For years, a South Carolina lender “humiliated and harassed” customers by directing its employees to approach them at their homes, jobs or even at grocery stores to collect on debts, according to a government settlement announced yesterday, the Washington Post reported. Between 2011 and 2016, Security Group either attempted or completed these in-person collection visits more than 12 million times, targeting 1.3 million customers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Some consumers were threatened with jail, shoved or “physically blocked” from leaving private property, according to a consent order. Security Group, which offers short-term, high-cost loans, agreed to a relatively small fine, $5 million. But it denied any wrongdoing.
