Consumer Chief of the Month: Marion Quirk, Delaware Department of Justice
I joined the Delaware Department of Justice (the “DDOJ”) in August of 2017 after practicing in the Philadelphia, PA and Wilmington, DE legal communities for 19 years. Before joining the DDOJ, I heard from a friend who worked at the DDOJ that it was a special place – (i) challenging work; (ii) great colleagues who…
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….
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…
Attorney General Consumer Protection News: October 2021
Multistate Actions Led by California Attorney General Bonta, Florida Attorney General Moody, Massachusetts Attorney General Mara Healey, Nebraska Attorney General Dog Peterson, Tennessee Attorney General. Slatery, and Vermont Attorney General Donovan, a bipartisan coalition of 52 attorneys general sent a letter to the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security. The letter…
Consumer Chief of the Month: Chris Lewis, Kentucky Attorney General’s Office
They say timing is everything. Accepting the position of Consumer Protection Chief for the Commonwealth of Kentucky in December 2019, only months before the start of a global pandemic, was not the timing I had in mind, but I am thankful to have the opportunity to serve my fellow Kentuckians and support Attorney General Cameron…
Attorney General Consumer Protection News: September 2021
Multistate Actions Led by Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, a bipartisan coalition of 11 attorneys general announced settlements with StubHub for refusing to refund ticketholders for COVID-19-related cancellations. StubHub had refused to provide refunds, instead providing customers a 120% credit for future events. Under the settlements, StubHub agreed to provide refunds unless customers elected to…
