Consumers have filed at least five federal lawsuits against P&B Capital Group, LLC, the West Seneca, New York debt collector, with cases filed between 2018 and 2025 accusing the company of violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. A P&B Capital Group lawsuit typically alleges one of a few recurring problems: collection letters that present the full balance as a discounted “settlement,” contact with consumers after the company was told they had an attorney, false threats of suit or garnishment, and unauthorized withdrawals from consumer bank accounts.
The Allegations That Keep Coming Up
Across the federal complaints, plaintiffs point to a similar set of tactics. Letters that use the word “settlement” for an amount identical to what is owed. Short deadlines attached to those offers. Continued direct contact after the consumer’s lawyer sent notice. Phone calls that don’t identify the caller as a debt collector, and voicemails threatening lawsuits, wage garnishment, or property liens. The statutes cited are usually Sections 1692e and 1692g of the FDCPA, which cover false or misleading representations and required written disclosures.
Thomas v. P&B Capital Group (2018): The “Settlement” That Wasn’t
The most detailed case in the public record is Thomas v. P&B Capital Group, LLC, a proposed class action filed January 31, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York (Case No. 1:18-cv-00165).1ClassAction.org. PBCG Crown Asset Management Named in Debt Collection Complaint Mary Thomas alleged that P&B sent her a letter on behalf of Crown Asset Management about a $944.56 Synchrony Bank debt. The letter listed a “Settlement Amount” identical to the full balance and gave her seven days to pay before the offer expired.2ClassAction.org. Thomas v. P&B Capital Group et al., Case No. 1:18-cv-00165
Thomas argued the letter was misleading for two reasons. Calling the full balance a “settlement” implied a discount that didn’t exist, and the seven-day deadline was a fabricated pressure tactic because a consumer can pay a debt in full at any time. The complaint also alleged P&B failed to clearly identify the current creditor.2ClassAction.org. Thomas v. P&B Capital Group et al., Case No. 1:18-cv-00165 The proposed class covered anyone who received a similar letter from P&B on behalf of Crown Asset Management. Available records do not show the case’s final outcome.
Giordano v. P&B Capital Group (2018): Contact After Attorney Notice
Giordano v. P&B Capital Group, LLC (Case No. 2:18-cv-03340), filed June 7, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, focused on a different problem.3ClassAction.org. Giordano v. P&B Capital Group, LLC et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-03340 Nicholas Giordano’s attorney sent P&B a letter in July 2017 notifying the company of his legal representation and demanding that direct contact stop. P&B then mailed Giordano another collection letter in October 2017 on behalf of Crown Asset Management.4ClassAction.org. PBCG Crown Asset Management Sued Over Potential FDCPA Violations Under the FDCPA, once a collector knows a consumer has a lawyer, it must communicate through the lawyer. The complaint also called the letter’s reference to a “current” balance deceptive because the account was not accruing interest or fees. No final outcome appears in available records.
Carter v. Herschel, Goldman & Associates (2018): Threats and Unauthorized Withdrawals
P&B was also a co-defendant in Carter v. Herschel, Goldman & Associates, LLC (Case No. 2:18-cv-00294), filed January 22, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alongside Herschel, Goldman & Associates and Deville Asset Management.5ClassAction.org. Carter v. Herschel, Goldman & Associates, LLC et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-00294 The plaintiff alleged the defendants failed to identify themselves as debt collectors on calls, made repeated calls to him and his relatives, and issued false threats to sue, garnish wages, and place a lien on his mother’s property. One voicemail allegedly threatened a suit for “three times the amount” owed.6ClassAction.org. PA Man Files FDCPA Suit Over Debt Collectors False Threats
The complaint added Electronic Fund Transfer Act claims, alleging withdrawals of $502.99 and then $1,525.82 from the plaintiff’s bank account without proper written authorization and in amounts exceeding what was agreed upon.5ClassAction.org. Carter v. Herschel, Goldman & Associates, LLC et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-00294 According to the filing, P&B and Herschel, Goldman were “either the same entity or separate entities working together,” and calls placed to P&B were often transferred directly to Herschel, Goldman. Deville Asset Management had reportedly hired both firms to collect on a debt originally owed to Santander. No final resolution is available in the public record.
Newer Cases Still Moving Through Court
A lawsuit titled Smiling v. P&B Capital Group of New York, LLC was filed in 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, though detailed allegations and any outcome have not been publicly reported beyond the filing.7ClassAction.org. P&B Capital Group, LLC In July 2025, another FDCPA suit was filed, Combs v. P&B Capital Group, LLC (Case No. 2:25-cv-00505) in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. That case was assigned to Judge R. Austin Huffaker Jr., with a jury trial demanded by the plaintiff, and court filings continued through at least December 2025.8CourtListener. Combs v. P&B Capital Group, LLC
BBB Complaints and Regulator Activity
Outside federal court, the Better Business Bureau lists 130 complaints filed against P&B over the prior three years as of mid-2026, with 125 categorized as billing issues. P&B holds a B rating and has been BBB-accredited since April 2021.9Better Business Bureau. P&B Capital Group LLC – Complaints Recurring themes in those complaints include contact with family members, friends, or employers about a consumer’s debt; disputes over whether the debt is owed or was already paid; and allegations of inaccurate credit reporting.
P&B’s BBB responses, signed by a “Managing Member,” have frequently treated complaints as formal cease-and-desist requests and closed the account back to the original creditor. In at least one response, the company argued that a debt was commercial in nature and therefore not subject to FDCPA restrictions on third-party contact.9Better Business Bureau. P&B Capital Group LLC – Complaints No major enforcement action by the Federal Trade Commission or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau against P&B Capital Group has been publicly identified as of mid-2026.10CreditFirm.net. What Is and How to Remove P&B Capital Group Collection From Credit Report