Riddle & Associates Caught By State Attorney General

An investigation of Riddle & Associates, a collection agency law firm, by West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw, has resulted in the end of Riddle & Associates representing DIRECTV in the state.

Nearly 300 West Virginia consumers received a collection letter from Riddle & Associates, falsely threatening to add attorneys fees and collection costs to alleged DIRECTV bills.

But Riddle & Associates had previously promised to end this unlawful and deceptive collection practice in a 2004 settlement agreement with Attorney General Darrell McGraw's office.

Riddle signed a new agreement again promising to refrain from using false collection letters, agreed to pay a fine to the state, and consented to cease collecting DIRECTV accounts in West Virginia.

DIRECTV agreed to close the accounts with a zero balance.