FTC Sends More Than $540,000 in Refunds to Consumers Harmed by Phantom and Abusive Debt Collection Scheme

The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than $540,000 in refunds to consumers who paid a group of abusive debt collectors who threatened consumers with lawsuits or arrest if they failed to pay debt that they might not have even owed.

The FTC filed lawsuits in September 2020 against National Landmark Logistics and Absolute Financial Services, which operated under other names including National Landmark Service of United Recovery, Silverlake Landmark Recovery Group, Absolute Financial Services Recovery, AFSR Global Logistics, and Tri-Star. According to the FTC, the defendants used illegal robocalls to leave deceptive messages claiming consumers faced legal action—lawsuits or even arrest—for unpaid debts. When consumers returned the calls, the defendants falsely represented themselves as being from a mediation or law firm, threatened legal action, and used personal information to convince consumers that the threats were real. The FTC alleged, in many instances, that consumers did not owe the debt being collected on or the defendants had no legal right to collect it.

The defendants in the case agreed to settlements that permanently banned them from the debt collection industry and required them to pay money to compensate affected consumers.

The FTC is sending checks to 1,625 consumers, who will receive $334.38 each. Recipients should cash their checks within 90 days, as indicated on the check. Consumers who have questions about their payment should contact the refund administrator, Simpluris, at 844-804-5497, or visit the FTC website to view frequently asked questions about the refund process. The Commission never requires people to pay money or provide account information to get a refund.

The Commission’s interactive dashboards for refund data provide a state-by-state breakdown of refunds in FTC cases. In 2023, FTC actions led to $330 million in refunds to consumers across the country.