Author Archives: Allison Zieve

CFPB issues rule on prepaid cards

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has finalized a set of rules intended to protect prepaid account users. The new rule requires financial institutions to limit consumers’ losses when funds are stolen or cards are lost, investigate and resolve errors, and give consumers free and easy access to account information. The CFPB also finalized new “Know […]

Court imposes $1.3 billion judgment against defendants behind AMG payday lending scheme

The Federal Trade Commission announced today that, at the FTC's request, a federal court in Nevada has found that racecar driver Scott A. Tucker and several corporate defendants in a Kansas City-based payday lending scheme violated Section 5 of the FTC Act and has ordered them to pay $1.3 billion for deceiving consumers across the […]

“How to get justice after the Wells Fargo scandal”

From a Washington Post column today by Katrina vanden Heuvel: Wells Fargo’s abuse of its customers — its employees opened some 2 million accounts and credit cards for depositors who may not have wanted them — has sparked deserved outrage. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D.-Mass.) charged Wells Fargo chair and chief executive John Stumpf with “gutless […]

DOJ Consumer Protection Branch – September Announcements

Below are announcement from the Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch about its work in September: Dual Jamaican-U.S. Citizen Pleads Guilty in Connection with Jamaica-Based Lottery Fraud Scheme (9/28/16) Woman Sentenced for Impersonating FBI Agent in Connection with Lottery Fraud Scheme Based in Jamaica (9/27/16) Justice Department and Law Enforcement Partners Announce Civil and Criminal […]

Wells Fargo sanctioned for violating rights of service members

More Wells Fargo news this week: Wells Fargo will pay $4.1 million to settle Justice Department charges that it seized 413 cars owned by service members without a court order, a violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The illegal repossessions took place from 2008 to 2015. The relief includes payments to each affected service […]

CFPB sues credit repair company for misleading consumers and charging illegal fees

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Friday sued the credit repair company Prime Marketing Holdings, LLC, which the CFPB alleges charged consumers a series of illegal advance fees and misrepresented the cost and effectiveness of its services. The CFPB is seeking to halt the company’s harmful conduct and to obtain relief for consumers, including refunds […]

“Senators heap criticism on Wells Fargo CEO, who apologizes”

The Washington Post had this report on yesterday's congressional hearing: The CEO of Wells Fargo faced accusations of fraud and calls for his resignation Tuesday from harshly critical senators at a hearing over allegations that bank employees opened millions of accounts customers didn’t know about to meet sales quotas. Members of the Senate Banking Committee […]

WSJ: “Prepaid Cards’ Growing Popularity Catches Regulator’s Eye”

The Wall Street Journal reports: Prepaid cards, which started out as simple gift cards from retail stores, have morphed into popular financial-management tools with functions that rival bank checking accounts. Now regulators are playing catch-up, with plans to roll out a rule this fall that would bring oversight of the sector closer to regulations covering […]