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Have You Been Sued for Credit Card Debt? Your Fake Relative Might Know.

Collectors claim they serve people who don’t exist, yet regulators rarely bar repeat offenders from the industry.

Julia Rock and Sam Mellins   ·   June 10, 2025
5 Key Takeaways From Our Investigation Into ‘Sewer Service’

Tens of thousands of NYC residents are sued every year for consumer debt. Many of them don’t know about it.

Julia Rock   ·   June 11, 2025
Cuomo Tried to Stop a $550 Million Debt Scam. It Didn’t Go as Planned.

As Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo put fraudulent debt collection firms on notice. He may have strengthened their hand.

Sam Mellins   ·   June 22, 2025
‘Zombie Debts’ Refuse to Die, Haunting New Yorkers for Decades

Fraud and falsehoods often don’t stop debt collectors from pursuing their targets for years.

Sam Mellins   ·   August 14, 2025
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New York Focus is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom covering state and local politics in the Empire State. We aim to make government more transparent by publishing in-depth journalism that explains how the state really works.

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