JP Morgan Chase ‘Bombarded’ Disabled Woman With Debt Collection Calls, Lawsuit Claims

A woman who fell behind in her credit card payments due to financial hardship and the onset of physical disabilities was unlawfully harassed by JP Morgan Chase debt collectors using a robodialer, a new lawsuit alleges.

California woman Natalie Dobrott filed the lawsuit against JP Morgan Chase Bank in the Central District of California Friday, alleging the bank had violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Rosenthal Act).

Dobrott says the problems started in early 2021 after she fell behind on her Amazon credit card, issued through JP Morgan Chase. 

She had fallen behind on her payments due to financial hardship and the onset of physical disabilities, the lawsuit says. Dobrott started receiving calls from the bank’s debt collection representatives, and told them her situation, but it appeared to be ignored.

“Rather than understanding [her] condition and financial situation, [JP Morgan Chase’s] representatives continued placing systematic phone calls, and persisted with their coercive attempts at extracting payment from [Dobrott].”

Dobrott says she asked JP Morgan Chase to stop contacting her, but the bank “continued to bombard her” with calls. She says she received at least 15 calls after telling JP Morgan Chase to stop, sometimes multiple calls per day.

Dobrott believes the bank was using an automated dialing system to call her, the lawsuit states.

“Upon answering calls from Defendant, Plaintiff experiences a noticeable pause, lasting a handful of seconds in length, and has to repeatedly say “hello” before a live representative begins to speak.”

Dobrott is suing under the TCPA, which prohibits calling people on their cell phones using an automatic telephone dialing system without their consent and provides for damages up to $500 per violation of the act.

She is also suing under the Rosenthal Act, which prohibits a business from engaging any person in a telephone conversation repeatedly or continuously with intent to annoy, abuse, or harass any person at the dialed number.

“In spite of the fact that Plaintiff informed Defendant of her physical and financial hardships, as well as Plaintiff’s demands that it stop calling her, Defendant continued with its onslaught of collection calls, including the placement of multiple calls during the same day,” the lawsuit states.  

Dobrott is seeking damages, costs, fees and a ruling stopping JP Morgan Chase from continuing to contact her about the debt. 

This is not the first time JP Morgan Chase has faced legal action under the TCPA. In 2019, three plaintiffs filed a class action lawsuit against the bank alleging it made repeated phone calls even after they asked for them to stop.

Natalie Dobrott is represented by Neda Farah, Esq. of Farah Law P.C. 

The JP Morgan Chase TCPA Proposed Class Action is Natalie Dobrott v. J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, Case No. 8:21-cv-00563, in the United States District Court Central District Of California.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• Capital One Made 475 Telemarketing Calls, TCPA Lawsuit Claims
• Do Not Call List TCPA Violations Class Action Lawsuit Investigation
• USAA Violated Law with Debt Collection Calls, Says Georgia Man
• Do You Qualify: Abandoned Cart Text Message Class Action Lawsuit Claim Review