans that charge fees until consumers cancel, and that they charged consumers’ credit cards and debited their bank accounts without their consent. The FTC further alleges that the defendants’ websites featured deceptive positive reviews and deceptive testimonials that misrepresented the benefits of their grant services. The FTC also alleges that they violated the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and Regulation E by debiting consumers’ bank accounts without their signed written consent and without providing consumers with a copy of the written authorization.

Settlement Bans The Hermosa Group and Financial Future Network from Debt Relief Business

January 20th, 2011. Published under Business Scams, Fraud. No Comments.

Three companies and their owner, who allegedly falsely claimed they could help consumers quickly eliminate their credit card debts and stop calls from debt collectors, have been banned from the debt relief business under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. According to the FTC’s complaint, the defendants, doing business as The Hermosa Group and Financial Future Network, deceptively advertised debt relief services, in English and Spanish radio and television ads, claiming that consumers could pay thousands less than what they owe on credit cards. The defendants themselves did not provide any debt relief services. Instead, the advertising was meant only to generate sales leads – the names and phone numbers of consumers who called the defendants’ toll-free number – which the defendants sold to debt relief providers or other sales lead generators. The defendants’s ads included sales pitches such as: “With one simple call you can eliminate your debt in a fraction of the time and for less than you owe.” “Find out today how quickly and easily you can eliminate your debt.” “Stop the harassing calls!” The FTC alleges that the defendants’ claims that they could reduce debts substantially, settle debts quickly, and stop calls from debt collectors, were false or unsubstantiated, and that the defendants did not obtain adequate evidence from sales lead buyers that they could achieve the promised results. The complaint also alleges that the defendants falsely claimed they provided the debt relief services they advertised. The defendants are Jonathan Greenberg, Hermosa Group LLC, Media Innovations LLC, and Financial Future Network LLC. The settlement order imposes a $8.5 million judgment that will be suspended when the defendants pay $500,000. The full judgment will be imposed immediately if they have misrepresented their financial condition. In addition to banning the defendants from the debt relief business, the settlement order prohibits them from making unsubstantiated claims about financial related products or services, or misrepresenting material facts about any product or service. The order also prohibits them from disclosing or otherwise benefitting from customers’ personal information, and failing to dispose of this information properly. The FTC recently amended its Telemarketing Sales Rule to require debt relief companies to make certain disclosures and prohibit them from making false claims or collecting fees before delivering the services they promise. Because the defendants’ ads predated these amendments, the FTC did not allege any violations of the Rule in this case. Source: FTC Federal Trade Commission, Plaintiff v. Media Innovations, LLC; Hermosa Group, LLC; Financial Future Network, LLC; and Jonathan Greenberg, individually and as an officer of the companies, Defendants. (United States District Court for the District of Maryland) Case No. 8:11-cv-00164-RWT FTC File No.

EU carbon market to reopen step by step after theft – IBNLive.com

January 20th, 2011. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

EU carbon market to reopen step by step after theft IBNLive.com The United States, Japan and Australia have all delayed implementing cap and trade schemes, and the latest glitch to the EU system — by far the largest and … and more

EU locks carbon market after security breach – Reuters

January 19th, 2011. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

EU locks carbon market after security breach Reuters The United States, Japan and Australia have all delayed implementing similar cap and trade schemes, and the latest glitch to the EU scheme could detract … and more

Classic Closeouts LLC Who Illegally Charged Consumers’ Accounts Settles Lawsuit

January 13th, 2011. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Defendants in an operation that the Federal Trade Commission alleged stole millions of dollars from consumers by making unauthorized charges and debits to their bank accounts have reached settlement agreements with the FTC. In Operation Short Change – a July 2009 crackdown on scammers taking advantage of the economic downturn to bilk vulnerable consumers through a variety of schemes – the FTC announced a complaint against Classic Closeouts LLC, its principal Daniel Greenberg, and several other defendants.

Unemployed and Uncounted

December 16th, 2010. Published under Unemployment. No Comments.

The 9.8% unemployment rate in the United States may be closer to 20%, or 30 million Americans without a job. Those measured are those who had a job before, are actively looking for work and are immediately available for work. Despite Washington DC having a somewhat healthy economy, so many residents here are left behind without a job, an income or any hope that things will get better.

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Unemployed and Uncounted

Robocallers JPM Accelerated Services and IXE Accelerated Financial Centers Shut Down by Federal Trade Commission

December 7th, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

At the Federal Trade Commission’s request, a U.S. district court has approved a settlement shutting down two groups of Florida-based telemarketers that allegedly flooded consumers with misleading pre-recorded robocalls falsely promising to reduce their credit card interest rates. The agency reached a settlement that permanently bans the two related operations from making robocalls and selling debt relief services. The settlement orders are the latest in a series of enforcement actions the FTC has taken to rein in robocallers, especially those who try to take advantage of consumers affected by the economic downturn. According to the FTC, JPM Accelerated Services and related defendants made thousands of illegal pre-recorded robocalls to consumers, identifying themselves only as “card services” and offering lower credit card interest rates. Consumers who pressed “1″ after hearing the automated pitch were transferred to live telemarketers who falsely told consumers that JPM’s services would allow them to dramatically lower their credit card interest rates. The complaint alleged that the telemarketers charged an up-front fee typically ranging from $495 to $995, and promised consumers they would save thousands of dollars in a short period of time as a result of the lower interest rates, and that they would be able to pay off their debts faster. The defendants also falsely stated that if consumers did not save thousands of dollars from lowered interest rates, they would receive a full refund of the up-front fee. After collecting the fee from consumers, however, JPM allegedly failed to deliver the promised interest rate reductions and savings, and routinely refused to honor its money-back guarantee. The FTC complaint also charged the defendants with violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule by calling consumers on the Do Not Call Registry, blocking or “spoofing” caller ID, and making unlawful robocalls. The settlement orders also impose judgments of $5.9 million against defendants associated with JPM, and $3.2 million against six individual defendants associated with an affiliated operation called IXE Accelerated Financial Centers, LLC. The judgments represent the amount of money consumers lost through these robocall schemes. The judgments are suspended, based on the defendants’ inability to pay, but will become due if the defendants are found to have misrepresented their financial condition. Two of the defendants in the IXE operation, Ivan X. Estrella and Jaime Hawley, also are liable for an unsatisfied $75,000 judgment recently entered against them in a case brought by the Florida Attorney General. The Commission vote authorizing the consent orders settling the court action against the individual defendants was 5-0. The orders were filed in the U.S. District Court for Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division on November 9, 2010, against: 1) Ivan X. Estrella, Jamie M. Hawley, and Kimberly Nelson; and 2) Jeanie B. Robertson, Brooke Robertson, Alexander J. Dent, Micha S. Romano, Paul Pietrzak, and Ashley M. Westbrook. Estrella, Hawley, and Nelson worked with the IXE corporate defendants listed below. The rest of the individual defendants worked with the JPM corporate defendants. At the FTC’s request, the court also has dismissed the charges against Paige Dent. The court is reviewing the FTC’s request for a default judgment against the corporate defendants in this case, including the IXE corporate defendants (IXE Accelerated Financial Centers, LLC; and IXE Accelerated Services Inc.), and the JPM corporate defendants (JPM Accelerated Services Inc.; IXE Accelerated Service Centers Inc.; MGA Accelerated Services Inc.; World Class Savings Inc.; Accelerated Savings Inc.; and B&C Financial Group Inc.). The proposed default judgment includes monetary judgments of $3.2 million against the IXE corporations, based in Orlando, Florida, and $5.9 million against the JPM corporations, based in Melbourne, Florida. International Cooperation The FTC brought this action with valuable assistance from other law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Canada, including: the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Attorney General of Florida; the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs; the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission; and the Toronto Strategic Partnership, which includes as member agencies the Competition Bureau Canada; the Toronto Police Service Fraud Squad – Mass Marketing Section; the Ontario Provincial Police Anti-Rackets Section; the Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; and the United Kingdom’s Office of Fair Trading. Valuable assistance also was provided by the Better Business Bureau of Central Florida. Source: FTC Federal Trade Commission v. JPM Accelerated Services Inc., a Florida corporation, IXE Accelerated Financial Centers, LLC, a Florida limited liability company, IXE Accelerated Services Inc., a Florida corporation, IXE Accelerated Service Centers Inc., a Florida corporation, MGA Accelerated Services Inc., a Florida corporation, World Class Savings Inc., a Florida corporation, Accelerated Savings Inc., a Florida corporation, B&C Financial Group Inc., a Florida corporation, Jeanie B. Robertson, Brook Robertson, Ivan X. Estrella, Jamie M. Hawley, Kimberly Nelson, Paige Dent, Alexander J. Dent, Micha S. Romano, and Ashley M. Westbrook. (United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida Orlando Division) Civil Action No. 09-CV-2021 FTC File No. 092 3190

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Robocallers JPM Accelerated Services and IXE Accelerated Financial Centers Shut Down by Federal Trade Commission

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Court Shutters International Credit Card Interest Rate Scam Robocall Operation

November 15th, 2010. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a federal district court in Chicago has shut down an international robocall ring that allegedly conned consumers out of $995 each with false promises that it would reduce their credit card interest rates, but provided little or nothing in return. As part of its crackdown on frauds that seek to take advantage of consumers hurt by the recent economic downturn, the FTC charged that the robocall ring made bogus promises that it would provide refunds to consumers if they did not save at least $2,500. When consumers called to complain, however, the robocallers simply disappeared, the FTC charged. The FTC alleges that this company has defrauded nearly 13,000 consumers out of almost $13 million from this scheme. The agency has brought several other cases in the past year against the marketers of worthless credit card interest rate reduction services. According to the FTC, since at least 2007, the defendants allegedly used at least 10 different company names, including AFL Financial Services, when pitching the service. The defendants, who are in Toronto, Canada, and the Rochester, New York, area, operated two telemarketing boiler rooms in Orlando, Florida. They employed illegal robocalls to contact consumers, and then claimed that for $995 they would substantially reduce credit card interest rates and enable consumers to get out of debt three to five times faster. They also falsely suggested that the savings from the lower interest rates would pay for the service. In reality, the defendants failed to lower consumers’ interest rates, and consumers did not save the $2,500 promised by the defendants or receive refunds, the FTC alleges. The FTC complaint charges that the misrepresentations violated the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule and the FTC Act. It also charges that the defendants called consumers whose numbers are on the National Do Not Call Registry and made illegal robocalls. The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint was 5-0. It was filed under seal in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, against Direct Financial Management Inc.; 2194673 Ontario Inc., doing business as (d/b/a) The Elite Financial Group; F&F Payment Processing Inc.; Bajada Management Group Inc.; David D. Richards; Baird B. Fisher; Jacqueline M. Fisher; and Joseph B. Foley. On November 8, 2010, Judge Joan H. Lefkow entered a temporary restraining order with an asset freeze, halting the defendants’ operations pending trial and appointing a receiver over the two United States corporate defendants. In filing its complaint, the FTC is seeking to stop permanently the defendants’ allegedly illegal conduct and return their ill-gotten gains to defrauded consumers. The FTC brought this case in cooperation with the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario, Civil Remedies for Illicit Activities Office. The Ministry simultaneously filed a separate lawsuit in Ontario seeking assets for consumer redress to victims in the United States and Canada. The FTC also worked cooperatively with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Toronto Strategic Partnership in bringing this case. The Toronto Strategic Partnership members include the Competition Bureau Canada, the Toronto Police Service Fraud Squad – Mass Marketing Section, the Ontario Provincial Police Anti-Rackets Section, the Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the United Kingdom’s Office of Fair Trading. Source: Federal Trade Commission

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Court Shutters International Credit Card Interest Rate Scam Robocall Operation

Nationwide Credit Services Inc Barred From Making False Claims and Charging Up-Front Fees

October 28th, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

A credit repair operation has agreed to stop making false claims and stop charging up-front fees under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. The settlement is part of an ongoing crackdown on scams that target financially strapped consumers, taking hundreds of dollars of fees to purportedly remove negative information from consumers’ credit reports even if the information is accurate and timely. The FTC filed the action in “Operation Clean Sweep” in October 2008. According to the FTC’s complaint, James R. Dooley and his company, Nationwide Credit Services, Inc., falsely claimed that bankruptcies, judgments, slow pay history, repossessions, and collection accounts could be “legally erased” from consumers’ credit reports. The defendants allegedly charged up to $150 in advance and debited a monthly fee from some consumers’ bank accounts. The defendants rarely, if ever, delivered the promised results, and in many instances took consumers’ money without providing any services. Consumers often found their cancellation requests ignored, and their refund requests were almost always denied, the FTC complaint alleged. The settlement order bars the defendants from making misrepresentations about any good or service, such as the ability to improve a consumer’s creditworthiness or remove negative information from their reports. It also prohibits them from charging money up-front for credit repair services, and from collecting payments from consumers who purchased their services before October 20, 2008, when the court froze the defendants’ assets. The order further bars the defendants from disclosing or benefitting from customer information, and from failing to properly dispose of customer information. The settlement order imposes a judgment of more than $1.3 million that will be suspended once the defendants have surrendered funds frozen by the court. The full judgment will become due immediately if they are found to have misrepresented their financial condition. The Commission vote to file the stipulated final order was 5-0. The order was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Jacksonville Division. Federal Trade Commission v. Nationwide Credit Services, Inc., a Florida corporation and James R. Dooley, individually and as president of Nationwide Credit Services, Inc. (United States District Court Middle District of Florida) Civil Action No. 3:08-CV-1000-J-25TEM FTC File No.

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Debt Collector Allied Interstate Will Pay $1.75 Million Settlement for Harassment

October 21st, 2010. Published under Business Scams. No Comments.

All I can say is that it’s about time that the Federal Trade Commission started doing something about debt collection abuse, harassment and illegal collection tactics. Several years ago I myself endured dozens after dozens of phone calls every day from Allied Interstate. Causing a telephone to ring repeatedly to harass is a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). If I knew then what I know now I would have sued the literal pants off of Allied Interstate. Consumers I encourage you to take action for any debt collection harassment or illegal tactics. Find a lawyer or sue them yourselves. This is the first collection in a long while that the FTC has taken action against. I hope that it is the first of many. To resolve Federal Trade Commission charges, one of the nation’s largest debt collectors will pay $1.75 million for allegedly making repeated telephone calls to collect from the wrong person, to collect the wrong amount, or both. The settlement is the second largest civil penalty obtained by the FTC in a debt collection case. From the FTC: “Debt collectors had better make sure their information is accurate, or they could end up paying a big penalty,” said David Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “There is no excuse for trying to collect debt from someone if you can’t confirm that they actually owe it.” According to the FTC’s complaint, between 2006 and at least 2008, Allied Interstate, Inc. continued collection efforts even after consumers told the company they did not owe the debt, without verifying the accuracy of the disputed information. Allied is a Minnesota corporation that works out of offices in the United States, Canada, India, and the Philippines. The company also allegedly made improper harassing phone calls to consumers, using abusive language or calling many times a day for weeks or months, sometimes hanging up when the calls were answered. In addition, the complaint charges that Allied made repeat calls to third parties seeking to locate a consumer, revealed alleged debts to third parties without the consumers’ consent or court permission, and threatened legal action against consumers it did not intend to take. The complaint alleges that these practices violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. In addition to the monetary penalty, the proposed consent decree requires Allied to take specific steps whenever (1) a consumer disputes that he or she owes the debt or the amount of the debt, or (2) a reasonable person would consider the information on which Allied is relying to collect the debt to be implausible, facially unreliable, or missing essential information. In either circumstance, Allied must either close the account and end collection efforts or suspend collection until it has conducted a reasonable investigation and verified that its information about the debt is accurate and complete. If Allied cannot substantiate that the consumer owes the debt, the company cannot sell the debt or provide it to any business other than the client from which it obtained the debt. The consent decree also bars Allied from: Making false statements to collect a debt or obtain information about a consumer; Making claims that a debt is owed or about the amount without a reasonable basis; Asking a third party for a consumer’s location information more than once without that third party’s consent or a reasonable belief that the person’s earlier response was wrong or incomplete and that the person now has correct location information; Communicating with third parties about a consumer’s debt without the consumer’s consent or court permission; Using obscene or profane language or harassing consumers with repeated phone calls; Making any other false or misleading statement in collecting a debt, including threatening action it does not intend to take; and Violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The Commission vote to authorize staff to refer the complaint and the consent decree to the Department of Justice for filing was 5-0. The documents were filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.

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Debt Collector Allied Interstate Will Pay $1.75 Million Settlement for Harassment

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Court Halts Deceptive Envelope-Stuffing Operation

September 21st, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Consumers Misled to Believe They Could Earn Substantial Income, FTC Alleges At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a U.S. district court has temporarily halted an envelope-stuffing operation that allegedly scammed cash-strapped consumers by falsely promising they could make substantial income working from home. As part of ongoing efforts to protect Americans who are struggling to cope with the economic downturn, the FTC charged that Louis Salatto and his company, Global U.S. Resources, deceived consumers into paying up-front fees by making phony promises about the earning potential of their envelope-stuffing operation. According to the FTC’s complaint, Salatto bought classified ads in local pennysavers and community newspapers that promised weekly earnings ranging from $1,200 to $4,400.

Worried About Hyper Inflation? Maybe You Should Think on It

September 4th, 2010. Published under Economic News. No Comments.

The United States has been busy printing money and we’ve been selling Treasury Notes, luckily we are borrowing at a low interest rate, but we are also putting ourselves in debt and printing money and forcing it into the economy at a rate never before seen. The Stimulus of 787 Billion Dollars and some $2

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Worried About Hyper Inflation? Maybe You Should Think on It

Respondents disapproval

August 25th, 2010. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.

The survey also Fat bears’blog showed that the respondents 52.6%, says the United States is rich in active charity and the death tax related, 22.91% of respondents thought “irrelevant” 24.48%, who s

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Respondents disapproval

Government Takeover is Never a Good Idea

August 23rd, 2010. Published under Economic News. No Comments.

If you listen to today’s mainstream media, you might think our current government has led us to a “recovery” from a recession that is wholly the fault of George W. Bush, although the recovery is, mysteriously, “weak.” Are we really in recovery in the United States, or is this simply the eye of a large, frightening

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Government Takeover is Never a Good Idea

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Who is a True American? —#5 —Constitutional O

August 22nd, 2010. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.

—————-We the People—————

A Simple Way to Become Wealthy

June 20th, 2010. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.

My first real job was as a junior enlisted buy cataclysm member of the United States Air Force. I had great benefits, but as a low ranking enlisted member my take home pay wasn’t worth bragging rise o

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A Simple Way to Become Wealthy

$20 billion drop in a very large bucket

June 18th, 2010. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.

NEW YORK – BP buy aion kinah holds enough oil in its reserves to single-handedly supply the United States for two years. It has little debt for a company of its size and makes more money than bu

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$20 billion drop in a very large bucket

Does the Present Recession Affect Women More Than Men?

May 18th, 2010. Published under Economic News. No Comments.

If men were the first to lose their jobs in the heart of the economic crisis in the United States, a study now shows a reverse trend, women-particularly mothers-today are suffering the collateral effects, while the American economy is back on the road to growth. According to a report by the Joint Economic Committee of the

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Does the Present Recession Affect Women More Than Men?

North Korea torpedoed

May 3rd, 2010. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.

North Korea torpedoed South Korea’s military believes a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine sank its navy ship last month, based on intelligence gathered jointly with the United States, a news

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North Korea torpedoed

Will the US and UK Lose Their Triple A Debt Ratings?

April 14th, 2010. Published under Economic News. No Comments.

Since December, 2009, the world’s leading investor services have warned that the United States and Great Britain may lose their top credit ratings unless their inchoate economic recoveries develop into sustained economic growth. The two nations have taken similar steps to resuscitate their struggling markets since the bottoms fell out late in 2008, and both have

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Will the US and UK Lose Their Triple A Debt Ratings?

Will the Euro Currency Bloc Fail?

April 11th, 2010. Published under Economic News. No Comments.

Twenty-seven European nations currently belong to the European Union, a loosely-woven partnership designed to empower Europe’s competitiveness with the United States, China, and India. Sixteen of the EU’s member nations have adopted the euro as their official currency, and five other European states unofficially use the euro. As continental Europe forged its economic partnership, leaders hoped

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Will the Euro Currency Bloc Fail?

Climate change and white collar crime – Lexology (registration)

April 9th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

Climate change and white collar crime Lexology (registration) After all, thus far most participation of corporations in market-based cap and trade programs in the United States has been voluntary. … and more

Midland Funding Loses to Consumer – 8.1 Million Dollar Judgment

April 6th, 2010. Published under Scams. No Comments.

What a day for consumer that get sued by junk debt collectors. Midland Funding is one of the most aggressive junk debt buyers in the US (in my opinion). From the stories I have read and in email communications with readers, Midland Funding’s collectors seem to have no problem violating federal laws to collect a debt. Also from the email’s I have received the attorney’s that Midland pays to sue consumers have no problem manufacturing documents and trying their best to overwhelm consumers in court with questionable documentation of debts. It’s so good to see that juries and judges are smacking Midland Funding right where it hurts. In the wallet. At courthouses across the United States, it has become increasingly common during the economic downturn for lawsuits to be filed against consumers to collect old debts. Lawyers who specialize in the practice are filing thousands of suits on behalf of large firms that have acquired debts from other companies. Although most people don’t fight the suits and lose them by default, a Dallas woman bucked the trend last October. Chrystal A. Snow challenged the validity of a $9,000 debt in a Dallas County Court-at-Law and countersued the debt collector for making improper phone calls, her attorney Ross Teter said. In a case that has received no media attention, Snow won her suit against Midland Funding LLC and the jury hearing the case awarded her $8.1 million — $250 for actual damages, $100,000 for mental anguish and $8 million in punitive damages, he said. “The jury made a finding she did not owe the debt,” Teter said in a phone interview. “We argued that they violated the Texas Fair Debt Collection Act by making harassing phone calls and the jury agreed.” Midland Funding is a subsidiary of Encore Capital Group, a company whose primary business is the acquisition and collection of “charged-off consumer receivable portfolios,” according to its 2009 annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ~ Watching the Watchers Read the full story , this is indeed a win for all consumers.

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Midland Funding Loses to Consumer – 8.1 Million Dollar Judgment

Stop the corruption

April 3rd, 2010. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.

This should be of interest to all American’s, For many many years and too many presidents we have had the Attorney General of the United States cover for large amounts of corruption commited by the p

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Stop the corruption

Hand Outs In The United States of America

April 2nd, 2010. Published under Tea Party. No Comments.

Fellow Americans, The United States of America is coveted by people and countries all over the world. People can come here (legally or ilegally) and work, make money, climb the “corporate ladder” and

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Hand Outs In The United States of America

EU to release 2009 emissions trade data Thursday-UPDATE 1 – Forexyard

April 1st, 2010. Published under Fraud, Political Scams. No Comments.

New York Times (blog) EU to release 2009 emissions trade data Thursday-UPDATE 1 Forexyard … tax fraud scam and re-selling of used permits have damaged its reputation, just as similar proposed cap and trade schemes stall in the United States, … EU capped CO2 emissions fall 11.2 percent in 2009 Chem.Info all 63 news articles

Funding United States Stimulus Package With Chinese Investment in US Treasuries

March 31st, 2010. Published under Economic News. No Comments.

March 15th 2009 In an effort to fund its stimulus package and support its economy, the United States is pressing China to buy up its treasury securities during these difficult economic times. With China sitting on a growing mountain of foreign exchange reserves no one can miss the significance of the secretary of state for the United

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Funding United States Stimulus Package With Chinese Investment in US Treasuries

The Citizens Amendment – Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution

March 22nd, 2010. Published under Scams. No Comments.

I am not sure who wrote this but it makes sense and needs to be shared with all Americans. For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress.

Class Action Suit Against Predatory Debt Collection Practices of CapitalOne, Capital One Services and United Recovery Systems

March 18th, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Fraud. No Comments.

Deploring deceptive tactics used by debt collection agencies and banks to manipulate consumers, attorney Sergei Lemberg ( www.StopCollector.com ) announced today that his firm filed a class action lawsuit against Capital One Bank, its in-house collection arm Capital One Services, and third-party collector United Recovery Systems. STAMFORD, CT ( PRWEB ) March 18, 2010 — Deploring deceptive tactics used by debt collection agencies and banks to manipulate consumers, attorney Sergei Lemberg ( www.StopCollector.com ) announced today that his firm filed a class action lawsuit against Capital One Bank, its in-house collection arm Capital One Services, and third-party collector United Recovery Systems. “Every day, Americans are victimized by collection agencies’ dirty tricks,” Lemberg said. “When collectors violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, they must be held accountable.” Fair debt attorney Sergei Lemberg The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, explains that the lead plaintiff, Henry Rogers, received one of what are presumably mass-mailed collection letters with the Capital One logo on the letterhead and an offer to “Pay Over Time 0% APR” by calling a toll-free number. “It’s a classic bait-and-switch, and demonstrates the lengths debt collectors will go in order to collect nowadays,” said Lemberg. But, according to Lemberg, the letter was nothing more than a trap. In fact, the letter was sent by Capital One Collections and telephone calls to the toll-free number were, unbeknownst to Mr. Rogers, redirected to United Recovery. “By enticing consumers to make a phone call on a no-lose offer, the bank trapped them into talking to trained debt collectors,” said Lemberg. “These predatory practices mislead consumers and are in clear violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.” Lemberg noted that the FDCPA forbids false, deceptive, or misleading representation, yet the letter Rogers received appeared to come from Capitol One when it actually had been sent by debt collectors (Capital One Collections and United Collections). “It’s a classic bait-and-switch, and demonstrates the lengths debt collectors will go in order to collect nowadays,” said Lemberg. Furthermore, although the law requires that written communication with a consumer must include a notice that information provided by the consumer will be used to collect a debt, the letter that Rogers received buried that information among other notices on the back of the letter. Lemberg said, “The violations didn’t stop there. The letter also didn’t include a required notice that Mr. Rogers had the right to request validation of the debt and to dispute the debt.” Friday’s class action filing is the second such lawsuit brought by Lemberg & Associates for violations of the FDCPA. On December 29, 2009, the firm filed suit against Capitol One Services, NCO Financial Systems, and Capital One Bank in U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York, Binghampton Division on behalf of Gareth Wood and other class members for similar FDCPA violations. This press release references complaint 3:10-cv-00398-VLB, Rogers v. Capital One Svc LLC et al, United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. About Lemberg & Associates, LLC The attorneys at Lemberg & Associates, LLC are experts in consumer law, fair debt law, and lemon law. Sergei Lemberg can brief you about illegal debt collection practices, state lemon laws, and other protections afforded consumers. For more information, contact: Sergei Lemberg Lemberg & Associates, LLC http://www.StopCollector.com 203.653.2250

724318f3d0rg.gif.jpg 135x150 Class Action Suit Against Predatory Debt Collection Practices of CapitalOne, Capital One Services and United Recovery Systems

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Class Action Suit Against Predatory Debt Collection Practices of CapitalOne, Capital One Services and United Recovery Systems

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Climate Wars! – Canada Free Press

March 9th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

TopNews United States Climate Wars! Canada Free Press Beyond the scientists are those who profit from the sale of “ carbon credits ” to permit “greenhouse gas emissions”, and the millions that environmental … Bringing Al Gore back to Earth: Goldstein Toronto Sun New evidence for man-made global warming Telegraph.co.uk all 190 news articles

The Gore-man Show – Examiner.com

March 6th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

ICM Commercial & Business News The Gore-man Show Examiner.com Taxing the developed world to death via cap and trade agreements would then shrink the economies of the First World, particularly the United States, … Al Gore's global warming claims aren't fooling Americans The Tennessean Clash over 'global warming' ratcheted up another degree WND.com Global Warming Conference Heats Up in May 2010 Oregon Catalyst (blog) all 110 news articles

A Blizzard Of Lies From Al Gore – Investor’s Business Daily

March 1st, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

New York Magazine A Blizzard Of Lies From Al Gore Investor’s Business Daily John Kerry, is trying to ram through a Senate version of the House's Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill, said: “Looking at the United States of America, … Al Gore: King of Lie-Lie Land Dakota Voice all 45 news articles

United States the heartland of climate-change skepticism – National Post

February 23rd, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

United States the heartland of climate-change skepticism National Post “Economically, cap and trade will destroy us. Have you any idea how much the electricity bills are going to go up?” she asked. This is also a theme driven … and more

The great carbon con – Probe International

February 23rd, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

Telegraph.co.uk (blog) The great carbon con Probe International … market could one day be worth as much as $2-3-trillion dollars if countries like the United States implement a legally-binding cap-and-trade system. … Prepare for the Next Bubble…For a Made Up Commodity Heritage.org (blog) all 17 news articles

Prepare for the Next Bubble…For a Made Up Commodity – Heritage.org (blog)

February 22nd, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

Heritage.org (blog) Prepare for the Next Bubble…For a Made Up Commodity Heritage.org (blog) Over the next decade, if President Obama and other advocates can institute a cap-and-trade system in the United States, the demand for carbon credits could … and more

Baucus, Tester prepare to take up legislation to cap greenhouse gases – The Missoulian

February 13th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

Baucus, Tester prepare to take up legislation to cap greenhouse gases The Missoulian The flash point is ” cap and trade ” legislation before the US Senate, an approach that will cap and reduce greenhouse gases over time in the United States …

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Baucus, Tester prepare to take up legislation to cap greenhouse gases – The Missoulian

Developments in United States and international regulation of greenhouse gas … – Lexology (registration)

February 11th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

Developments in United States and international regulation of greenhouse gas … Lexology (registration) Before COP-15, Senator John Kerry announced that he would need a strong political statement in Copenhagen to incentivize the US Senate to pass cap-and-trade …

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Developments in United States and international regulation of greenhouse gas … – Lexology (registration)

Judge Rules that Ellis v. Solomon and Solomon Violated the FDCPA by Suing Before During 30 Day Debt Validation Period

January 28th, 2010. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

I just got this via email. Ellis v. Solomon & Solomon P.C, Julie Farina, and Douglas Fisher 09-1247-cv United States Court of Appeals For the Second Circuit on 01/13/10 Affirmed the verdict of the district court which held that the defendants violated the FDCPA by serving Ellis with a summons and complaint during the FDCPA thirty-day validation period, without explaining that commencement of the lawsuit did not affect the rights set forth in the validation notice. We agree, and hold that service of process during the validation period must , at a minimum, be preceded or accompanied by notice to the consumer clarifying that the lawsuit does not in any alter the information contained in the validation notice. The National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys filed a amicus brief in support of the collection lawyers but it didn’t do any good. Judge said there is real potential for confusion when a consumer is served with a lawsuit during the validation period. Without some explanation to the consumer of the relationship between the suit and the provisions in the notice it may well appear to the least sophisticated consumer that being taken to court trumps any other out of court rights she had. PDF version of the decision

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Judge Rules that Ellis v. Solomon and Solomon Violated the FDCPA by Suing Before During 30 Day Debt Validation Period

Judge Rules that Ellis v. Solomon & Solomon Violated the FDCPA by Suing Before During 30 Day Debt Validation Period

January 28th, 2010. Published under Business Scams. No Comments.

I just got this via email. Ellis v. Solomon & Solomon P.C, Julie Farina, and Douglas Fisher 09-1247-cv United States Court of Appeals For the Second Circuit on 01/13/10 Affirmed the verdict of the district court which held that the defendants violated the FDCPA by serving Ellis with a summons and complaint during the FDCPA thirty-day validation period, without explaining that commencement of the lawsuit did not affect the rights set forth in the validation notice. We agree, and hold that service of process during the validation period must , at a minimum, be preceded or accompanied by notice to the consumer clarifying that the lawsuit does not in any alter the information contained in the validation notice. The National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys filed a amicus brief in support of the collection lawyers but it didn’t do any good. Judge said there is real potential for confusion when a consumer is served with a lawsuit during the validation period. Without some explanation to the consumer of the relationship between the suit and the provisions in the notice it may well appear to the least sophisticated consumer that being taken to court trumps any other out of court rights she had. PDF version of the decision

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Judge Rules that Ellis v. Solomon & Solomon Violated the FDCPA by Suing Before During 30 Day Debt Validation Period

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Dodgy GISS temperature records exposed: the US Climategate? – Telegraph.co.uk (blog)

January 14th, 2010. Published under Political Scams. No Comments.

Dodgy GISS temperature records exposed: the US Climategate? Telegraph.co.uk (blog) In the United States, Democrats, nervously facing midterm elections, are calling on President Obama to jettison the cap-and-trade bills before the Senate. … and more

Motion for Summary Judgment by Mann Bracken in Class Action lawsuit DENIED

January 10th, 2010. Published under Business Scams, Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Mann Bracken may be going out of business, however

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