The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is distributing over $540,000 in refunds to consumers who were victims of an abusive debt collection scheme. The refunds are a result of legal action taken by the FTC against National Landmark Logistics and Absolute Financial Services in September 2020. These companies operated under various 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, these defendants employed illegal robocalls to leave misleading messages that falsely threatened consumers with lawsuits or arrest for debts they may not have owed. When contacted by consumers returning the calls, the defendants allegedly misrepresented themselves as representatives from a mediation or law firm and used personal information to lend credibility to their threats.

The defendants agreed to settlements that permanently barred them from engaging in debt collection activities and required them to pay compensation to affected consumers.

The FTC is sending checks amounting to $334.38 each to 1,625 consumers. Recipients are advised to cash their checks within 90 days as indicated on the check itself. For questions regarding payments, recipients can contact Simpluris at 844-804-5497 or visit the FTC website for more information about the refund process. Importantly, "the Commission never requires people to pay money or provide account information" for obtaining a refund.

In 2023 alone, FTC actions resulted in $330 million in consumer refunds nationwide. The agency continues its mission "to promote competition and protect and educate consumers." It also emphasizes that it will never request money or make threats while urging individuals to report any fraud or scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

For further consumer education topics and updates on FTC activities, individuals are encouraged to visit consumer.ftc.gov and follow the Commission's social media channels.