WASHINGTON (9/16/15)--The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has obtained a preliminary injunction against World Law Group and three senior leaders to stop a debt-relief scheme that charged consumers exhorbitant, illegal upfront fees totaling $67 million.

CFPB’s complaint alleged that World Law took the funds from at least 21,000 consumers, and falsely promised them a team of attorneys to help negotiate debt settlements with creditors, failed to provide legal representation, and rarely settled the debts.

The lawsuit names three leaders--Derin Scott, David Klein and Bradley James Haskins. It alleges operate through a maze of companies, including Orion Processing LLC (doing business as World Law Processing), WLD Credit Repair and World Law Debt; Family Capital Investment & Management LLC (also known as FCIAM Property Management); World Law Debt Services LLC; and World Law Processing LLC. The companies comingle funds and share functions, employees and office locations.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued the preliminary injunction.