Earlier this month the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) filed a lawsuit against the former Franklin-based debt buying company Assessment Resolution, LLC (“Assessment”), Franklin-based “phantom” debt collector East Coast Financial (“ECF”), and the companies’ respective owners and operators.
According to the AGO, “ECF operates as a ‘phantom’ debt collector, attempting to collect debts via telephone using profane language, false threats, and misrepresentations.”
The AGO also claims that “ECF’s associates used false names and identities, including fake affiliations with a constable’s or law office, to threaten consumers with arrest or property seizure in order to extract money from them.”
The lawsuit was filed in Suffolk County Superior Court.
Yesterday a judge from that court issued a preliminary injunction ordering the defendants to immediately stop all debt collection activities. The order also prohibits the defendants from destroying or tampering with any evidence and from dissipating their assets.
To view the preliminary injunction and the AGO’s complaint, visit the agency website by clicking here.