Credit One Bank Got Fined $10.2M for Calling You 10 Times a Day

Aye man, let me give it to you straight. Credit One Bank — the credit card company that markets hard to people rebuilding their credit — just got hit with a $10.2 million judgment for systematically harassing consumers with up to 10 phone calls per day on overdue credit card accounts.

The judgment was entered February 19, 2026 in Riverside County Superior Court, signed by Judge Harold Hopp. District Attorneys from Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, and Santa Clara counties teamed up and sued. They won. Credit One must pay $9 million in civil penalties and $1.2 million in investigative costs.

Here's what makes this wild: Credit One was already found liable by a federal jury in 2019 for the exact same behavior — violating California's Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. They paid that penalty and kept calling. They just kept doing it anyway.

The complaint alleged Credit One had an official policy allowing its vendors to make 8 calls per day to consumers, plus an additional 2 calls per day under certain circumstances — on consecutive days. No limits. No cool-down period. Just relentless dialing on overdue accounts.

Why This Story Matters Right Now

You've been watching the CFPB get dismantled in real time. Since the Trump administration took over, the Bureau has fired most of its enforcement staff, dropped active investigations, and steered consumers away from the federal complaint portal. TransUnion and Experian are resolving fewer disputes in consumers' favor. The machine that was supposed to protect you is idle.

But California — and other states — aren't waiting. District attorneys in four counties combined resources, built a case, and forced a card issuer that targets vulnerable credit-rebuilding consumers to answer for their conduct. This is state enforcement filling the federal vacuum.

And this matters for your credit journey specifically. Credit One specifically markets its cards to people with damaged credit — people who are already financially stretched. When you miss a payment and they start calling you 10 times a day, the pressure isn't random. It's engineered. The settlement proves it was policy, not an isolated incident.

Your FDCPA Rights — The Rules Collectors Must Follow

Whether you're dealing with Credit One, a third-party collector, or anyone else coming after money — here are the federal rules that protect you under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act:

Federal FDCPA Protections

• No calls before 8 AM or after 9 PM in your local time zone — any call outside that window is a violation
• Maximum reasonable call frequency — the FTC and courts have held that 7+ calls per week can constitute harassment on its own
• No calls to your workplace if you tell them you can't receive calls there
• Written cease and desist works — send certified mail telling them to stop calling and they must honor it (they can still sue you, but calls stop)
• No abusive, threatening, or obscene language — ever
• No false representation of the debt amount or their identity
• Debt validation rights — within 30 days of first contact, you can demand written proof they own the debt and it's accurate
• You can sue them — FDCPA violations allow you to recover up to $1,000 in statutory damages plus actual damages and attorney's fees, meaning many consumer attorneys take these cases for free

What Credit One Must Do Now

Beyond writing the check, the court ordered Credit One and its vendors to implement new policies and procedures to prevent unreasonable and harassing calls to California consumers. They must comply with both state and federal law. They're under a court order — meaning future violations could be contempt of court.

That's the enforcement model that actually changes behavior. Not a strongly worded letter. A judgment with teeth.

The NMD Takeaway

Look, if you're in the credit repair game — rebuilding, disputing, trying to climb — you need to know this landscape cold. Collectors count on you not knowing your rights. They count on you picking up the phone every time and staying silent. They count on the $10 call being cheaper than the lawsuit you never file.

Credit One built a policy around calling people into submission. Four California DAs just proved in court that this is illegal and collected $10.2 million for it. That's the power of knowing the law and using it.

If you've been harassed by a collector — any collector — document the dates and times of every call. That log is evidence. A consumer protection attorney will often take your FDCPA case for free because the law makes the collector pay attorney's fees if you win. You don't need money to fight back. You need a record and a call to a consumer attorney.

It's your boy Za. The game is information. Now you have it.