Government agency shuts down student debt relief company – Washington Post

A federal judge has approved a judgement order to shut down a student debt relief company that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has accused of illegally charging upfront fees before providing any services to unwitting borrowers.

Student Loan Processing, which also operates as IrvineWebWorks, has 45 days to cease operations but must immediately stop accepting payments from customers, according to the order. The company, headquartered in Laguna Niguel, Calif., did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

By law, debt consulting companies must renegotiate, settle or reduce at least one debt before collecting fees for the service. They are also…