SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – The attorney general’s office is warning Californians to beware of debt collectors giving misleading information about the state’s new traffic fine amnesty program.
Attorney General Kamala Harris issued a consumer alert Wednesday in response to complaints about debt collectors that have contracted with counties to collect outstanding fines.
Harris says some are failing to notify people about California’s debt amnesty program or telling eligible people they don’t qualify.
The program that began this month allows drivers with lesser infractions such as running a red light to get a discount of 50 or 80 percent of what they owe, depending on their incomes. It doesn’t apply to parking tickets, drunken-driving or reckless-driving violations.
Harris recommends people contact the county that issued a ticket to see if it qualifies.