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An administrator working for the Federal Trade Commission is mailing 8,352 checks averaging $91.14 each to consumers who were deceived into paying unnecessary “convenience fees” to Jacob Law Group, PLLC, on behalf of debt buyer Security Credit Services, LLC.

In 2013, the FTC charged both companies with violating the FTC Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act for allegedly deceiving consumers by charging them an extra fee for paying by telephone, and falsely threatening to sue consumers in order to get them to pay.

The checks, which total more than $761,000, range in amount from $14.93 to $1,218.21 and will be mailed to consumers who paid convenience fees. The checks must be cashed within 60 days after they are issued.  

 Consumers who have questions should call the refund administrator, Analytics Consulting, LLC, at 1-855-763-9450. For general information, see   www.FTC.gov/refunds. The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or provide information before redress checks can be cashed. 

For consumer information about dealing with debt collectors, see Debt Collection.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.