Predatory Fintech Practices

• Shadow Loans & Fintech UsuryApps that offer 'instant' advances often charge fees that, when calculated as an APR, exceed New York’s 16% usury cap. We reclassify these 'tips' as illegal interest to void the underlying debt.
• Unauthorized Account DebitsIf a cash advance or EWA app has debited your bank account after you revoked authorization or ignored a stop payment order, they have committed a federal violation under Regulation E.
• The Neobank FreezeWhen digital banks like Chime or CashApp freeze your account without providing provisional credit within 10 days, they are violating the EFTA. We litigate to restore access and seek damages for the hardship.
• Payment App Fraud (Zelle/Venmo)While we focus on usury, we also hold banks accountable for Zelle scams where they refuse to refund victims by claiming the fraud was 'authorized'.

The “Unfair & Abusive” Standard (New York 2026)

The FAIR Act, effective February 17, 2026, allows us to challenge fintech practices that take unreasonable advantage of a consumer’s lack of understanding. We use this new New York standard to litigate junk fees, deceptive app interfaces (Dark Patterns), and the aggressive steering of consumers into high-cost instant transfers.