Basic Search  |  Summaries  |  Advanced Search

Violation Tracker Individual Record

Company: Westlake Services, LLC and Wilshire Consumer Credit, LLC
Current Parent Company: Hankey Group
Penalty: $48,350,000
Year: 2015
Date: October 1, 2015
Offense Group: consumer-protection-related offenses
Primary Offense: consumer protection violation
Secondary Offense: debt collection abuses
Violation Description: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced an enforcement action against an indirect auto finance company and its auto title lending subsidiary for pressuring borrowers using allegedly illegal debt collection tactics. The CFPB found that Westlake Services, LLC and Wilshire Consumer Credit, LLC deceived consumers by calling under false pretenses and using phony caller ID information, falsely threatened to refer borrowers for investigation or criminal prosecution, and illegally disclosed information about debts to borrowers' employers, friends, and family. The Bureau ordered the companies to overhaul their debt collection practices and to provide consumers $44.1 million in cash relief and balance reductions. The companies were also also to pay a civil penalty of $4.25 million.
Level of Government: federal
Action Type: agency action
Agency: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Civil or Criminal Case: civil
HQ Country of Current Parent: USA
HQ State of Current Parent: California
Ownership Structure of Current Parent: privately held
Major Industry of Current Parent: diversified
Specific Industry of Current Parent: diversified
Source of Data: (click here)
Source Notes: If an online information source is not working, check the Violation Tracker Data Sources page for an updated link.
Current parent company note: Parent-subsidiary relationship is current as of the most recent revision listed in the Update Log.