Blog/ Litigation Stats

Quick analysis: Mixed Numbers in July, Everything Up YTD

In July, TCPA (-14.6%) and FCRA (-8.5%) were both down, while FDCPA (+21.9%) was up. Meanwhile all three are still up YTD (TCPA +5.2%, FDCPA +15.1%, FCRA +17.7%). If things keep going this way, we’ll have the first “up” year across the board since at least 2015!

In other news, putative class actions represented 2.7% of FDCPA, 61.2%(!) of TCPA and 2.2% of FCRA lawsuits filed last month. TCPA class actions are still extraordinarily high, historically speaking. About 37% of all plaintiffs who filed suit last month had filed at least once before. And finally, Tampa attorney Octavio Gomez once again represented the most consumers in July (22) and for representing the most consumers YTD (176).

Complaint Statistics:

11444 consumers filed CFPB complaints, and about 834 consumers filed lawsuits under consumer statutes from Jul 01, 2024 to Jul 31, 2024.

• 11444 CFPB Complaints
• 368 FDCPA, 10 Class Action (2.7%)
• 129 TCPA, 79 Class Action (61.2%)
• 454 FCRA, 10 Class Action (2.2%)

Litigation Summary (scroll down for CFPB data):

• Of those cases, there were about 834 unique plaintiffs (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit).
• Of those plaintiffs, about 305, or (37%), had sued under consumer statutes before.
• Combined, those plaintiffs have filed about 2219 lawsuits since 2001
• Actions were filed in 143 different US District Court branches.
• About 583 different collection firms and creditors were sued.

The top courts where lawsuits were filed:

• 62 Lawsuits: Georgia Northern District Court – Atlanta
• 35 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Tampa
• 28 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Orlando
• 27 Lawsuits: Illinois Northern District Court – Chicago
• 24 Lawsuits: New York Eastern District Court – Brooklyn
• 22 Lawsuits: California Central District Court – Western Division – Los Angeles
• 21 Lawsuits: Texas Northern District Court – Dallas
• 20 Lawsuits: Florida Southern District Court – Fort Lauderdale
• 19 Lawsuits: California Southern District Court – San Diego
• 19 Lawsuits: New Jersey District Court – Newark

The most active consumer attorneys were:

• Representing 22 Consumers: OCTAVIO GOMEZ
• Representing 22 Consumers: ELLIOT ELO
• Representing 15 Consumers: JEFF POTTS
• Representing 15 Consumers: ZANE CHARLES HEDAYA
• Representing 13 Consumers: BRIAN JOSEPH HOLLAND
• Representing 13 Consumers: MATTHEW RYAN MCCARLEY
• Representing 13 Consumers: MATTHEW FORSBERG
• Representing 13 Consumers: STEVEN HOWARD KOVAL
• Representing 12 Consumers: JONATHAN ALEXANDER HEEPS
• Representing 12 Consumers: GLORIA CHI-KI LAM

Statistics Year to Date:
6173 total lawsuits for 2024, including:

• 2605 FDCPA
• 3694 FCRA
• 1054 TCPA

Number of Unique Plaintiffs for 2024: 5901 (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit)

The most active consumer attorneys of the year:

• Representing 176 Consumers: OCTAVIO GOMEZ
• Representing 127 Consumers: EILEEN KEUSSEYAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: HAROUT GREG KEOSIAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: ZAREH JACK KOUSIAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: MELKON RAFI MELKONIAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: ZHENYA A BAGDASARYAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: TAMAR G ARMINAK
• Representing 100 Consumers: EUGENE PATTERSON HARRIS
• Representing 100 Consumers: NELLY ISPIRYAN
• Representing 93 Consumers: ELLIOT ELO

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CFPB Complaint Statistics:

There were 11444 complaints filed against debt collectors from Jul 01, 2024 to Jul 31, 2024.

Total number of debt collectors complained about: 808

The types of debt behind the complaints were:

• 4262 I do not know (37%)
• 2427 Other debt (21%)
• 2328 Credit card debt (20%)
• 653 Telecommunications debt (6%)
• 598 Rental debt (5%)
• 546 Medical debt (5%)
• 331 Auto debt (3%)
• 152 Payday loan debt (1%)
• 69 Mortgage debt (1%)
• 43 Federal student loan debt (0%)
• 35 Private student loan debt (0%)

Here is a breakdown of complaints:

• 5465 Attempts to collect debt not owed (48%)
• 4036 Written notification about debt (35%)
• 679 Took or threatened to take negative or legal action (6%)
• 525 False statements or representation (5%)
• 462 Communication tactics (4%)
• 145 Electronic communications (1%)
• 132 Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly (1%)

The top five subissues were:

• 3383 Debt is not yours (30%)
• 2000 Notification didnt disclose it was an attempt to collect a debt (17%)
• 1492 Debt was result of identity theft (13%)
• 1019 Didnt receive notice of right to dispute (9%)
• 1017 Didnt receive enough information to verify debt (9%)

The top states complaints were filed from are:

• 1822 Complaints: TX
• 1458 Complaints: FL
• 968 Complaints: CA
• 899 Complaints: GA
• 619 Complaints: PA
• 525 Complaints: NY
• 405 Complaints: IL
• 389 Complaints: VA
• 362 Complaints: NC
• 298 Complaints: OH

The status of the month’s complaints are as follows:

• 6516 Closed with explanation (57%)
• 2621 Closed with non-monetary relief (23%)
• 2268 In progress (20%)
• 25 Closed with monetary relief (0%)
• 14 Untimely response (0%)

This includes 11370 (99%) timely responses to complaints, and 74 (1%) untimely responses.

Quick analysis: Everything Down in June, Yet Up YTD

Not sure we’ve seen this one before! in June, every consumer complaint statute we track was down (TCPA -7.4%, FDCPA -32.1%, FCRA -9.2%), yet every one of them was still up year to date (TCPA +8.6%, FDCPA +15.4%, FCRA +21.1%).

In other news, putative class actions represented 5.6% of FDCPA, 65.6%(!) of TCPA and 3.8% of FCRA lawsuits filed last month. TCPA class actions are still extraordinarily high, historically speaking. About 41% of all plaintiffs who filed suit last month had filed at least once before. And finally, Tampa attorney Octavio Gomez represented the most consumers in June (25) and for representing the most consumers YTD (154).

Complaint Statistics:

10836 consumers filed CFPB complaints, and about 782 consumers filed lawsuits under consumer statutes from Jun 01, 2024 to Jun 30, 2024.

• 10836 CFPB Complaints
• 302 FDCPA, 17 Class Action (5.6%)
• 151 TCPA, 99 Class Action (65.6%)
• 496 FCRA, 19 Class Action (3.8%)

Litigation Summary (scroll down for CFPB data):

• Of those cases, there were about 782 unique plaintiffs (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit).
• Of those plaintiffs, about 322, or (41%), had sued under consumer statutes before.
• Combined, those plaintiffs have filed about 4414 lawsuits since 2001
• Actions were filed in 142 different US District Court branches.
• About 576 different collection firms and creditors were sued.

The top courts where lawsuits were filed:

• 63 Lawsuits: Georgia Northern District Court – Atlanta
• 47 Lawsuits: Illinois Northern District Court – Chicago
• 30 Lawsuits: California Central District Court – Western Division – Los Angeles
• 29 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Tampa
• 26 Lawsuits: New Jersey District Court – Camden
• 23 Lawsuits: Pennsylvania Eastern District Court – Philadelphia
• 22 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Orlando
• 22 Lawsuits: Florida Southern District Court – Fort Lauderdale
• 21 Lawsuits: Texas Northern District Court – Dallas
• 19 Lawsuits: Texas Southern District Court – Houston

The most active consumer attorneys were:

• Representing 25 Consumers: OCTAVIO GOMEZ
• Representing 13 Consumers: M STAN HERRING
• Representing 13 Consumers: ZANE CHARLES HEDAYA
• Representing 13 Consumers: MATTHEW THOMAS BERRY
• Representing 13 Consumers: JOHN G WATTS
• Representing 12 Consumers: CRAIG B SANDERS
• Representing 12 Consumers: FRANK H KERNEY
• Representing 12 Consumers: JONATHAN ALEXANDER HEEPS
• Representing 11 Consumers: GERALD DONALD LANE
• Representing 11 Consumers: DAVID J PHILIPPS

Statistics Year to Date:
5349 total lawsuits for 2024, including:

• 2237 FDCPA
• 3240 FCRA
• 925 TCPA

Number of Unique Plaintiffs for 2024: 5154 (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit)

The most active consumer attorneys of the year:

• Representing 154 Consumers: OCTAVIO GOMEZ
• Representing 127 Consumers: ZAREH JACK KOUSIAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: MELKON RAFI MELKONIAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: EILEEN KEUSSEYAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: HAROUT GREG KEOSIAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: ZHENYA A BAGDASARYAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: NELLY ISPIRYAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: EUGENE PATTERSON HARRIS
• Representing 100 Consumers: TAMAR G ARMINAK
• Representing 76 Consumers: MATTHEW THOMAS BERRY

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CFPB Complaint Statistics:

There were 10836 complaints filed against debt collectors from Jun 01, 2024 to Jun 30, 2024.

Total number of debt collectors complained about: 775

The types of debt behind the complaints were:

• 4651 I do not know (43%)
• 1976 Other debt (18%)
• 1976 Credit card debt (18%)
• 683 Telecommunications debt (6%)
• 520 Rental debt (5%)
• 507 Medical debt (5%)
• 287 Auto debt (3%)
• 111 Payday loan debt (1%)
• 47 Mortgage debt (0%)
• 44 Private student loan debt (0%)
• 34 Federal student loan debt (0%)

Here is a breakdown of complaints:

• 4917 Attempts to collect debt not owed (45%)
• 4103 Written notification about debt (38%)
• 636 Took or threatened to take negative or legal action (6%)
• 496 False statements or representation (5%)
• 447 Communication tactics (4%)
• 121 Electronic communications (1%)
• 116 Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly (1%)

The top five subissues were:

• 2939 Debt is not yours (27%)
• 2268 Notification didnt disclose it was an attempt to collect a debt (21%)
• 1455 Debt was result of identity theft (13%)
• 932 Didnt receive notice of right to dispute (9%)
• 903 Didnt receive enough information to verify debt (8%)

The top states complaints were filed from are:

• 1936 Complaints: TX
• 1333 Complaints: FL
• 1029 Complaints: CA
• 796 Complaints: GA
• 515 Complaints: PA
• 511 Complaints: NY
• 370 Complaints: VA
• 369 Complaints: IL
• 355 Complaints: NC
• 277 Complaints: AL

The status of the month’s complaints are as follows:

• 5701 Closed with explanation (53%)
• 2704 In progress (25%)
• 2391 Closed with non-monetary relief (22%)
• 35 Closed with monetary relief (0%)
• 5 Untimely response (0%)

This includes 10766 (99%) timely responses to complaints, and 70 (1%) untimely responses.

Quick analysis: Another “Up” Month

In May, TCPA (+20.7%), FDCPA (+25.4%) and FCRA (+4.2%) suits were all up over April, and TCPA (+9.3%), FDCPA (+19.2%) and FCRA (+23.3%) suits were all up YTD as well. Meanwhile, CFPB complaints were a bit down for the month (-5.8%) but still way up for the year (85%!).

In other news, putative class actions represented 5.4% of FDCPA, 66.9%(!) of TCPA and 4.6% of FCRA lawsuits filed last month. TCPA class actions are still extraordinarily high, historically speaking. About 42% of all plaintiffs who filed suit last month had filed at least once before. And finally, Minneapolis credit repair attorney represented the most consumers in May (33) while Tampa attorney Octavio Gomez took the top spot again for representing the most consumers YTD (129).

Complaint Statistics:

12297 consumers filed CFPB complaints, and about 993 consumers filed lawsuits under consumer statutes from May 01, 2024 to May 31, 2024.

• 12297 CFPB Complaints
• 445 FDCPA, 24 Class Action (5.4%)
• 163 TCPA, 109 Class Action (66.9%)
• 546 FCRA, 25 Class Action (4.6%)

Litigation Summary (scroll down for CFPB data):

• Of those cases, there were about 993 unique plaintiffs (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit).
• Of those plaintiffs, about 414, or (42%), had sued under consumer statutes before.
• Combined, those plaintiffs have filed about 3095 lawsuits since 2001
• Actions were filed in 155 different US District Court branches.
• About 686 different collection firms and creditors were sued.

The top courts where lawsuits were filed:

• 73 Lawsuits: Georgia Northern District Court – Atlanta
• 48 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Tampa
• 46 Lawsuits: California Central District Court – Western Division – Los Angeles
• 43 Lawsuits: Minnesota District Court – Dmn
• 39 Lawsuits: Illinois Northern District Court – Chicago
• 30 Lawsuits: New York Southern District Court – Foley Square
• 30 Lawsuits: Texas Northern District Court – Dallas
• 29 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Orlando
• 23 Lawsuits: California Central District Court – Southern Division – Santa Ana
• 19 Lawsuits: Texas Western District Court – Austin

The most active consumer attorneys were:

• Representing 33 Consumers: DAVID J S MADGETT
• Representing 32 Consumers: OCTAVIO GOMEZ
• Representing 25 Consumers: RYAN LEE MCBRIDE
• Representing 17 Consumers: JOEL SPENCER HALVORSEN
• Representing 16 Consumers: MOHAMMAD KAZEROUNI
• Representing 15 Consumers: FETHULLAH GULEN
• Representing 14 Consumers: YITZCHAK ZELMAN
• Representing 13 Consumers: JENNIFER GOMES SIMIL
• Representing 12 Consumers: JENNA DAKROUB
• Representing 12 Consumers: MATTHEW THOMAS BERRY

Statistics Year to Date:
4525 total lawsuits for 2024, including:

• 1935 FDCPA
• 2744 FCRA
• 774 TCPA

Number of Unique Plaintiffs for 2024: 4465 (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit)

The most active consumer attorneys of the year:

• Representing 129 Consumers: OCTAVIO GOMEZ
• Representing 127 Consumers: ZAREH JACK KOUSIAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: MELKON RAFI MELKONIAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: EILEEN KEUSSEYAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: HAROUT GREG KEOSIAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: ZHENYA A BAGDASARYAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: NELLY ISPIRYAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: EUGENE PATTERSON HARRIS
• Representing 100 Consumers: TAMAR G ARMINAK
• Representing 71 Consumers: ELLIOT ELO

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CFPB Complaint Statistics:

There were 12297 complaints filed against debt collectors from May 01, 2024 to May 31, 2024.

Total number of debt collectors complained about: 858

The types of debt behind the complaints were:

• 5241 I do not know (43%)
• 2181 Other debt (18%)
• 2145 Credit card debt (17%)
• 773 Telecommunications debt (6%)
• 695 Rental debt (6%)
• 599 Medical debt (5%)
• 353 Auto debt (3%)
• 157 Payday loan debt (1%)
• 67 Mortgage debt (1%)
• 57 Private student loan debt (0%)
• 29 Federal student loan debt (0%)

Here is a breakdown of complaints:

• 5517 Attempts to collect debt not owed (45%)
• 4778 Written notification about debt (39%)
• 741 Took or threatened to take negative or legal action (6%)
• 515 False statements or representation (4%)
• 463 Communication tactics (4%)
• 154 Electronic communications (1%)
• 129 Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly (1%)

The top five subissues were:

• 3364 Debt is not yours (27%)
• 2485 Notification didnt disclose it was an attempt to collect a debt (20%)
• 1473 Debt was result of identity theft (12%)
• 1209 Didnt receive notice of right to dispute (10%)
• 1084 Didnt receive enough information to verify debt (9%)

The top states complaints were filed from are:

• 2207 Complaints: TX
• 1449 Complaints: FL
• 1121 Complaints: CA
• 895 Complaints: GA
• 621 Complaints: NY
• 493 Complaints: PA
• 427 Complaints: IL
• 404 Complaints: VA
• 359 Complaints: NC
• 323 Complaints: MD

The status of the month’s complaints are as follows:

• 6146 Closed with explanation (50%)
• 4398 In progress (36%)
• 1722 Closed with non-monetary relief (14%)
• 16 Closed with monetary relief (0%)
• 15 Untimely response (0%)

This includes 12206 (99%) timely responses to complaints, and 91 (1%) untimely responses.

Quick analysis: Almost Everything Up

In April, FDCPA (+12.7%) and FCRA (+12.7%) suits were up over March, and TCPA (+26.2%), FDCPA (+15.2%) and FCRA (+27.4%) suits were all up YTD. CFPB complaints were also up for the month (+2%) and the year (77.9%!). The only holdup from a complete sweep was April TCPA suits, which ticked down -2.9% from March.

In other news, putative class actions represented 5.9% of FDCPA, 68.1%(!) of TCPA and 7.4%(!) of FCRA lawsuits filed last month. TCPA class actions are still extraordinarily high, historically speaking. About 44% of all plaintiffs who filed suit last month had filed at least once before. And finally, Tampa attorney Octavio Gomez took the top spot again for representing the most consumers (34) in April and YTD (97). Technically, two other firms have higher plaintiff counts by bundling a whole bunch of plaintiffs into a couple of suits, but we’re not going to count that here.

Complaint Statistics:

12792 consumers filed CFPB complaints, and about 820 consumers filed lawsuits under consumer statutes from Apr 01, 2024 to Apr 30, 2024.

• 12792 CFPB Complaints
• 355 FDCPA, 21 Class Action (5.9%)
• 135 TCPA, 92 Class Action (68.1%)
• 524 FCRA, 39 Class Action (7.4%)

Litigation Summary (scroll down for CFPB data):

• Of those cases, there were about 820 unique plaintiffs (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit).
• Of those plaintiffs, about 359, or (44%), had sued under consumer statutes before.
• Combined, those plaintiffs have filed about 2580 lawsuits since 2001
• Actions were filed in 141 different US District Court branches.
• About 570 different collection firms and creditors were sued.

The top courts where lawsuits were filed:

• 61 Lawsuits: Georgia Northern District Court – Atlanta
• 46 Lawsuits: California Central District Court – Western Division – Los Angeles
• 33 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Tampa
• 33 Lawsuits: Illinois Northern District Court – Chicago
• 32 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Orlando
• 24 Lawsuits: Florida Southern District Court – Miami
• 21 Lawsuits: Texas Southern District Court – Houston
• 19 Lawsuits: Indiana Southern District Court – Indianapolis
• 19 Lawsuits: California Central District Court – Southern Division – Santa Ana
• 18 Lawsuits: Minnesota District Court – Dmn

The most active consumer attorneys were:

• Representing 34 Consumers: OCTAVIO GOMEZ
• Representing 20 Consumers: ELLIOT ELO
• Representing 13 Consumers: FRANK H KERNEY
• Representing 13 Consumers: MATTHEW FORSBERG
• Representing 13 Consumers: GLORIA CHI-KI LAM
• Representing 12 Consumers: YITZCHAK ZELMAN
• Representing 12 Consumers: JENNIFER GOMES SIMIL
• Representing 12 Consumers: TODD M FRIEDMAN
• Representing 11 Consumers: CRAIG B SANDERS
• Representing 10 Consumers: ADRIAN ROBERT BACON

Statistics Year to Date:
3504 total lawsuits for 2024, including:

• 1490 FDCPA
• 2198 FCRA
• 611 TCPA

Number of Unique Plaintiffs for 2024: 3570 (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit)

The most active consumer attorneys of the year:

• Representing 127 Consumers: HAROUT GREG KEOSIAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: ZAREH JACK KOUSIAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: MELKON RAFI MELKONIAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: EILEEN KEUSSEYAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: ZHENYA A BAGDASARYAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: NELLY ISPIRYAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: EUGENE PATTERSON HARRIS
• Representing 100 Consumers: TAMAR G ARMINAK
• Representing 97 Consumers: OCTAVIO GOMEZ
• Representing 64 Consumers: ELLIOT ELO

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CFPB Complaint Statistics:

There were 12792 complaints filed against debt collectors from Apr 01, 2024 to Apr 30, 2024.

Total number of debt collectors complained about: 883

The types of debt behind the complaints were:

• 6335 I do not know (50%)
• 2151 Credit card debt (17%)
• 1683 Other debt (13%)
• 758 Telecommunications debt (6%)
• 645 Rental debt (5%)
• 584 Medical debt (5%)
• 353 Auto debt (3%)
• 152 Payday loan debt (1%)
• 54 Mortgage debt (0%)
• 41 Private student loan debt (0%)
• 36 Federal student loan debt (0%)

Here is a breakdown of complaints:

• 5549 Attempts to collect debt not owed (43%)
• 5068 Written notification about debt (40%)
• 707 Took or threatened to take negative or legal action (6%)
• 635 False statements or representation (5%)
• 522 Communication tactics (4%)
• 158 Electronic communications (1%)
• 153 Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly (1%)

The top five subissues were:

• 3425 Debt is not yours (27%)
• 2928 Notification didnt disclose it was an attempt to collect a debt (23%)
• 1468 Debt was result of identity theft (11%)
• 1175 Didnt receive enough information to verify debt (9%)
• 965 Didnt receive notice of right to dispute (8%)

The top states complaints were filed from are:

• 2366 Complaints: TX
• 1526 Complaints: FL
• 1230 Complaints: CA
• 972 Complaints: GA
• 725 Complaints: IL
• 691 Complaints: NY
• 514 Complaints: PA
• 356 Complaints: NC
• 308 Complaints: AZ
• 305 Complaints: VA

The status of the month’s complaints are as follows:

• 6259 Closed with explanation (49%)
• 4010 In progress (31%)
• 2433 Closed with non-monetary relief (19%)
• 65 Untimely response (1%)
• 25 Closed with monetary relief (0%)

This includes 12658 (99%) timely responses to complaints, and 134 (1%) untimely responses.

Quick analysis: Mixed March, YTD Numbers Still Riding High

It has been a robust Q1 in the world of consumer complaints. Similar to February, the consumer complaint/litigation numbers are mixed for March (TCPA +1.5%, FDCPA -13.1%, FCRA -30.6%), but the year to date numbers are all still way up in the double digits over the same period last year (TCPA +26.6%, FDCPA +12.9%, FCRA +28.4%). CFPB complaints were up both in March (+36%) and YTD (a dramatic +60.4%).

In other news, putative class actions represented 10% of FDCPA, 60.4%(!) of TCPA and 4.1% of FCRA lawsuits filed last month. TCPA class actions are still extraordinarily high, historically speaking. About 40% of all plaintiffs who filed suit last month had filed at least once before. And finally, Tampa attorney Octavio Gomez took the top spot for representing the most consumers (22) in March and YTD (63). Technically, two other firms have higher plaintiff counts by bundling a whole bunch of plaintiffs into a couple of suits, but we’re not going to count that here.

Complaint Statistics:

12335 consumers filed CFPB complaints, and about 904 consumers filed lawsuits under consumer statutes from Mar 01, 2024 to Mar 31, 2024.

• 12335 CFPB Complaints
• 319 FDCPA, 32 Class Action (10.0%)
• 139 TCPA, 84 Class Action (60.4%)
• 469 FCRA, 19 Class Action (4.1%)

Litigation Summary (scroll down for CFPB data):

• Of those cases, there were about 904 unique plaintiffs (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit).
• Of those plaintiffs, about 363, or (40%), had sued under consumer statutes before.
• Combined, those plaintiffs have filed about 2625 lawsuits since 2001
• Actions were filed in 146 different US District Court branches.
• About 564 different collection firms and creditors were sued.

The top courts where lawsuits were filed:

• 67 Lawsuits: Georgia Northern District Court – Atlanta
• 39 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Tampa
• 35 Lawsuits: Illinois Northern District Court – Chicago
• 32 Lawsuits: California Central District Court – Western Division – Los Angeles
• 21 Lawsuits: New York Eastern District Court – Brooklyn
• 20 Lawsuits: Texas Southern District Court – Houston
• 20 Lawsuits: Indiana Southern District Court – Indianapolis
• 19 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Orlando
• 19 Lawsuits: Arizona District Court – Phoenix
• 17 Lawsuits: New Jersey District Court – Newark

The most active consumer attorneys were:

• Representing 100 Consumers: ZHENYA A BAGDASARYAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: NELLY ISPIRYAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: EUGENE PATTERSON HARRIS
• Representing 100 Consumers: TAMAR G ARMINAK
• Representing 22 Consumers: OCTAVIO GOMEZ
• Representing 15 Consumers: YITZCHAK ZELMAN
• Representing 15 Consumers: JENNIFER GOMES SIMIL
• Representing 14 Consumers: MATTHEW THOMAS BERRY
• Representing 14 Consumers: FRANK H KERNEY
• Representing 13 Consumers: CHRISTOPHER NEIL ARMOR

Statistics Year to Date:
2673 total lawsuits for 2024, including:

• 1143 FDCPA
• 1681 FCRA
• 476 TCPA

Number of Unique Plaintiffs for 2024: 2838 (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit)

The most active consumer attorneys of the year:

• Representing 127 Consumers: MELKON RAFI MELKONIAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: EILEEN KEUSSEYAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: HAROUT GREG KEOSIAN
• Representing 127 Consumers: ZAREH JACK KOUSIAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: NELLY ISPIRYAN
• Representing 100 Consumers: EUGENE PATTERSON HARRIS
• Representing 100 Consumers: TAMAR G ARMINAK
• Representing 100 Consumers: ZHENYA A BAGDASARYAN
• Representing 63 Consumers: OCTAVIO GOMEZ
• Representing 55 Consumers: CHRIS R MILTENBERGER

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CFPB Complaint Statistics:

There were 12335 complaints filed against debt collectors from Mar 01, 2024 to Mar 31, 2024.

Total number of debt collectors complained about: 900

The types of debt behind the complaints were:

• 5209 I do not know (42%)
• 2249 Credit card debt (18%)
• 1916 Other debt (16%)
• 903 Telecommunications debt (7%)
• 648 Rental debt (5%)
• 632 Medical debt (5%)
• 419 Auto debt (3%)
• 172 Payday loan debt (1%)
• 95 Mortgage debt (1%)
• 52 Private student loan debt (0%)
• 40 Federal student loan debt (0%)

Here is a breakdown of complaints:

• 5962 Attempts to collect debt not owed (48%)
• 4361 Written notification about debt (35%)
• 677 Took or threatened to take negative or legal action (5%)
• 549 False statements or representation (4%)
• 486 Communication tactics (4%)
• 174 Electronic communications (1%)
• 126 Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly (1%)

The top five subissues were:

• 3568 Debt is not yours (29%)
• 1740 Notification didnt disclose it was an attempt to collect a debt (14%)
• 1552 Debt was result of identity theft (13%)
• 1445 Didnt receive notice of right to dispute (12%)
• 1176 Didnt receive enough information to verify debt (10%)

The top states complaints were filed from are:

• 1836 Complaints: TX
• 1485 Complaints: FL
• 1298 Complaints: CA
• 900 Complaints: GA
• 711 Complaints: IL
• 688 Complaints: NY
• 602 Complaints: PA
• 378 Complaints: NJ
• 350 Complaints: AZ
• 300 Complaints: NC

The status of the month’s complaints are as follows:

• 6622 Closed with explanation (54%)
• 3258 In progress (26%)
• 2335 Closed with non-monetary relief (19%)
• 95 Untimely response (1%)
• 25 Closed with monetary relief (0%)

This includes 12128 (98%) timely responses to complaints, and 207 (2%) untimely responses.

Quick analysis: 2024 Starts with a ROAR

We can’t remember the last time consumer complaints and litigation had such a strong month across the board. Everything in January was up double digit percentages over Dec 2023: TCPA +78.6%(!), FDCPA +24.1%, FCRA +23.8%. And everything was also up double digit percentages YTD against last year: TCPA +50.4%, FDCPA +30.5%, FCRA +19.6%. CFPB complaints were similarly up +14.8% for the month and +14.3% YTD.

For some context, here’s a thought experiment. If every month in 2024 ends up like January, TCPA litigation would end the year 42.6% up over 2023, FDCPA would be 30.5% up and FCRA would be 13.8% higher. That’s a pattern we haven’t seen in many years, but of course these numbers are only one month in to 2024 and don’t really mean anything yet. Other than, wow, what a month.

In other news, putative class actions represented 5.3% of FDCPA, 32% of TCPA and 2.6% of FCRA lawsuits filed last month. About 48%(!) of all plaintiffs who filed suit last month had filed at least once before. And finally, Dallas-area attorney Chris R. Miltenberger gets his first crack at the top spot for representing the most consumers in January (as well as YTD) with 54 consumers represented.

Complaint Statistics:

6947 consumers filed CFPB complaints, and about 976 consumers filed lawsuits under consumer statutes from Jan 01, 2024 to Jan 31, 2024.

• 6947 CFPB Complaints
• 453 FDCPA, 24 Class Action (5.3%)
• 200 TCPA, 64 Class Action (32.0%)
• 530 FCRA, 14 Class Action (2.6%)

Litigation Summary (scroll down for CFPB data):

• Of those cases, there were about 976 unique plaintiffs (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit).
• Of those plaintiffs, about 468, or (48%), had sued under consumer statutes before.
• Combined, those plaintiffs have filed about 7202 lawsuits since 2001
• Actions were filed in 155 different US District Court branches.
• About 681 different collection firms and creditors were sued.

The top courts where lawsuits were filed:

• 56 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Tampa
• 56 Lawsuits: Georgia Northern District Court – Atlanta
• 36 Lawsuits: Illinois Northern District Court – Chicago
• 31 Lawsuits: Texas Northern District Court – Dallas
• 30 Lawsuits: California Central District Court – Western Division – Los Angeles
• 29 Lawsuits: Indiana Southern District Court – Indianapolis
• 28 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Orlando
• 27 Lawsuits: California Southern District Court – San Diego
• 23 Lawsuits: Texas Southern District Court – Houston
• 22 Lawsuits: Florida Southern District Court – Fort Lauderdale

The most active consumer attorneys were:

• Representing 54 Consumers: CHRIS R MILTENBERGER
• Representing 24 Consumers: OCTAVIO GOMEZ
• Representing 18 Consumers: DAVID J PHILIPPS
• Representing 17 Consumers: MATTHEW THOMAS BERRY
• Representing 17 Consumers: SHAWN SHAWN JAFFER
• Representing 15 Consumers: JONATHAN ALEXANDER HEEPS
• Representing 14 Consumers: CHRISTOPHER NEIL ARMOR
• Representing 13 Consumers: FRANK H KERNEY
• Representing 12 Consumers: ELLIOT ELO
• Representing 12 Consumers: JENNIFER GOMES SIMIL

Statistics Year to Date:
960 total lawsuits for 2024, including:

• 453 FDCPA
• 530 FCRA
• 200 TCPA

Number of Unique Plaintiffs for 2024: 976 (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit)

The most active consumer attorneys of the year:

• Representing 54 Consumers: CHRIS R MILTENBERGER
• Representing 24 Consumers: OCTAVIO GOMEZ
• Representing 18 Consumers: DAVID J PHILIPPS
• Representing 17 Consumers: MATTHEW THOMAS BERRY
• Representing 17 Consumers: SHAWN SHAWN JAFFER
• Representing 15 Consumers: JONATHAN ALEXANDER HEEPS
• Representing 14 Consumers: CHRISTOPHER NEIL ARMOR
• Representing 13 Consumers: FRANK H KERNEY
• Representing 12 Consumers: ELLIOT ELO
• Representing 12 Consumers: JENNIFER GOMES SIMIL

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CFPB Complaint Statistics:

There were 6947 complaints filed against debt collectors from Jan 01, 2024 to Jan 31, 2024.

Total number of debt collectors complained about: 778

The types of debt behind the complaints were:

• 1901 I do not know (27%)
• 1759 Credit card debt (25%)
• 1203 Other debt (17%)
• 522 Medical debt (8%)
• 470 Rental debt (7%)
• 437 Telecommunications debt (6%)
• 356 Auto debt (5%)
• 140 Payday loan debt (2%)
• 64 Mortgage debt (1%)
• 59 Federal student loan debt (1%)
• 36 Private student loan debt (1%)

Here is a breakdown of complaints:

• 3599 Attempts to collect debt not owed (52%)
• 1699 Written notification about debt (24%)
• 570 Took or threatened to take negative or legal action (8%)
• 463 False statements or representation (7%)
• 389 Communication tactics (6%)
• 120 Electronic communications (2%)
• 107 Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly (2%)

The top five subissues were:

• 1602 Debt is not yours (23%)
• 1413 Debt was result of identity theft (20%)
• 1388 Didnt receive enough information to verify debt (20%)
• 474 Debt was paid (7%)
• 371 Attempted to collect wrong amount (5%)

The top states complaints were filed from are:

• 917 Complaints: CA
• 903 Complaints: TX
• 644 Complaints: FL
• 482 Complaints: NY
• 445 Complaints: GA
• 358 Complaints: IL
• 300 Complaints: PA
• 215 Complaints: NJ
• 191 Complaints: LA
• 182 Complaints: OH

The status of the month’s complaints are as follows:

• 4263 Closed with explanation (61%)
• 1661 In progress (24%)
• 916 Closed with non-monetary relief (13%)
• 86 Untimely response (1%)
• 21 Closed with monetary relief (0%)

This includes 6810 (98%) timely responses to complaints, and 137 (2%) untimely responses.