Washington, DC - The Federal Trade Commission is mailing almost 95,000 checks totaling approximately $4 million to consumers who lost money to a debt collection operation that extorted payments from them using false threats.

In May 2014, the FTC settled charges against Asset Capital and Management Group, which, under various names, illegally extracted payments from consumers for credit card debt the defendants had purchased from creditors. The settlement order banned the defendants from the debt collection industry.

Consumers who receive the checks from the FTC’s refund administrator for this matter, Analytics Consulting LLC, should deposit or cash them within 60 days of the mailing date. The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or to provide information before refund checks can be cashed.

Consumers who receive checks and have questions can contact Analytics at 1-855-312-3324. More information about the FTC’s refund program is available on the FTC’s website.