TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— Attorney General Pam Bondi and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam took action to shut down a collections scam targeting victims of previous scams. Attorney General Bondi filed a complaint against Advocacy and Collections Group, Inc. and the individuals who ran the company’s operations for allegedly targeting victims of previous scams with the promise of collecting the victims’ lost money. In tandem with the complaint filing by the Attorney General’s Office, Commissioner Putnam’s department is filing an administrative action to revoke the defendants’ telemarketing license to further protect Floridians.
“The victims of this scam were promised help in getting their money back but instead they were scammed by the very people who promised to help. What is worse, the defendants misrepresented their relationship with the state in an effort to gain the victims’ trust,” said Attorney General Bondi. “I am proud to be working with Commissioner Putnam in a joint effort to protect Floridians from these deceptive business practices. Working together we can provide better protection to Florida consumers.”
“I thank Attorney General Bondi for her partnership in holding scammers accountable for preying on Florida consumers. The first step any consumer should take when contacted by a telemarketer is going to FreshFromFlorida.com to make sure they’re properly licensed,” stated Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam.
According to the complaint filed by Attorney General Bondi in the Seventeenth Circuit Court in Broward County, the defendants misrepresented their affiliation with the state and falsely promised victims of previous telemarketing frauds that in exchange for advance fees ranging from several thousands to as much as $60,000, the company could recover the funds the victims lost to those prior scams.
The defendants obtained a commercial collections license from the state, even though the defendants purportedly provided recovery services and not commercial collection services. Allegedly, the defendants falsely told consumers that their recovery services are licensed by the Office of Financial Regulation when in fact they are not.
Twenty-two consumers filed complaints regarding the collections agency with the Florida Attorney General’s Office, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs and the Better Business Bureau. Eight of those complaints included information showing losses totaling approximately $120,000.
The complaint seeks restitution for all consumers harmed by the allegedly deceptive conduct and seeks to prohibit the defendants from misrepresenting its affiliation with the state and collecting upfront payments for services from consumers that contract with the agency to recover fees lost in telemarketing scams, among other business restrictions.
To view the motion for temporary injunction, click here.
To view the Attorney General’s filing, click here.
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