Last Updated
Case Status
Pending
Federal Trade Commission, Plaintiff v. Student Advocates Team, LLC, a limited liability company; Progress Advocates Group, LLC, a limited liability company, also dba Student Advocates; Student Advocates Group, LLC, a limited liability company; Assurance Solution Services, LLC, a limited liability company; Bradley Jason Hunt, an individual; Sean Quincy Lucero, an individual; and Equitable Acceptance Corporation, a corporation; Defendants.
FTC Matter/File Number
172 3036
Civil Action Number
8:19-cv-01728
Federal Court
Central District of California
Case Summary
In September 2019, the FTC announced a complaint against the operators of two student loan debt relief schemes, and a financing company that assisted them, with bilking millions of dollars from consumers. The FTC alleged Manhattan Beach Ventures and Equitable Acceptance Corporation and Student Advocates Team, and the financing company that assisted them illegally charged upfront fees that the companies led consumers to believe went towards their student loans, and falsely promised that their services would permanently lower or even eliminate their loan payments or balances. On August 18, 2022, the FTC it was sending more than $822,000 back to defrauded consumers.