$505 million in refunds being sent to payday loan customers by FTC

If you took out an online payday loan from a company affiliated with AMG Services, you may be getting a check in the mail from the FTC. The $505 million the FTC is returning to consumers makes this the largest refund program the agency has ever administered.

The FTC sued AMG and Scott A. Tucker for deceptive payday lending. When consumers took out loans, AMG said they would charge a one-time finance fee. Instead, AMG made multiple illegal withdrawals from peoples’ bank accounts and charged hidden fees. As a result, people paid far more for the loans than they had agreed to.

In 2016 the FTC won a court case against AMG and Scott Tucker. Then in 2017, a jury convicted Tucker and his attorney of crimes related to the lending scheme. The FTC and Department of Justice are using money obtained in both court actions to give refunds to consumers.

Here are answers to questions about AMG refunds.
Who will get a refund?
Checks are being sent to consumers who took out loans between January 2008 and January 2013 from these AMG-related companies: 500FastCash, Advantage Cash Services, Ameriloan, OneClickCash, Star Cash Processing, UnitedCashLoans, and USFastCash.

How many people will get refunds?
More than 1.1 million people will get refunds.

How does the FTC know who to send the checks to?
The FTC and a refund administrator have used AMG’s business records to identify eligible consumers and calculate their refunds.

I’m eligible for a refund. What do I need to do?
If you borrowed from one of the lenders listed above between January 2008 and January 2013, you don’t need to do anything. The checks are being mailed to eligible consumers automatically. There is no application process. If you borrowed from one of those lenders before January 2008, please call 1-866-730-8147.

How can I get more information?
Visit the FTC’s AMG refund page or call 1-866-730-8147.

If you get a check, deposit or cash it within 60 days.

The FTC never asks people to pay money or give information to cash refund checks. If someone asks you to pay to get a refund from the FTC, it’s a scam.

by Lesley Fair
Attorney, Division of Consumer & Business Education