Scammers shut down.(BEHIND THE LINES)(National Consumer Council)(Debt Management Foundation Services)(Better Budget Financial Services)(Brief Article)

THREE OPERATIONS THAT SCAMMED low-income consumers out of more than $100 million by falsely promising easy debt relief have settled Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges that their business practices were illegal. The seams actually worsened the situation of the preyed-upon victims, and plunged some into bankruptcy.

The companies will pay more than $6 million combined in consumer redress and are permanently barred from making deceptive claims about debt-related services.

The companies have effectively been shut down by the FTC, which took prior action to force the companies into receivership.

The three companies are the National Consumer Council, of …