Operator of Fraudulent Debt Collection Scheme Settles With FTC, New York

The operator of a debt collection scheme has settled claims by the Federal Trade Commission and New York Attorney General that he and the companies he controlled lied to consumers about how much debt they owed and used illegal scare tactics to collect it. Under the settlement, Robert Heidenreich, who ran the scheme from the Buffalo, […]

Nationwide Debt Collector Will Pay $2.25 Million to Settle FTC Charges

Academy Collection Service, Inc. and its owner, Keith Dickstein, have agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that Academy and its collectors misled, threatened, and harassed consumers; disclosed their debts to third parties; and deposited postdated checks early, in violation of federal law. This is the largest civil penalty the FTC […]

Nationwide Debt Collector Will Pay $2.25 Million to Settle FTC Charges

Academy Collection Service, Inc. and its owner, Keith Dickstein, have agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that Academy and its collectors misled, threatened, and harassed consumers; disclosed their debts to third parties; and deposited postdated checks early, in violation of federal law. This is the largest civil penalty the FTC […]