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NEWS RELEASE
CURRAN CHARGES CREDIT REPAIR COMPANY WITH UNFAIR AND DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES Baltimore - Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that his Consumer Protection Division has charged a Prince George’s County credit repair company, Omega Credit Restoration Services (formerly known as Omega Financial Services) and its president, Charles Brooks, with multiple violations of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act for selling credit repair services that violate state and federal law. Brooks, 41, of 8646 Colesville Road, No. 143, Silver Spring, and Omega are charged with violating state and federal law by offering to remove negative but accurate credit information from consumers’ credit records and offering to help consumers obtain new credit identities by changing their Social Security numbers. The Maryland Credit Services Businesses Act and the United States Credit Repair Organizations Act require credit repair companies to inform consumers that they cannot get negative information removed from a consumer’s credit file if that information is accurate. Both laws also prohibit consumers or businesses assisting them from creating new Social Security numbers in order to establish new credit. Brooks and Omega are further charged with failing to adequately advise consumers about their credit rights, offering credit repair services that they knew would be ineffective in repairing consumers’ credit histories, failing to advise consumers of their cancellation rights, and collecting money from consumers before complete performance of services for which they were being paid. Omega also violated Maryland law by selling credit repair services without having a license or posting a bond with the Maryland Commissioner of Financial Regulation. Consumers who purchased credit repair services from Omega paid $25 or $30 a month, generally paying hundreds of dollars in total. Consumers with complaints against either Charles Brooks or Omega should contact the Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division at (410) 576-6592. ### |