The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) yesterday sued TransUnion and one of its former executives, accusing the credit reporting agency of tricking consumers into making recurring payments after being fined in 2017 for similar activity, Reuters reported. The CFPB's lawsuit, filed in federal court in Illinois, accuses John Danaher, who headed one of TransUnion's subsidiaries, of failing to ensure that the company stopped the deceptive activity. The suit seeks monetary relief for consumers, injunctive relief and fines. "TransUnion is an out-of-control repeat offender that believes it is above the law," CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a statement. "I am concerned that TransUnion's leadership is either unwilling or incapable of operating its businesses lawfully." The company in a statement called the CFPB's claims "meritless." Danaher left TransUnion in 2021, according to the CFPB. In its complaint, the CFPB said TransUnion failed to address shortcomings identified in a 2017 enforcement action under which the company paid $16.9 million to settle charges that it deceptively marketed its products, tricking customers into recurring-payment products and making canceling them difficult. The CFPB said that Danaher, who headed a subsidiary called TransUnion Interactive, sought to delay compliance with the 2017 order to try to boost revenue.
