$3B lost to elder financial abuse annually. 5M+ seniors victimized.
From predatory lending to debt collector harassment - know your legal protections.
Free legal tools • Complaint templates • 3 expert guides
Select your specific financial problem to learn your rights, see compensation amounts, and start your claim
Unexpected overdraft fees, hidden account charges, or unauthorized fees imposed by your bank
Disputed charge on credit card for fraudulent transaction, unauthorized use, or non-delivery
UK credit card payment protection: claim refund from card issuer for misrepresented goods/services
Fraudulent charges on account, identity theft, or payment made without your consent
PPI, mortgage, investment, or insurance product sold with misleading information or unsuitable for you
Debt collector violating FDCPA with threats, false claims, or repeated calls outside permitted times
Pension payment errors, early withdrawal penalties, or survivor benefits incorrectly denied
Student loan scams, predatory lending, loan modification fraud, or other financial violations
April 2025. Senate Joint Resolution 18 passes. President signs. The CFPB's overdraft rule—which would have capped fees at $5—dies before birth. Banks celebrate quietly. Since 2000, they've extracted $280 billion from overdraft fees. Not loans. Not services. Fees. For the crime of being broke.
Navy Federal Credit Union just got slapped with $95 million for "surprise" overdraft fees. Wells Fargo: $205 million refunded. Regions Bank: $141 million. Atlantic Union: $5 million. These aren't fines for complex financial crimes. They're penalties for stealing from people who had no money to steal. The average overdraft? $26. The average fee? $35. You do the math. Actually, the CFPB did: 16,000% annual percentage rate.
Banks reorder your transactions to maximize fees. Here's Tuesday:
JPMorgan and Bank of America reduced fees after public pressure. Others doubled down.
Missouri has more payday loan stores than McDonald's and Starbucks combined. 958 locations. Population: 6.2 million. That's one predatory lender for every 6,472 residents. Average loan: $300. Average fee: $75 for two weeks. Miss the deadline? Roll it over. New fee. Repeat. One Kansas City teacher borrowed $500 for car repairs. Eighteen months later, she'd paid $2,800 in fees. Still owed $500.
The industry calls them "short-term solutions." The CFPB calls them debt traps. Twelve million Americans use payday loans annually. Average borrower? Stuck in debt five months per year. Not occasionally broke. Permanently broke. The business model requires it. If people could repay, the industry collapses.
Margaret, 84, Baltimore. Son convinced her to add him to bank accounts "for emergencies." Drained $340,000 in eight months. Casino trips, motorcycle, girlfriend's plastic surgery. When confronted: "It's my inheritance anyway." This happens 5 million times annually.
68% of elder financial abuse comes from family. Not scammers. Not strangers. Sons, daughters, grandchildren. Average loss: $120,000. Recovery rate: 3%. Why? "Mom won't press charges." "Dad has dementia, can't testify." "It's a family matter." Banks see the patterns—sudden large withdrawals, new account signers, unusual spending. They're required to report. They don't. Too much paperwork.
100 million Americans have medical debt. Not "had." Have. Right now. The CFPB tried removing it from credit reports. Industry sued. Meanwhile, debt collectors buy medical debt for pennies, then harass patients for years. That emergency appendectomy? Sold to Asset Acceptance for $50. They'll chase you for $5,000. Legal? Yes. Moral? Different question.
Phoenix woman, cancer survivor, thought insurance covered chemo. Surprise: $73,000 balance. Out-of-network anesthesiologist. Nobody told her. Now garnishing wages, lien on house. She works two jobs. Still paying. Will die still paying. Debt collectors call it "portfolio recovery." Patients call it something else.
Student loans hit different. $1.7 trillion outstanding. Federal loans can't be discharged in bankruptcy. Private loans? 92% have variable rates that started at 3% and climbed to 15%. Columbia grad student borrowed $80,000 for journalism degree. Owes $170,000 after ten years of payments. Income-driven repayment plan? Payments don't cover interest. Balance grows. Dies with debt. Government takes tax refunds from estate.
Credit card companies discovered something beautiful in 2023: if you raise APRs during inflation, people blame inflation, not you. Average APR jumped to 24.37%. Penalty APR? 32%. Miss one payment on one card? Universal default clause triggers. All your cards jump to penalty rate. Perfectly legal. Devastatingly effective.
Check cashing: 2% of every paycheck. No bank account: $15 to pay each bill. Prepaid debit cards: $9.95 monthly fee. Car title loan: 300% APR. Rent-to-own furniture: Pay $3,500 for $1,000 couch. Being poor is expensive. Being rich is free.
Chase Private Client: No fees, no minimums (need $150K relationship). Regular Chase checking: $12 monthly unless you maintain $1,500. The less you have, the more they take. It's not a bug. It's the business model.
The CFPB saved consumers $20 billion under previous leadership. New leadership promises to "reduce regulatory burden." Translation: open season on consumers. Your defense? Know your rights. Demand written validation of debts. Record every call (where legal). Never pay what you don't owe. And remember: being poor isn't a crime, no matter how much they charge you for it.
Nation-leading protections with powerful penalties for financial exploitation
Under California WIC §15600, you can sue for:
Statute of Limitations: 4 years from discovery of abuse
Debt collectors CANNOT:
Mail certified letter (template):
Send via certified mail with return receipt.
You can sue debt collectors for:
File complaint: CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint
Illegal Practices:
Action: File complaint with CFPB + demand refund in writing with statement evidence
Check your state's usury limits:
Action: Consult attorney specializing in predatory lending (often contingency fee)
Illegal:
Action: File CFPB complaint + dispute charges with card issuer in writing
Describe your elder abuse, debt harassment, or predatory lending issue and we'll help you fight back
Start by selecting your issue type or describe what happened
Caregiver coerced 82-year-old woman to transfer property deed. Family sued under WIC §15600. Won treble damages ($450K → $1.35M) + attorney's fees. Caregiver criminally prosecuted.
Major bank reordered transactions high-to-low to maximize overdraft fees. Class action under state consumer protection laws. $6M settlement + policy changes. Average payout: $75/customer.
Debt collector called workplace 30+ times after cease-and-desist letter. Called before 8am. Threatened arrest. Plaintiff sued, won $1K statutory + $3.5K emotional distress + attorney fees.
Learn how to protect against elder abuse, predatory lending, and debt collector harassment
Scopri come 62 milioni di americani hanno affrontato frodi di carta di credito nel 2025, con il 93% che ha recuperato i propri soldi. Dal caso di Sarah che ha recuperato €3,200 alle strategie banca-per-banca: la tua guida completa per trasformare la vittimizzazione in vittoria.
Financial regulations vary by jurisdiction, and every case is unique. Our AI will analyze your specific situation, identify applicable protections, and guide you through the complaint process.
Report Financial Abuse →Free tools • Jurisdiction-specific guidance • Expert support