WASHINGTON - Expanding its reach, the government's consumer finance watchdog agency will monitor the day-to-day operations of big debt-collection companies, the agency said Wednesday. It is the first time that debt collectors have been subject to federal scrutiny of their routine business practices. The move lengthens the list of industries that face oversight by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The agency was set up after the financial crisis to protect consumers from misleading marketing, unfair fees and other harmful practices. Debt collectors have long been criticized for hard-knuckled tactics like calling the employers of people who fail to repay debts or filing lawsuits...
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