Global Trust Management on Your Credit Report: What to Know

Global Trust Management, LLC has collected payday loan and cash advance debts from their Tampa, Florida office since 2011, purchasing past-due accounts from payday lenders including tribal-affiliated online lenders.

A 2020 federal court decision found that a tribal payday lender whose accounts GTM purchased was running a scheme to commit illegal usury while hiding behind tribal immunity. GTM’s own chief operations officer was named as a defendant in that case. This guide covers who they are and how to respond.

Who Is Global Trust Management?

Global Trust Management, LLC is a third-party debt collection agency not BBB accredited, with a B rating and 42 complaints in three years. The CFPB has recorded over 100 complaints. GTM uses local area code numbers when calling, which consumers may not recognize as a collector.

Florida has a 5-year statute of limitations on written contracts, and Florida collectors are subject to both the FDCPA and the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act.

The 2020 Federal Case: Tribal Lender Usury Scheme

In Dunn v. Global Trust Management LLC (M.D. Florida, 506 F.Supp.3d 1214, 2020), two Florida consumers received lines of credit from Mobiloans, Inc., an online lender claiming ownership by the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe. After the consumers defaulted, GTM purchased the accounts and attempted to collect. GTM’s chief operations officer Frank Torres was named individually as a defendant.

The court found that the tribal arbitration clause in Mobiloans’ loan agreement was unconscionable because it eliminated the consumers’ ability to pursue state law claims. The court described the setup as a scheme to hide behind tribal immunity and commit illegal usury in violation of Florida and Louisiana law. GTM’s FDCPA claims survived in part.

This case matters to any consumer who received a payday or cash advance loan from a tribal-affiliated online lender and is now being contacted by GTM. The original loan terms may not be enforceable in your state if they violate state usury or interest rate cap laws.

Unrecognized Phone Numbers and Local Area Codes

GTM agents call from local area code numbers to increase consumer answer rates. If you are receiving calls from a number you do not recognize in your local area code, verify the caller before engaging or providing any personal information.

Do not confirm your identity, account details, or payment information to any caller claiming to be from GTM until you have independently verified the number against GTM’s known contact numbers and received a written validation notice.

Payday Loan Accounts and State Interest Rate Laws

GTM collects for payday and cash advance lenders, including tribal-affiliated lenders. Many states cap interest rates on consumer loans. If the original loan carried an interest rate that exceeds your state’s cap, the amount GTM is collecting may include interest charges that are not legally enforceable in your state.

Before paying any balance GTM claims on a payday or cash advance account, confirm the original interest rate on the loan and whether your state has a cap that would limit what can legally be collected.

What GTM Cannot Do Under Federal and Florida Law

• Collect amounts that include usurious interest charges not enforceable under state law: The Dunn case addresses this directly. Tribal lender interest rates may violate your state’s usury laws.
• Threaten legal action not intended to be pursued: A documented complaint category. One consumer law firm specifically noted GTM does not appear to file consumer lawsuits, making lawsuit threats particularly scrutinizable.
• Use harassing or intimidating tactics: A documented consumer complaint pattern with over 100 CFPB complaints on record.
• Call using local area code numbers without disclosing identity as a debt collector: FDCPA Section 1692d(6) requires identification. Calling from disguised numbers to increase answer rates without proper disclosure is a documented GTM practice.
• Violate the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act: Florida consumers have additional state-law remedies independent of the FDCPA.

Verify the Debt Before Paying Anything

Send a written validation request by certified mail within 30 days of first contact. Request the name of the original payday lender, the original loan amount, the interest rate charged, and the total amount GTM claims is now owed. Compare the original interest rate against your state’s usury laws before paying anything.

How to Find GTM on Your Credit Report

Check your credit reports for “Global Trust Management” and “GTM.” If the underlying account is from a tribal-affiliated online lender, research whether that lender’s interest rates were legal in your state at the time the loan was made.

Your Options Before Paying or Responding

• Research your state’s interest rate cap before paying any payday loan balance: The Dunn case shows GTM purchases accounts from tribal lenders whose rates violated state law. If the original rate exceeded your state’s cap, the balance may not be fully enforceable.
• Verify any local-area-code number before answering or engaging: GTM’s documented practice of calling from local numbers makes verification essential before providing any information.
• Request GTM’s state collection license number in your validation letter: Payday loan collectors must be licensed in the states where they collect. Confirm they are properly licensed in your state.
• File with the Florida AG and CFPB for any harassment: Florida consumers can file with the Florida Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at (866) 966-7226 in addition to the CFPB.

How to Contact Global Trust Management

• Address: Global Trust Management, LLC, 4805 W Laurel Street, Tampa, FL 33607
• Mailing address: P.O. Box 26244, Tampa, FL 33623
• Phone: (844) 421-7501 or (844) 421-7502

Bottom Line

Global Trust Management purchases payday loan accounts, including from tribal-affiliated lenders whose interest rates a federal court found may violate state usury laws. Their COO was named individually as a defendant in that 2020 case.

Before paying any GTM balance, verify the original interest rate on the loan against your state’s usury cap. If GTM has threatened a lawsuit, note that consumer attorneys report GTM does not appear to file consumer lawsuits in practice.