On January 11, 2017, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had agreed to two stipulated orders (available here and here) with individuals who participated in an alleged fraudulent mortgage relief scheme. According to the FTC, the individuals promised consumers “at least $75,000” or complete relief on their mortgages through a “mass joinder lawsuit.” The FTC alleged, however, that consumers never obtained such relief, nor were they ever likely to do so. Under the terms of the stipulated orders, both individuals consented to lifetime bans from the debt relief industry. In addition, the FTC secured an $18.3 million judgment against one individual, and a $1.1 million judgment against the other.
