One case produced real relief for UnitedCashLoans borrowers. Relief in this industry is almost always limited to loans taken inside a specific window, and the settlement sites that would let you check are usually gone. Check the date on your agreement against the case record below.
The settlement that waived the debt
On 15 January 2015, AMG Services and MNE Services agreed to pay $21 million and to waive $285 million in charges that had been assessed but not yet collected. The order covered AmeriLoan, United Cash Loans, US FastCash, Advantage Cash Services and Star Cash Processing.
That waiver is the part that still matters. A refund deadline can pass; a waived charge stays waived. If a collector produces a United Cash Loans balance today, the charges behind it were extinguished a decade ago.
A further settlement in November 2015 took Red Cedar and SFS for $2.2 million each plus $68 million more in waived charges, bringing the total waived across the seven brands to roughly $353 million.
The cases
FTC / U.S. v. AMG Services (Scott Tucker)
enforcement$505M in refunds; Tucker imprisoned
Scott Tucker’s pseudo-tribal payday empire (500FastCash, Ameriloan, OneClickCash, UnitedCashLoans and more, fronted through the Miami, Modoc and Santee Sioux tribes) collapsed. The FTC mailed $505 million in refunds to 1.18 million borrowers, and Tucker was convicted of RICO and sentenced to more than 16 years.
✓ Produced relief for borrowers
What happened to UnitedCashLoans balances
What to do if you are still being collected from
- Check your loan date first. Relief in this industry is bounded by a window, and the boundary is where people lose. A Mountain Summit loan from February 2021 was not cancelled while its sister brands' were; a Lac du Flambeau loan after 1 October 2023 falls outside the $1.4 billion Fitzgerald cancellation.
- Check your state before you negotiate. In nine states, loans above the rate cap are void — nothing is owed regardless of the contract or any settlement. See where tribal loans are void.
- Do not pay to make it stop. A payment can restart the statute of limitations on a debt that may already be unenforceable. It is the most expensive reflex in debt collection.
- Demand written validation within 30 days of first contact: the original agreement, the full payment history, and proof the collector owns the debt. Chains of sale on tribal loans are frequently incomplete.
- Revoke ACH authorization in writing — to the lender and, separately, to your bank. Telling only one of the two is the common mistake.
Our full walkthrough is in how to get out of a tribal loan, and can tribal lenders sue you covers what they can and cannot actually do.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a lawsuit against UnitedCashLoans?
Yes — FTC / U.S. v. AMG Services (Scott Tucker) (D. Nev. + S.D.N.Y. (criminal)). Outcome: $505M in refunds; Tucker imprisoned. It did produce relief for borrowers.
Do I still owe my UnitedCashLoans loan?
$285M waived (with Ameriloan and USFastCash) If your loan falls outside that, or a collector contacts you anyway, demand written validation and proof of ownership before paying anything.
Can I claim money from a UnitedCashLoans settlement?
Distributed and now closed. Part of the $505M (2018) and $152M (2022) FTC/DOJ refunds — automatic, no claim needed. Final deadline passed 17 August 2022.