The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking action against a debt collection company in Georgia, Global Circulation, Inc. (GCI), and its owner, Kenneth Redon, III, for allegedly deceiving people into paying over $7.6 million in fake debts.
The company used illegal tactics like threatening consumers with jail, harassing their family members, and making false claims.
A court temporarily shut down GCI and ordered it to hand over its assets to a court-appointed manager.
“Debt collectors should know that harassing families and making empty threats of jail time is illegal,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “This action should send a clear message that illegal collection practices will come with heavy consequences.”
According to the FTC, GCI used fake names and called people unexpectedly, threatening arrest, wage garnishment, or lawsuits to get them to pay debts that often didn’t exist or weren’t legally collectible.
The company would repeatedly call, sometimes several times a day, leaving urgent voicemails and pushing consumers to pay immediately by credit or debit card to avoid legal trouble.
GCI also contacted consumers' family members with similar threats. The company often failed to identify itself as a debt collector, as required by law, and used personal information to appear legitimate. These tactics convinced thousands of people to pay the fake debts.
On October 29, 2024, the court froze GCI's assets and placed the company under a court-appointed receiver’s control as the case continues.