What to Do When Fake Debt Collection Scammers Call
I got a phone call message which said someone would be by my home and place of employment to give me a summons. That kinda startled me. Then later I called the number back and spoke with someone. They said I had this old debt, I told them that I never had such a card. They then told me that I should be getting served a summons and would need to fill out my court documents. But, if that happen yet I could settle over the phone for .50 on the dollar.
They didn't know who was supposed to serve me (sheriff) and didn't even know where I lived. They just rattled off addresses.
They kept threatening that the court date would be set as soon as the guy showed up at my house.
In haste I made a payment in full (reduced amount of course) to settle and not go to court!
Thinking back, they totally got me! I totally drew a blank on the SOL.
What tricked me the most was they said I, or someone, had made payments for the last 10 years... Yeah right!
So what do you the best course of action is here? I paid on a credit card and was just going to pay it off (keeping a zero balance is habit now).
Should I cancel the payment? Did I screw up the SOL?
They also emailed me a contract but I haven't read it so haven't signed it.
I was thinking to reply that they need to state they won't take me to court and that they have called off the summons... Basically get them to admit to their illegal bullying threats so I could collect the fines from them.
What do you advise? Thanks.
Was I just scammed by a debt collector? What can I do now?
—TJ
Short answer
Never pay a debt collector who opens with a same day threat, mentions your arrest, calls themselves an investigator, or will not name the company they work for. Those are the marks of a fake. Take notes, file complaints, and speak with a consumer lawyer before you send anyone money.
Key points on this page
- A same day “or else”, such as being sued today or served at work, paired with an offer to stop it if you pay right now, is very likely a scam. Real collectors and process servers just show up.
- Any mention of arrest is a red flag. Unpaid credit cards do not lead to arrest. A bench warrant can only follow a failure to obey a court order, such as missing an asset discovery hearing, and collectors do not call to tell you about that.
- Anyone calling themselves an investigator, or threatening to involve one, is using an intimidation tactic. Properly trained collectors cannot act in a false or misleading way.
- Collectors are required to tell you who they work for and what debt they are calling about. Any hesitation or failure to identify themselves is a huge red flag.
- Scammers get real details from social networks, purchased consumer data, or a hacked collection system, so the debt they name may be one you actually recognize.
- If in doubt: take notes with names, dates and times, capture the caller number, keep any voicemail, file complaints with your state Attorney General and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, talk to an experienced consumer lawyer, and do not set up any payment.
Believe it or not, there are varying degrees of debt collection scams. And it is because of these differences, my feedback to people who interact on this, and other sites I participate on, can change. I wish things were more cut and dry, but because licensed and bonded debt collectors can say and do the darnedest things, even when they are collecting legitimate debts, there are blurred lines. Add to that the fact that fake debt collectors continue to get better at… faking it, things can become less clear.
What to do, and how to go about doing it, when you suspect you are being called by an outright debt collection rip off artist, can be different than when you are dealing with a debt collector crossing the line with their unprofessional actions. I am going to focus on the fakers first.
When Fake Debt Collectors Call You
There has been a rash of fake debt collection scams of late. Ten years ago it was not something I would run into. Nowadays, between my site, and many others that are part of my daily activity and news feed, I see a reference to some fake debt collector on a near daily basis. And some of what I see shows that the scam is getting more sophisticated.
Here are some things to look out for from a debt collection scam phone call.
- The debt collector opens the call with an immediate sense of urgency statement. This would mean saying something with an or else that packs a punch, like; you are going to be sued later today if we cannot get a payment set up right now; there is someone coming to your work to serve you a lawsuit.
Legitimate debt collectors and process servers do not make these threats. They just show up. The fact is, virtually any debt collection lawsuit that someone took the trouble to file, is going to serve you with it before talking word one about payments. That is just how that kind of escalated collection action works. There is such a low probability that a legitimate debt collector will both threaten you with an “or else” set to happen same day (or close to it), while simultaneously suggesting your payment will put a stop to it, that the chance of this being a fake debt collection scam are high.
- A debt collector mentions anything about your arrest.
There are very limited instances where you could be arrested for not paying an unpaid bill. Court fines and fees reach to that level, and so can unpaid child support, but unpaid credit cards and other types of debt do not. An exception could be if you were sued, and there is a legitimate judgment entered in the court. If there was an order from a judge that you did not follow, like appear for an asset discovery hearing, it is possible to have a bench warrant out there. But that would be for failure to comply with the courts order, not for lack of payment on a civil judgment. And debt collectors do not call you up to inform you of that in my experience.
- The debt collector refers to themselves as an investigator, or that they will contact the investigator on your case.
Debt collectors that are trained properly cannot act in a false or misleading manner in an effort to get you to pay. Referring to any investigator is awfully close to suggesting there is law enforcement involved in collecting the debt. This is an intimidation tactic. These kinds of words and phrases are not used by legitimate debt collectors.
- They will not name the collection company they are working for.
Debt collectors are required to inform you of who they work for, and the debt they are contacting you about. Any pause with, or failure to identify themselves clearly and immediately, is a huge red flag.
Debt Collection Scams are Getting Sophisticated
Some debt collection scams are designed for the quick cash. They need to scam as quick as they can using a few phone calls to their mark, or to your family members or work place. How is it that a fake collection scam can get the information they need to really cause you stress and pressure you to pay them something?
- They can learn about you, your family, friends and work place through social networks.
- Scam debt collectors with a higher level of sophistication can potentially purchase data about you directly from the credit reporting bureaus, or through a data aggregator or software company, just like legitimate debt collectors do today.
- A legitimate debt collector may have had your debt at one time. Perhaps they did not know their CMS or data management system was hacked, or files copied and sold to someone with a fake collection scam going.
In fact, the debt a scam collector may say you owe is something that could still show on your credit reports, or that once was on them. That is why you may recall the debt in the first place, and be susceptible to fork over some money to stop a fake lawsuit, arrest, or potential embarrassment.
Websites are now being published by some of the fake debt collection scams. When someone shares the name of the supposed collection scam company, I usually see what I can find online about them. I rarely see any company web presence. But more recently I am seeing some decently designed, but very basic websites with the scam company name, or something close to it as the URL. Legitimate debt collectors in this day and age have larger, more well put together web sites, and a strong web presence in general. Fake collectors websites that I have seen tend to have a home, about, and maybe one or two additional pages. The pages are skinny on any details and have no industry badging that you find on legitimate collection company sites.
When the Real Thing Looks Like a Fake
I was not kidding about some of the ways licensed and bonded debt collection agencies can be found to step over clear lines of consumer protection laws. It is not hard to understand why they do it. A real debt collector can have a real hard time getting paid when people are struggling to pay today’s bills, let alone pay for the past.
None of that excuses bad collection behavior, and it sure does not help public perception of debt collectors.
Real debt collectors may make empty threats about you being sued. These threats may not be as direct as the fake debt collectors, but the verbiage and tone that is used can be implied to the point that is what you think you heard an hour later.
Most legitimate debt collectors do not use “or else” type of threats to collect. They can be sued for these types of tactics.
In fact, virtually everything I mention that the fake debt collectors do, a real debt collector can and often will be sued for. The debt collection laws they would be breaking are both state and federal violations. Many consumer law attorneys will take these kinds of collection violations on at no charge to you, and instead are paid by the other side. This means all of their fees are covered. You could see some money back for your trouble too.
It is imperative for everyone who is harassed or abused by a debt collector to take action. You should connect with an experienced collections violation consumer law attorney. Post about your situation in the comments below and I can provide feedback and contact details to someone who can help you.
What to do About the Scam Debt Collector
You can legitimately owe a debt, but still be scammed, whether by real or fake collectors, so… when in doubt… never pay a debt collector making threats like I outline above. If you even have a whiff of concern the debt is not yours, too old to be collected, or that the collector contacting you is either a fake, or a collector willing to step over the legal lines and violate your rights, you should:
- Take good notes of any conversation.
- Write down names, dates, times.
- Capture the caller ID and/or write down any phone numbers they provided for return calls.
- Keep a copy of any voice mail recordings they left.
- File complaints with your state AG and with the CFPB when you have identified the collection company.
- Speak with an experienced consumer lawyer.
- Do not make, set up, or arrange for payments.
Having said all of that, I should mention again that most debt collectors you encounter are not going to be fake. They are not going to violate your rights. If you have a question about the legitimacy of a debt collector, or their behavior, lets talk about it in the comments below.
I reached out to the above reader offline to encourage getting those payments reversed. Hopefully he will share more about his experiences in the comments below.
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About Michael BoveeMichael started CRN in 2004 with a mission to provide people in need with detailed debt and credit help and education. Michael has participated as an expert panelist in federal consumer protection rule making, collaborated on state law changes governing debt consolidation, has worked as an expert witness in court matters related to the debt relief industry. He is available to speak with you about your financial struggle and helps people resolve their debt problems daily.
Today I got a phone call about a credit card I owed on. I remember it from many many years ago. The lady called gave me her name and the company she was collecting from for the credit card. She had called my work, my mom and some how got my uncles number who I’m not close to. Stating to all of them they needed to get a hold of me to serve me papers I was being sued and there was a judgement against me. I. Called her back and she said I was being sued for fraud and they were going to take my house or a garnishment she wasn’t sure what they were going to do depended on the judge. I only owed a little over $1000 and if I let it go into judgement it would be over $3000. The balance sounds right because all the cards I’ve had in the past never went over the $1000 mark so that sounds right. But I haven’t had a credit card and that one in particular in alt least 5 years or more. And I’ve had judgements against me for a credit card and never had them contact my whole family. I just got served papers and they garnished my wages till it was payed in full. I got the company name and her name and when I googled all the names and numbers I either for a cell number a number not on the web and the lawyers she said she was working for there web site said nothing about debt collection and it wasn’t the exact company name she gave me. How do I know if this is a real debt collector. I already have them my debit card to take money out this Friday? She also said she was going to send me papers in regards to this lawsuit via email and I have received nothing. Thank you for your help and time. Tamera
Call you bank and stop payment and get a new debit card issued. It is a scam.
I just got a call from KM litigation. I was told that they would take me to court but if I paid half the amount that they would settle it for me for half of what I owed if I paid right away.they never asked me for my bank account. Just a debit card number.is that a legitimate agency
Not that I am aware of. Did you recognize the debt they were talking about? Was it from many years back, more recent?
Share more details if a follow up reply.
The debt was from 2007.I got a call from the lady Kristine Jordan from K&m litigation.they asked for a debit card and told me if I settled right away it would be for half of what I owed which would be for 1000 instead of 2000.they gave me an old address from 2010 and called my family members.I gave them my debit information on 6.24.16. I just received my bank statement and the number was a different number than what the lady used to call me.in addition the name that was on my statement said k & m f group llc.kristine called me on a saturday morning at 5 am and said my payment disnt go through.I told her i had to canvel my debit due to previous fraudulent charges that i did not use.I told her i could not get to the bank on a saturday and ahe told me to go to walmart to get a prepaid card and load it with my 280.00 that i arranged to pay. She called me twice today before I looked at my bank statement from the first payment arrangement that I made with a man on 6.24 due to freaking out that I was going to have to pay more if I did not settle now.I looked up kristine jordan of k&m litigation and she has done this before.
I was also told they would go to my work and my paycheck would be garnished if I did not make payment right away.I kept kristine voice-mails.can I report this.is this a scam.
Everything you described appears to be a scam to me. I would file the complaints with the CFPB and your state AG. Provide all the details you can, as well as the phone number attached to the bank transaction that failed.
I think I got a call from a scammer today. They called out of the blue about a debt that I supposedly owe. They said they were filing a civil lawsuit against me in my county and asked me to verify my address. Wouldn’t a real collector already have that and do it without calling me first?
What you describe is typically a scam or a collector pushing legal limits. What was the name of the collection agency? Did they refer to the debt they are collecting? Is it from many years back?
I have had multiple phone calls from two agencies I believe are both scams , every time telling me that some is “filing papers at my local court house” and I can stop them if I pay 50% of my 1050 balance with my debit card right away- they say they’re from an old cell phone company o had 11 years ago – and that they “bought the debt” from us cellular and now they have to take legal actions. But if they were truly going to serve me papers, they would try to surprise me not call me and tell me “hey you’re being served where can we send the package” what can I do to make them stop I have two agencies claiming to be representing US cellular at the same time.
I would file a complaint about the one that is talking about filing papers. Are both doing that?
Thank you for the reply,
Yes , both have called to tel me “they were trying to serve me” but “now there isn’t enough time to get me my papers before my August 10th court date” and I need to pay by August 9th or they will see me in court. I called all the local court houses and the attorney general who have informed me both are scammers, and likely, all working for the same people.
Thanks for the info. It was very helpful.
I received a call and voicemail from an unknown number. The man stated his name was Nicholas Quarter calling from Nallas County? He said there is a deputy coming to my home tomorrow from 9am-4pm to serve a notice to appear in court. Please report directly to the issuing firm.at 844-972-7283 with the case number he gave me, He never mentioned my address or anything he only would say my name in regards to the case or what it was about.
The man gave no identifying information about himself except he was from some county i have never heard of. The call was from an unknown number. I looked up that number online and there were similar comments with similar scenarios that all sounded like a scam..
Is there any way a deputy would show up to your door to serve you a court summons? I read online that usually it would come in the mail if that were to actually happen. Is this a scam? And if so how do I report them? I have the voicemail saved but there is not much actual information on it except for the guys name and the phone number he referred me to. Thanks.
It is very common to be served in person for a lawsuit, and a sheriff showing up to serve you is quite normal too. But in your situation none of it is going to happen. Based on what you shared you are being contacted by a debt collection scammer. Follow the tips in the article to file complaints.
Hi Michael,
I’ve been getting calls from this “Kelly Johnson” from Albright, Clark and Ass. +1 (562) 231-6085
Downey, CA
Stating that I have “numerous allegations against me” and conveniently I can call their mediation dept voluntarily to resolve this matter. 1st message left told me to call 1888)203-0172, next message left on 6/23/16 gave me this number to call 1866)318-5139, and finally the call today gave me the same number to call as the second message.
I started getting calls from her 6/10/16.
She’s also called my father, sister, and repeatedly called my husband. The strange thing is, she is using my maiden name that I haven’t used in almost 7 years.
When I finally got the courage to call them back one time, I didn’t get very far because I would verify my social. I kept asking for their physical address and the rep wouldn’t give it to me. He first stated that they have 48 locations around the country. Ok, so I asked for the physical address in Downey that keeps calling me. He just told me to “Google” them. I assured him I did, and found nothing on their company. Yet he still refused to give me an address. He kept
Trying to redirect me back to the point to where I needed to verify my social with him in order to continue.
In this last call my husband received today, he had asked them if a verification letter had been sent to me. (I’m sure he meant validation) and he said this “Kelly Johnson” paused a min before answering yes. I have not received anything from anyone esp before these calls about me owing money!
I check my credit reports monthly, if not more. And I have 0 derogatory marks on my credit, and 0 in collections. So what gives??
When she left a message today, she stated that they are now going to start calling my HR dept at work, and that I’m now forfeiting my right to voluntarily take care of this. And that I have to call back by today.
I don’t know if I should take this seriously, or not.
I would take the scam seriously (that is what this is) and report it to the CFPB and your state AG. Include all details, names, times, phone numbers, etc.
Thank you Michael for your response. I appreciate your time.
So no one is really going to contact my HR at work?
How do I get them to stop calling? Will they eventually give up?
A scammer may just… keep on scamming. But they will, in my experience working with people, move on to try and hook the next person when you let them know you are on to them and have filed complaints.
Yes, scammers will typically give up immediately, or in short order.
Also, how can I file a complaint if I don’t know much about this “Albright, Clark and Associates”?
They never gave me an addrss, so I don’t know their location. Plus, the rep said they had 48 around the country..
Just provide the details you have. It helps the CFPB develop a pattern of abuse. The names and phone numbers can help.
The largest debt collectors in the country do not have 48 offices in the US. These guys don’t either.
Haha! Yes, I doubt they have all those offices to. Thank you again, for your time and responses. It has eased my worries about this matter. I have filed a complaint with both the CFPB, and my state attorney genreral. We will see where the complaints lead to. If anything, it will at least put this so called company on blast.
Just got a very similar call from Allied Document Delivery Services. Got threats of summons,garnished wages the whole nine yards for a card from 7 years ago..Told me they could settle for pennies on the dollar and do not default by not showing up to court. I sense this is a scam exactly like what I have been reading on this site. Told me My summons is coming certified mail lol…and once I sign it theres “no turning back” …trying to scare me. 99% sure this was a scam to create cash flow. I did owe this credit card company..but I know this isnt how these things are handled.I didnt give them ANY acknowledgment or info.I called their bluff and said go ahead and deliver me the letter(summons). What do you think?
I would continue to call any bluff like that while filing debt collection complaints with the CFPB. It will put the names, phone numbers, and practices on their radar.
Hey Michael,
So this morning I woke up to a voicemail from an “unknown” number from a lady named “Victoria Wilson” saying she is an independent processor for the county I live in and she is serving me papers for legal documents for the next business day from the hours of 3pm-5pm and if I am not home, she will serve it to me at my work and if I had any questions to contact this number 443-205-1186. They also called my sister and my sister-in-law, which I do not know how they got their number. So I kinda panicked and called that number asking what this was all about and the guy who I was talking to is saying Kay Jewelers is suing me for the amount of $1800 but I can do a settlement for $975.50 if I decide to not to go court. He knew the last 4 digits of my social and address. I told him I was not able to pay that amount because I am still paying my taxes monthly and if I can set up an arranged payment. He then told me that I either have to pay 75.50 today and the 900 next month or that settlement will no longer be offered. I agreed to that, he said the only form of payment I can use was only a debit or credit card. This situation was bugging me all day and I did some more research. I looked up the phone number and it says that it is a cell phone number. Also they emailed me a paper about what is due and did not leave their address or phone number on it. Also when they signed it, it was signed “Sincerely, Administration” They also wrote “if you should have any questions please contact your service representative. 1-866-236-3274” , I looked that phone number up and it was a dorsal foot orthosis phone number. This company is supposedly “NRS Management, LLC” aka Niagara Recovery Solution located in Lockport, NY. I tried looking them up but, I can not find a website or legitimate phone number. I’ve never received a letter in the mail from them. I do not mind paying what I owe but, how do I know if I am being scammed or not.
They sound to me like a debt collector willing to step on your rights to collect, which can also be called a scam. Follow the steps I outline in the above article and file complaints.
I would not internalize an ounce of stress about the threats they made.
I received a call today from a person working for a lawyer saying I owe money from Visa that was secured in 2000 where a payment was last made in 2001. He said if I didn’t pay I was going to be sued. I told him I was not aware of this debt and asked him for his address, name of the attorney he was working for. He started to give me his address which started off as a PO box but them stopped and said that I was asking too many questions. Later on that day a notice was sent to my work e-mail, which is monitored by the management team. The letter is titled Affidavit and Assignment which is notarized. I’m not sure what to do at this point. Do I send them a cease and desist letter and say this debit is too old to collect? They said they were going to send a letter to my employer and they know where I work. Please help.
I would send cease communication notices and file complaints with the CFPB. I would likely contact an experienced FDCPA attorney in my state about the threat to sue when the debt is 16 years old and passed the SOL to due that. That threat is a violation.
What is the name of the collection agency contacting you?
The name of the agency is ARA Inc., in Illinois. I have filed a complaint with the State of California Office of the Attorney General. I received a letter stating they would write the company a letter and request a response.. I received a letter on 6/29/2016 from ARA Inc. where they stated that pursuant to our conversation they are offering me a settlement. I never spoke to them on the phone after the 1st phone call and/or agreed to any settlement. I have obtained counsel and hope to resolve this soon.
I received a call from Jennifer at Zenco collections regarding a loan on a car. She had me validate my last 4 of social. She first started by saying its for a sum of $7295 from Something acceptance (first one started with an a) the number was 469-899-8910 and that I had two options to clear it up to stop action today. I asked her what was this money for that I owed, she claimed it was for a 2003 Pontiac that I purchased in 2006. I purchased a Pontiac in 2006 but it was not the year she mentioned and wasn’t even worth that much money. That got me thinking. She started to get antsy. About me signing a contract of I could pay half of that which would be 3000 or pay ten percent and have the rest debited once a month at a hundred dollars. I then asked the lady if I could call her back within an hour after I spoke to my husband, she stated that she would hold my account for only 1 hour or she would be filing against me. She mentioned the county I live in, that I worked in a hospital (which is true), and that they had sent numerous letters to an address I lived at in 2005. I called back the number she gave me ten minutes later and she stated they have already filed against me and I had to be there in four days at nine in the morning. She was hateful and stayed to me I was give. Four years to pay in why should she have gave me an hour? And that everything was recorded for court purposes. I am freaked out and have surgery that day as it is. Please tell me this isn’t really going to happen?
Based on what you shared, none of it is going to happen. I would not give Zenco or Jennifer a second thought, other than to file a debt collection complaint against them with the CFPB of course.
i had the same issue! and out of panic i paid them a settlement amount, i will call my credit card company to stop payment, just want to know what’s next…
please advise…
Follow the tips in the article to file complaints and immediately check with your bank about reversing the payment.
I just received a call from Zenco about a car loan that I had in 2006.They said that I owed over $10,000. but told me that I could settle the debt for $3200. if I was able to pay it by next Tuesday and all colectionary activities would stop.After I told them that there was no way I could come up with the money,”Mr.Whatley” got pretty Nasty and just hung up on me.This is after I was threatened with a lawsuit,losing my current car that I am making payments on because it is collateral.wage garnishment and they could make me lose my job?I really hope this was a scam!
I would have to say it was. Zenco has its reputation of course, and the ways you were threatened being so brazen. Come-on Zenco scam collector… threatening someone they will lose the car they are making on time payments to… WTF?
Hi Sir,
I received a call from someone from ALBRIGHT CLARK and Assoc clamining I owe on a past debt. I requested that before I agree to make any form of arrangements, I would need something in writing per FDCPA and the rep states it’s gone past that. I advised them again per FDCPA they legally have to send something in writing. When I mentioned that California has a statute of limitations of 4 years, the person on the other end stated they will advise their client it would be in their best interest to take me to court.
The company again is ALBRIGHT CLARK, they called from a local area code here in California but claimed to be in FL. I asked them if they have a local office here in my city, and they claimed their calls are routed to local area codes.
I talked to 3 reps and none of them recited the collection mini-Miranda per FDCPA all they asked for was money. All 3 reps had heavy accents and said they were in litigations department and they legally have the right to recite it. When I advised them they violated my rights, they ended the call?
There is no physical address for this company in Florida or any license of this company.
Scam?
Everything you shared has the markings of a debt collection scam.
I received a call from Summit Recovery Services. They threatened to summon me and ask me to pay $2400 on a 6 year old debt that was $300. Out of fear I agreed to arrange payments, but haven’t made my first payment. I think they are scamming me. I’m thinking of telling my bank to block the transaction, and request documents of this debt. If they are legit, is it possible to renegotiate a smaller settlement? they are not with the Better Business Bureau.
Who was the original creditor?
What state are you in?
How certain are you of the date you last paid?
The BBB does not reflect a debt collection agencies legitimacy.
I received a call from Allied Document Delivery Services and was told to call another number. I called this number 855-246-7291 and the phone was answered by some kind of answering service. Then I provided this file number they had given and was transferred to someone named Anthony Mendez. I asked for the company name and he said it was Harborside Group. I asked for the address and he refused to provide that information so I ended the call.
I believe this to be a fraudulent Debt collection scam.
I just received a call from a debt collector Aka attorneys….. Supposedly representing GE capitol. If I don’t pay today the amount will double. If by the end of the day I have not called back to make arrangements for settlement the acct will be reported to the IRS for a 1099.C . Then I will be required to pay the original amount plus $30 a month in interest and penalties for the last 6 years amounting to Approximately $5000. But they can’t tell me who the original debt is too only that GE capitol funded the credit. It is not on my credit report . They told me to google to get the # of GE Capitol . I have never heard of such a thing and am worried and confused. Any ideas?
From the sound of it Kathi, you are dealing with a debt collection scam. I do not know if you read the above article before you posted your comment on the main Q&A page, but I recommend you follow the tips I give above.
I received a call from this # this morning 760-268-9517 . A lady informs me I am being sued and it would be up to me to sign for the papers that I would be served at my address in the morning and to call this # 855-866-0185 and give them this case # 192-128 .
I call the stupid # and was put on hold while the lady said she was sending me upstairs . Another lady answers and I give her the case # . She says : ” you will be served a summons to court in the morning ” . I said : ” for what ” ? ….she says : ” you are being sued for a debt with Juniper bank and your last payment was in 2007 and you owe $4000…. is the last four of your social #…. ? I replied yes ! I then say who is this ? She says : ” we are a collection agency ” . I told her that I have a staff of attorneys that handle all of my business and that they will have to talk to them in Lancaster California . She become irate and is now yelling and says : ” fine …you tell your attorney to contact me ! and she hung up the phone ….
I went through my paperwork and found the last Juniper Bank Statement from 2008 . My husband died in 2006 and because I purchased ” Account Protect Ultra ” for an extra $18.64 per month ….my account was paid off in full in 2007 and I closed it and it has never showed up on my credit report .
I think you have this figured out already, but what you outline is a fake debt collection scam. I moved your comment to this page where I encourage people to file complaints with as much detail as you can.
Michael, Iam hoping you can help. My husband has been getting calls from (339)-545-5845 out of MA (we live in IN). They claim they are collecting for Shane Michael & Associates out of CA for a Sprint bill from 2002 ($700ish). They also said it had last been paid on in 2010. We have no knowledge of these payments and it doesnt show up on his credit report. He had sprint many years ago but doesnt remember there being an outstanding balance. They also had a lot of his personal info like past addresses…. Scammer?
Anyone collecting on 14 year old debt is put in the same light as an outright scam, there are too few exceptions to this based on recent history in the collection industry. Telling people they paid on something when they did not is highly questionable.
I would send a cease communication letter certified mail if it were me.
I was contacted by Zenco out of Richardson Tx yesterday. They said we had 24 before they rendered our file and turned it over to the county for liens and levys. She said Bank 1 was being audited and since we never released the debt from our social, we were required to pay it now. That one way or another we would pay it. That we had 2 options, pay the settlement or in full now or go to court and pay all the costs associated with that.
I asked her what it was for bc I’ve never had anything from Bank 1 and she said it was for my husband’s Visa and the last payment was 8/2004! I told her I wasn’t even married to him then and I needed to talk to him about it before I did anything. She said it didn’t matter bc Texas was a community state and if we didn’t pay it would affect me as well. She said she knew we had a 20÷× Dodge and our current address. She also said she was just the mediator for the original creditor and she was trying to give us a chance before we were sued.
Initially I was freaked out, but isn’t the statute of limitations up on this? We are in Texas.
I just got another call from them saying they needed our answer as they were about to file on us in our county. This time it was her supervisor. Help!
The collector exhibited all of the hallmarks of a scam Bri. Follow my advice in the article above and file complaints. Be sure to include Zenco’s name, the debt collectors name etc. Any and all information will assist regulators.
The SOL is not an issue here (though it would have passed), the fact they are operating a scam is the bigger concern.
I received a phone call from a “process server” who stated that they contacted my HR department (which they did) to serve court papers and told me to call the law firm that is handling the case at (415) 484 – 0883. When I call it’s a guy named Brian’s direct line. When I spoke to him he said it was for a debt that my husband owed. He asked when we got married so I told him and then he said the debt was from 2012 (we were married in 2014) and that because we are legally married they can garnish my wages. He said it was for a Discover card and the balance was 4083. He said they mailed a notice to settle the debt for 1400 45 days ago and gave me my husbands old address as the address they mailed it to. I googled the law firm and can’t find them I googled the phone number and nothing shows up. I also got on Credit Karma and looked at my husbands collection accounts and nothing for 4000 shows up and no discovery card shows up at all. There is one credit card that shows up from 2012 however it shows the account was closed and charged off it doesn’t even show what type of credit card it was and the balance was only $300 it shows opened in Sept 2012 closed in Oct 2012 and the “law firm” states he made 3 payments then stopped. They also said they would email me proof. He offered me to pay the 1400 to clear the debt and I told explained to him that we just lost our daughter and paid for her funeral he said sounds like you are going through a hardship hold oh let me see what I can do. He got back on the phone and said they can make payment plans that can be directly taken out of my account 10 payments of $233. He said that I have until my work is served with Garnishment paperwork to start the payment plan. The Law Firm is Lee Sims and Associates. Is this a scam? He had no accent and sounded pretty professional..
And after I sent this I get a text from a different number stating that a lawsuit has been filed and an arrest warrant has been issued. I know this is a scam but now I’m really thinking that they previous one is a scam as well. I just don’t want my wages garnished I’m trying to buy a house!
Based on what you have shared I believe you are being targeted by a debt collection scam. I would guess the two are related to the same scammer. I suggest you follow the tips in the original article above.
I was not contacted directly but through my wife’s ex-husband. The company is LTS group and they gave a case # and phone number. 844-831-5085. Is this a legitimate company? I plan to call them Monday.
I would call and get as many details as possible. There is a pattern of collection complaints against a similar named company you can read about here.
What was said to the ex husband? Was it just a case number and nothing else?
Trying to collect on really old debt, if this is the same company I have found complaints about, and who have used that phone number in the past, is not always going to be a scam, but the debt collectors that work those debts sure do violate consumer rights consistently from my view.
Hi Michael,
I received a call from Zenco Collections on 3-15-16 regarding a debt with Chase Bank Credit Card from 2005. I told them the statue of limtations were up on this debt. Their answer was that back in 2009 I requested proof of this debt so the debt has been re-opened.
They said a judgement has been filed against me and they are going to attach my wages and place a lien on my property if I didn’t agree within the hour to set up a payment due to be paid within 10 days.
I gave them my debit card information. But, after viewing others comments on this website I immediate called my bank and cancelled my debit card number, no harm done.
Does this sound like a legitimate collection agency?
Thanks
No it does not. No reputable collection agency would have made those threats. Follow my suggestions above and file a complaint about this with the CFPB.