WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced the distribution of more than $5 million in refunds to nearly 7,700 consumers who were misled by a deceptive credit card debt relief scheme orchestrated by ACRO Services. Operating under various aliases such as American Consumer Rights Organization, Reliance Solutions, and Tri Star Consumer Group, the company falsely promised to significantly reduce or eliminate credit card debt within 12 to 18 months.
According to the FTC’s lawsuit filed in November 2022, ACRO Services charged consumers illegal upfront fees totaling thousands of dollars under the pretext that these payments would count toward eliminated debt. Additionally, the scheme required participants to pay monthly fees of $20-$35 for purported “credit monitoring” services. Ultimately, the promised debt relief never materialized, leaving consumers in worse financial condition.
The individual defendants agreed to a settlement that permanently bans them from the debt relief and telemarketing industries. They also surrendered significant assets, which, along with funds from a related FTC case against payment processor BlueSnap, were used to reimburse consumers.
Checks have been sent to 7,687 victims of the scheme. The FTC is urging recipients to cash their checks within 90 days as indicated. This action aims to provide relief to those who fell victim to this fraudulent scheme and highlights the importance of consumers being vigilant when seeking debt relief services.
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