The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office in the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas field a settlement calling for a county legal firm to pay $25,000 in restitution and $10,000 in penalties and costs for what Attorney General Michelle Henry called misleading advertising practices and failure to provide debt settlement services.

Henry announced Thursday attorney Erik M. Helbing, and his law firm Helbing Law LLC, and Consumer Law Relief LLC, which also does business as Helbing Law Group LLC, advertised and sold debt settlement services to consumers in Pennsylvania and other states.

According to the settlement, the Helbing businesses advertised it could reduce consumers’ debts through negotiation or litigation. Despite these claims, Helbing and his businesses failed to provide these services, even though they accepted unlawful advance payment from consumers, Henry said.

Many consumers believed attorneys were working on their debt, but some accounts were transferred to non-attorney call center representatives for servicing.

Prior to the settlement, Helbing issued at least $50,000 in refunds to consumers.

Henry said additional consumers who think they have been harmed by this firm may be eligible for restitution and should file a consumer complaint at www.attorneygeneral.gov by April 23, 2024.

The settlement further bans Helbing and his businesses from violating the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, the Debt Settlement Services Act, and the Telemarketing Sales Rule.