For years, Prehired engaged in deceptive marketing practices, leading North Carolinians to spend up to $30,000 on an unlicensed online sales training program. Many students, unable to afford the fees, were convinced to take out predatory income-share loans under the false promise of securing high-paying tech jobs. The company employed aggressive collection methods against those who defaulted on their loans.
The North Carolina Department of Justice participated in a bipartisan coalition of states that filed a lawsuit against Prehired. This legal action resulted in a 2023 court order mandating Prehired to refund $4.2 million to individuals who had made payments on these loans.
However, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) delayed disbursing these refunds until Attorney General Jeff Jackson and his counterparts from other states successfully advocated for the distribution of funds in May 2025. Customers affected by this situation have started receiving their refunds.
Attorney General Jackson collaborated with attorneys general from Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation in sending a letter urging the CFPB to release the funds.
