Multistate Consumer Protection Actions
State attorneys general play a critical role in enforcing state and federal consumer protection laws. While much of their activity is focused on enforcement within single jurisdictions, attorneys general frequently work collaboratively with one another and with federal partners on consumer protection efforts connected to widespread instances of business misconduct. These investigations are often resolved…
Consumer Chief of the Month: Leslie Kyman Cooper, Arizona Attorney General’s Office
I joined the Arizona Attorney General’s Office as Consumer Protection and Advocacy Section Chief in January of this year. It was a homecoming of sorts, because I was at the Attorney General’s Office from 2010 to 2017. And it was a return to an area of law I had experienced some thirteen years ago, when…
Federal Consumer Protection News: November 2021
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) sued pawn lenders FirstCash, Inc. and Cash America West, Inc. for allegedly violating the Military Lending Act (MLA) by charging higher than the allowable 36% annual percentage rate (APR) on pawn loans to active-duty servicemembers and their dependents. The loans allegedly had APRs that frequently…
Attorney General Consumer Protection News: November 2021
Multistate Actions A multistate investigation of Instagram led by a bipartisan group of 8 attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont was announced. The attorneys general are investigating Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook, for providing and promoting Instagram to children and young adults despite allegedly knowing that…
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and the Limited Waiver Opportunity
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, created by Congress, is meant to provide federal student loan relief for borrowers who spend at least 10 years working in public service. Despite lofty aspirations, the PSLF program has fallen woefully short of expectations, and far too many borrowers have had their applications for loan forgiveness denied….
State Attorneys General Convene in DC for Capital Forum
WHO: The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) is hosting its annual Capital Forum. Attorneys general scheduled to speak include: Karl A. Racine, NAAG President and District of Columbia Attorney General Phil Weiser, Colorado Attorney General Ashley Moody, Florida Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Illinois Attorney General Tom Miller, Iowa Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney…
Attorneys General Support Efforts to Stop Robocallers from Misusing Legitimate Phone Numbers
The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) today wrote the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in support of its efforts to reduce illegal robocallers’ access to legitimate phone numbers to make unending robocalls that scam people out of their hard-earned money. The comment letter to the FCC was signed by all 50 state attorneys general and…
51 Attorneys General Urge Efforts to Stop Robocallers from Misusing Legitimate Phone Numbers
Washington, D.C. — The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) today wrote the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in support of its efforts to reduce illegal robocallers’ access to legitimate phone numbers to make unending robocalls that scam people out of their hard-earned money. The comment letter to the FCC was signed by all 50 state…
Tackling Money Mules
Whether perpetrating a consumer fraud, business email compromise, or unemployment insurance (UI) fraud scheme, fraudsters located overseas increase their chances of successfully obtaining proceeds from their schemes when they use U.S.-based financial infrastructure. Victims of consumer fraud schemes, such as lottery fraud and technical-support schemes, are more likely to believe the ruse when asked to…
Federal Consumer Protection News: October 2021
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Rohit Chopra as the third Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Chopra was serving as FTC Commissioner, a post he had held since 2018. Chopra issued a statement after he was sworn in, emphasizing “the essential role” the agency plays “within the Federal…