A District Court judge in Illinois has given preliminary approval to a $18 million settlement that would end six class-action lawsuits alleging Wells Fargo violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by making calls to individuals who were not customers of the bank in an attempt to collect on unpaid debts.
A copy of the settlement agreement can be accessed by clicking here. A copy of the judge’s preliminary approval can be accessed by clicking here.
The proposed settlement agreement indicated that there are as many as 440,000 potential members of the class action who can participate in the settlement.
To be a member of the class, the individual must have been a user or subscriber to a wireless or cellular telephone service within the United States to which Wells Fargo made or initiated any Call in connection with the collection or servicing of a mortgage or home equity loan, credit card account, retail installment sale contract for an automobile, automobile loan, overdraft on a deposit account, student loan, or in connection with a fraud alert on a credit card or deposit account, using any automated dialing technology or artificial or prerecorded voice technology; and someone who was not a customer of the bank.
Wells was accused of making the calls to the cell phones of individuals without first obtaining the proper consent to do so, as required under the TCPA.
