Regulators crack down on aggressive, dubious debt collectors

NEW YORK (AP) — Bogus debt collectors are accused in a nationwide crackdown of harassing and threatening consumers, often about debts that don’t actually exist. The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday highlighted enforcement actions filed in recent months against two South Carolina-based debt collection firms accused of bilking people out of a combined $17.2 million, as well as settlements with three other firms accused of using pressure tactics and other shady practices. In an ironi