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.
I spoke to a bbm company tonight after they left a message at my work about serving me a summons tomorrow. He made threats of 3 criminal charges and said this would be avoided if I pay or set up payment arrangements. I asked if this was a debt collection agency while his reply was on its a litigation firm. He did list this as a us bank debt from a old acct with overdraft charges and interest. This does not makie sense to me as I did have a debt but am sure in years past It was paid.
Sounds very much like a scam James.
Hi Michael,
Good day to you! I want to start out by saying a very heartfelt thank you. Your site gives solid direction to the debtor, and brings us back down to earth when we may be hoping a bit too far out.
So, here we go. I have been sued twice in the past year by 2 different firms, of course for 2 diff accounts. Once for a Citi account, and once for a Discover account. These of course are both in public record. For both cases I also hired a lawyer.
– The Citi case I made a settlement with time-to-pay agreement on. It was a miracle, the firm was RSIEH. They were wonderful. Working with them was very civil and polite. I am still paying on it and will be until Feb 2018, but, after that last payment, the case will be dismissed with prejudice.
– The Discover one was much dirtier and meaner, with a very rude deputy server, a rude collector for the firm (who I actually called first to attempt to settle before I even knew I was being sued, who then informed me they had an active lawsuit already in progress, and that couldn’t be recalled, but who still tried to get me to make a partial payment right then), and then once I was served and thus working with their actual attorneys, the attorney pair was slow and harsh. They drew out the process for 2 months, taking weeks to get back to my lawer, and then demanding a hardship letter, etc. For everyone’s info, the firm is Gurstel Chargo. I actually just paid the settlement (which was very close to the full amount owed) today. The dismissal paperwork for the lawsuit should come within 3 weeks from now. Dunno if it will be with or without prejudice, though.
Now, I still have 2 other accounts that could be collected on: a 2nd Citi account, which last I heard was sold to Alliance One in late 2015, and, a Chase account, which I actually received an IRS form for last year and had to pay taxes on the full amount, Chase had written it off as a loss and filed with the IRS. Though, I am still shady as to how that is still legally collectible, as I’ve had to claim the entire debt as income and paid income taxes on the full amount, around $7,200. Is it legal for that account to be sold and collected on, once you’ve paid income tax on it? That may be a discussion for another thread…
Anyway, now that you have some history, here is my real, scam related question:
Two hours after I paid Gurstel Chargo today, I got a phone call from a number I didn’t recognize: 1-631-201-8515. I of course let it go to voicemail. When I checked the voicemail, it was an auto-dialer (robotic voice), and the “who” was cut off, so the message began with this,”…. is filing a lawsuit against you. Call this # to contact our Department for more details on this case.” Then they left the # to call, it was the same one I was called from, I think. But I accidentally deleted the message and cannot double check.
I am wondering if this is a clear scam. Do actual collectors use auto-dialers to tell you that you’re having a lawsuit filed against you? I feel that the answer is probably not. But who knows. I’m stressing out because this settlement with GC/Discover has drained my entire savings down to $200, and I live paycheck to paycheck.
Your thoughts on whether or not this is a scam would be appreciated, as I am worried that I am now a target for scams because of my 2 public record lawsuits where agreements were made. I am pretty sure I have a bulls-eye on my back as someone who can likely be collected on now.
3 of the 5 accounts I have had in collections are now settled, or are in the process of being settled (2 via being sued).
Thank you!
Thanks for all the details Erika. Legitimate debt collectors do not call you to warn you about the lawsuit being filed that day or the next. And they most certainly do not do that via auto-dialer. Scam.
Here is more details about the 1099c for cancelled debt from Chase. Read through that and post any questions you have on that page. Chase is not going to collect from you, and it will age off your credit report after 7 years is up. The only way you will deal with the account again is if you want to resolve it to get it updated to show zero balance and resolved on your credit reports.
Alliance One is a contingency debt collector, and not a buyer. Here is more info about settling with Citibank or a debt collector working for them.
Someone calling me, and friend that i have 2 complaints of fraud in state of texas and trying to scare me about my case number has been close and the court hearing date will be requested
My husband has been getting calls and paying a company called law offices of allied. They keep threatening to show up to his job and take” further action ” the lady’s aid they are a free Lance company. Her name is Rachel hess. She would only tell me that they were out of florida. They called me from an 855 218 number. The number my bank had someone answered the phone hello. They upset me so bad they had me in tears this morning. I’m so frustrated. They gave me address that we used to live at and I saw the guy that called and said he was a process server looked my husband up on linkedIn. We’ve paid them probably 400$
Sounds like a scam to me. Legitimate debt collectors do not do those things. And they will also clearly identify themselves. Stop payments on anything that you can and file complaints using the suggestions I make above. And DO NOT let these people upset you are your family any more.
Hi, today i received a call from a blocked number and the lady said they trying to call me because i was supposed to get served some papers and left a number 877-647-9310. Then she called again and got my work receptionist and started asking for my supervisor and mentioned something about wage garnishment. She kept calling and finally i called back the number she left on my voicemail. When i called the number they said that it was from an online payday loan that i did from back in 2011. And that ihad to pay $600 today or i eill get served and have to go to court and have to pay an additional $3000. I told them i didnt have the money so they can just serve me the paper works because when i tried ro ask them for paperworks, they said they have already sent it and i just didnt get it because i moved. I just recently moved again and the only address they have two of my old address and my work address that they probably looked up online. When i told them they can just serve me they tried to say they were helping me out and even said would i want to be wmbarrased infront of my co workers by getting served legal documents at my work. And the company calling my me was a courier trying to notify me ahead of time that i’m going to get served to save me the embarrasment. So i later called the original creditor and they said they sold my account to another collection company but not the one that called me and only for $15. Do you think that the company i talked to today is a scam or legit?
They are a scam in my eyes regardless of whether they own the debt or not. Your average debt collector trying to get paid on a legitimate debt does not make the threats these guys made.
My family and I have been receiving calls that there is an open fraud investigation against me. A Mr. Russo has left messages from two different numbers saying I’ve been served and I have 15 days to respond. I havent been served. No information on a company was left. The phone numbers I did a reverse lookup on are from Texas and I am in California. Sounds like a scam to me but family have been getting calls so I need some direction on what to do. The numbers are 281-310-5765 and 281-712-2154.
File debt collection complaints with the CFPB like I mention in the article above. Do not give the scammers the time of day. Tell your family the same.
I have received 2 calls today from a Lori Bennett with “Office of Financial Regulation” .. same # : 281-310-5765 . The number, by area code, is Houston Tx.
Anyone calling themselves that is likely a scam from the word go.
Hi. I’ve been receiving calls from someone where sometimes when they call it comes up as unknown and other times it comes up as 617-714-0978. At first they didn’t leave messages but once they started to it’s been the same one since. It says, “this message is intended for (my name). All the delicate information provided is deemed substantial to avoid noncompliance and possible escalation please press 1 to be connected to our office immediately at 1-888-712-7130. Refer to file number HAM1285029. Formal message documented”.
I googled both numbers and a lot of complaints came up with the same info. When I googled the 888 number it came back as Moor limousine in Columbus, IN and the 617 number people said was from Cambridge, MA.
Last year around this time I had a similar situation happening but it was a different number and a different message. They said there was a claim against me and I needed to take immediate action or legal proceedings would be brought against me. I ignored them for MONTHS but then they started contacting my parents and both my sisters so I got pissed at that point.
She knew the last 4 of my social, my previous address, & asked if I took a payday loan out in 2009. I did take one out but the company was withdrawing money from my account so often they were overdrawing it! She said if I paid x amount then I would save money and she would cancel the authorities from coming to my home with papers, but yet, she still needed my current address since I recently moved at that point…?! I forked over the money because I was freaked out even though I knew in the back of my mind I was being scammed, but being a single mom, and my son only having one parent I didn’t want to be hearing to jail.
I asked what lender the loan was through and she said they don’t see that information from the client. They’re only permitted to make contact with people and collect the money so the companies don’t have to do that.
Someone is calling my parents house too asking for me and saying it’s a confidential matter but they need to get in touch with me immediately. They are relentless calling my parents home.
Could this be the same people trying to get more money from me since they suckered me once or is this something completely different?
I have one delinquent account on my credit report from an unpaid cable bill while living with a friend of $111 from 2009, but that’s the ONLY thing on there.
Can you please give me some advice because I’m losing my mind from these people and their calls.
Best,
Try to cancel any payments you sent or made. It may be too late to get your money back. Do not give anyone like this anymore of your time. They are scammers. File complaints with your state AG and alert the CFPB like I discuss in the above article.
The payment I made was last year when I got the first round of harassing calls. I didn’t hear anything until this month, which is a different message and numbers calling me. Now they’ve been calling my parents home for a good 2 months I’d estimate. When I made the payment last year it was right around this time of the year. I remember that because our town has a massive fair that people come from all over the country to attend & the money I “had” to pay them really strapped the things we could do at the fair.
Have you heard anyone else mention they’ve received the same messages I have saying “all the delicate information provided is deemed substantial to avoid noncompliance and possible escalation….”?
How did they “choose me”, for lack of better words to do this to?
Is there any way I can get them to stop calling my family?
My parents are concerned this may be real & that I do owe someone money & I’m just not telling them. Is there any way I can prove otherwise to them? Should I even bother answering my phone when they call?
Sorry for all the questions. I’m just over this nonsense. It’s ridiculous & I’m tired of my family & I being harassed. Thanks in advance.
Send your folks a link to this article and encourage them to read deep into the comments. What is being said to you is told to tons of people. And the calls to family are similar too.
There are technology hacks that produce our personal information that is sold or obtained by scammers, and there are really old lists of debts that are resold that can end up in the hands of scam debt collection outfits.
The number is 8776479310. It scares me so much.im a single mom and need to concentrate working and im scared someone going to get me from work. I feel nervous all the time
Sounds a lot like a scam to me. Try not to let this get to you.
I received a call from about a car that was a volunteer repo about 7 or 8 years ago. The balance said owed is $12,910.00, they wanted $4000.00 but settled for $2500. The company said they were calling for Wells Fargo. The collection agency name Zenco. I was told they were taking me to court I would be served papers at my job. After reading your information I think it’s a scam. I think I’m going to stop pay on the check. Do you know if this is a legal company?
It is a scam based on the fact that you already made a settlement and paid it before. Based on that is said about Zenco on this page and others, it is definitely something to stop payment on.
Hi! I received a call from the number 855 218 0642 today and after a missed call they left a voicemail staying they needed to fax documents to me and they gave me their name. So I’m urgency I called the number back and another person answered immediately. They said they were a collection agency and they were attempting to retrieve a debt from an unpaid loan which I allegedly applied for and received 6 years ago (I was only 17 at the time and still in high school). They had an old address of mine from the alleged time and had an employers information that I didn’t work for me until about half a year after I allegedly applied for said loan. They also had my bank information, which I acquired a couple months after said loan. At first I was in shock and they asked for my last four to confirm who I was, so I gave it to them, in urgency to figure out what this was about but when I tried to acquire more information all they could give me was the alleged loan company name – Cornestone something. They only had the address from said time that I allegedly applied for and received so i I asked them if I could confirm my current address so that I could receive the alleged summons that was coming to me for the matters. They put on home I order to “access the system” to confirm but I freaked out and thought maybe this is a scam because I don’t remember such matter and I have never seen it on my credit reports.
Does this sound like a scam? How did they get my old address and bank info (which I still have)? and since I have them my last 4, should I be worried ? Any advice as to what I should do in defense of this and in result of this phone call ?
It is a scam debt collector. There are different ways for them to have gathered this information about you. One method is your credit reports.
Were you ever an ID theft victim?
I had someone from Zenco Collects to harass me and I gave them my account info but didn’t sign any papers because I told them I wanted something in writing. Now they’ve drafted the money out of my account. Can I refute that now? How can I stop the drafts besides closing the account?
Talk to your bank about stopping payments without closing the account. You will likely hear the surest step is to close it an open a different one.
Hi I live in Iowa. My stepdaughter got a call yesterday from a Kate Johnson, number 443-205-4664 and said they were looking for me to serve me papers. I found it kind of odd because I’ve never given out my stepdaughters number. I called the number back and I got a voice mail for a guy named Arthur Pittman. I left a voice mail and my number. Now today I get a call from this Arthur from a different number. 443-205-1186. He said I owe for a bill that is at least six years old and have never been contacted by anyone before now about it. He said the bill was $689.22 but I can pay $300 now or $150 in installments. Trying to figure out if its scam. He gave the name of the place supposedly trying to collect but like I said, its at least six years old. The lady that called before also gave a case number of CV 69222
What is the name of the collection company?
I got the same thing. Called my husband’s number looking for me. Told that I would be served between 3-5 at my house or at my place of employment if I am not there. She rattled of a case number also. Charlie Victor which reminds me of your cv. The name she left was Carrie James. Different name but same initials if she spells it with a K. She sounded tired and sleepy and almost robotic. My husband called the number and got a recorded message from an Arthur Pittman. My husband left a message at the number above. She left no employer name or contact info to reach her, but said she was a process server for a neighboring county I do not reside in. By the way, I do not live in Maryland where the phone number given is from. After she called my husband I received a no caller id call 4 minutes later but no message was left.
Hi, I received a call yesterday from someone saying a complaint had been filed against me. Gave a case number and told me to call 844 899 4849. They were using my maiden name and told me that a judgement was going to be filed against me for an old us cellular debt. Told me I owed 1500 bucks. Said the account had been paid on for 5 years then nothing. One lady asked me if I was going to take care of the payment and I said no. She said that the creditor had already found my bank accounts and the money would be taken that way. It freaked me out enough to have me ask my husband to take me off our joint account. They knew the last 4 of my social. Had my current address and one from almost 10 years ago but none in between. Is this a scam or for real?
What you shared has all the signs of a scam.
I know you said this was a scam, but for some reason it is still freaking me out. I did have an old us cellular account but I don’t remember it going into the negative. It was from so long ago. I never remember getting any notices in the mail and I recently checked my credit report. Nothing was on there but a car loan I had paid off in 2010 I believe. If I had a debt with Us Cellular wouldn’t it be on my credit report? Would the statue of limitations run out by now? I don’t know why this is still bothering me but it is.
I am sure it is a scam. Legit debt collectors do not say those things. Don’t let a scammer rent space in your head for free.
Hello I have been getting calls from a private number that has been leaving me voicemails everyday for the past 3 days. The first two stated the same thing and by the same lady. But she gave no indication as for who she was or who she worked for or any name associated with the subject of her message. She addressed me by my name Robert farrell, which I am a junior and my dad called me and said that the same message was left on his phone but he said he thought they were for me. She said I have two pending claims for fraud from the state of California that I’m being charged for and that she needed to get a statement from me for my upcoming court hearing. But the last message she left yesterday stated that I have waived and given up all my rights in my lack of compliance with contacting the number she left but with no name in relation with it, which was (877) 647-9310. And that my case has been closed and turned over to the appropriate party. Since my failure to comply she said a solidified court date has been requested for me as well as an attempt to locate me for service purposes. I was told by her that I needed to have a valid form of identification and that someone would be stopping by my home or workplace or both in thirty minutes. She repeated the number I gave above and said to contact it otherwise we will see you in thirty minutes she said. But my address is my previous one when i lived with my sister and i have not yet put down my new address nor had any mail sent to it. But my sister said no one showed up. And my current place of employment is not updated and on record either so they would of had no luck there either. But she didn’t ask for money. I don’t know what to think. I have no idea what I could have done to be considered fraud and don’t think I have done anything like that to be charged for it, and by the state of California? Seems fishy but she seems serious on the voicemails. Any input would be much appreciated. I have yet to call the number she left. When I googled it all that came up were posts about it being a wells Fargo overdraft protection number or collections unit or some kind of thing related to wells Fargo but it kept saying that these were just claims by the people calling behind the number and were scams as well. But the number was private when this lady called me so who knows. I don’t know what to think much less what to do.
Total scam. You are not being charged with fraud. I would file complaints in the manner I outline in the article and not give this much more thought if it were me.
Thank god I came across this article! I also got a call from that number. Well actually it showed up as unknown on my caller ID but left that number in a voicemail saying I had two fraud claims against my name in the state of ohio, and that I have waived all of my rights and that an attempt to locate me would be sent to Montgomery county this morning. She damn near gave me a heart attack when I heard the message until I decided to Google that number and came across this here article. Now I think I can breathe a bit easier knowing its a scam!!!!
I had the same basic information only it was that a case had been filed against me and that an order to locate me was issued. First it was a 877 number then a 937 (local) number. Said to call the legal department at the 877 number. If I didn’t. I would lose my legal rights once it left their office. I looked the 937 number up it was a cell phone. They even called my mom…Nobody can take my legal rights away for one and two anyone can locate a person these days. I dismissed it as a scam, but it has been lingering in my mind.
Hi Michael, my husband got a call today Shane Michael Assoc. stating that Verizon was sueing him for $700+. They verified his SS# last for digits and DOB. They told him he can pay at discount. Apparently the original bill was from 2010 which was $53.00. We searched their phone numbers and they both came up as reported as scam. I’m freaked out. They did send us a document through our email which I have no clue if it’s real or not. My husband recalls a bill from Verizon but thought he paid them off in installments. Please help do we pay at discount. Is this a scam. How do we know.?
Is it on his credit report in any negative way?
I would not pay this if it were me. Look up your husbands name in the court record. I suspect they are not suing as they say, and legitimate collectors don’t call with that threat when they are on the verge of suing.
I’m gonna have him check his credit report. Also I will look up my husband name. Thank you for replying to me and helping so many people.
I’m currently being scammed how do I get out?
Can you offer more details?
My husband and I was contacted by a company called Zenco in January,, they made threats if we didn,t set up a payment plan, I decided to look into the comany and saw all of the complaints made against them, they are still calling and making threatening phone calls. What can we do about this?
Block their numbers.
File complaints with your state AG and the CFPB.
Scammers hitting our phones is a form of harassment. If you could find someone to sue it would be worth it to connect with an experienced FDCPA attorney, but debt collection scams can be hard to pin down. I can email you a list of experienced FDCPA attorneys if you like? What state are you in?
Two nights ago I had a voicemail stating they were calling regarding my daughter and a debt. They said she would be sued if they did not hear from her. I Googled the number and found a lot of posts that it was a scam. I assumed since they’d called me that they didn’t have her number so I didn’t mention it. Today she called to say she had to have $700 by 4 PM to settle an old debt or she would be served with court papers. The number she called back was 310-504-1704, Michael Wells. He said he couldn’t get her proof of the debt because it was old the papers were hard to get. I Googled his name and number and found more evidence of it being a scam. Supposedly the law firm is Edward T Weber. I called the guy and told him to stop harassing my daughter. He was very rude and said he didn’t call her, she called him. I threatened to call the FTC and an attorney. I told my daughter not to accept any more calls or speak to anyone else. I’m hoping for confirmation that this was a scam as my daughter did not remember the debt.
It sure sounds like it it Nancy, and thanks for posting the details for others to learn from too 🙂
Hello Nancy, it has come to my attention that some scam debt collectors are using my name without my permission and without any relationship with them. While I do engage in legitimate debt collections for clients, neither I nor my clients engage in any activity that would violate the law. If I do detect clients acting improperly, then I sever that relationship. Unfortunately I have had to do that at least once in the past. I do not condone illegal activities, ever, and I certainly do not engage in them.. In this instance, it appears the people who called you are NOT associated with me, and as far as contacting ME, I do not recall speaking with you so I am pretty sure it was not me. I am rarely rude to anyone, even when I am working in the debt collections business, and if someone calls me with an inquiry such as what you describe here, I would be very concerned and would likely try to get as much information as possible so that I can look into it and help put a stop to people like this, especially if they are using my name without my knowledge. If you would like to talk to me about it, please feel free to give me a call. My office number is 657-235-8359. Thanks.
I would give Mr. Weber a call Nancy. He was upfront in posting his comment to you, and it would be a good opportunity to clear up any uncertainty (if any exists) about any legitimate debt.
My wife received a call on her cell from Lance Bekham representing Shane Michael and Associates in California. She was told that she owed over $1000 for a phone bill from Embarq and they are looking to file a judgement if she did not agree to pay the instantly reduced amount of $820.
When I arrived home she explained everything….I then gave them a call. I said I was her husband (I did not give them my first or last name) but then he asked if I was her husband and called me by her maden name. He began to give my wifes name, SS# and a few address that we have lived at. He also gave me the date the phone service was turned on back in 2005, and then told me it was charged off in 2009.
I flat told him that he was giving me every indication that this was a scam…..he said I completely understand..
Is there a statue of limitations on this kind of bill?
I don’t mind paying the bill (if I owe it) but I do not recall ever having a past due bill with a lan line company as we have not had a house phone (or internet from a phone company) in so many years. We have no indication of this past due bill on our credit report either.
Were lost and wondering because we are planning on buying a home after the first of the year.
4 year SOL in California. I would call this one a scammer, or a debt collector stepping over the lines.
If the account is not on your credit reports (pull all three and have a look before you apply for the home loan), you are good to go. If you find a collection on their, post an update and lets go from there.
Thanks for the response. I have a family friend that is a collections lawyer and he said pretty much the same thing….”they are shaking you down”.
I will update with more when it becomes available.
I received a call today from someone saying they are with Weldon & Associates, a Law Firm in L.A. They said they were suing me for a J.C. Penny debt that I owed. I told them I haven’t had a Penny’s card in 1o years. They knew my SS#. I asked for debt validation and they told me they were not required by law to provide that. They said I owed $1,017. When I mentioned I had never charged that much on that card when I used it. They said it was 29% interest that accrued over the years. Have you every heard of this Law Firm. They were very ugly when I said I would not discuss it further without validation, and said I would be receiving a summons within 2 weeks, and they will see me in court. They refused to give me their address so I could send them a request for debt validation. Is this legal? Is any of this legal? ,
Your details suggest it is a scam.
Thank you for your response. Are these Zombie debt buyers, including Portfolio Recovery allowed, by law, to sue you after the SOL has run out? I also have an issue with them on a debt that was charged off in 2009.
Portfolio Recovery Associates is not a scam collection agency or debt buyer. They are the second largest in the country. They buy up debt at all stages of collection and they are currently not allowed to resell it (CFPB consent order).
PRA will not be suing you after the SOL in your state expires. If they do, post an update and lets go from there.
What is the issue from 2009?
After losing my job of 30 years, I was unable to pay all of my credit card debt. It’s a Capitol One CC. I had other cards that I had payment plans direct with the CC Company. C1 charged it off pretty quick and went to collection agencies. I can’t recall which one now. I tried to work with them and they would only allow me to “settle” or pay if I gave them access to my checking account. I did that once and got burned. I offered to send a cashiers check every month. They would only accept payments if they could do drafts from my account.. I would not do that. Then PRA bought it at some point. The card was charged off my Capitol One in 2009. PRA is not good at sending true validation letters. I not live on SS and I can’t afford to hire a lawyer should they decide to sue me. I understand from one of your video’s they are very litigious.
PRA is more likely to sue than most collectors.
Was it PRA that called and threatened the lawsuit?
What state are you in?
No, it was no PRA that threatened with a lawsuit. I live in Texas. I know the SOL is 4 years. However, they have claimed that I made a $50 payment on August 15 of 2012, and I have no record of ever making that payment and have asked them what method the method of payment was. They have never responded to that. I feel like they are stating that to re-age the debt . They have gone silent for the past couple of weeks so I have a feeling I might get a summons. They usually called twice a day, every day.
Your defense would likely be the expired SOL if PRA sues. Keep me posted about that.
I should think PRA is being a bit more deliberate with their collection efforts after the millions they paid, and collection behavior called out in the CFPB consent order. But I have reason to see the management team as not very nimble or creative of thought. I can see them taking more lumps along the way (suing people passed the SOL based on unreliable data in their systems).
i received a call from unknown number , the ( female ) left a message stating she was calling on behalf
of the cherokee county processor servers department ( at least thats what it sounded like ) that a civil suit had been filed against my husband at the time a uniformed offical would be coming to the resident
on file between noon and five pm and would require him to be present with picture id , if he wasnt here they would be going to most resent place of employeement and a manager would have to sign for the documents , to have a stop order to call (844)307-0966 with a refrencee number , i calked back and a lady answered and the put bryan griffin on phone , then they spoke to my husband and sent email from integrity@mgmtgroups.com and the heading on email was ERM Enterprise Resolution Management signed by a senior associate David Levine ,said my husband owed a pay day loan company that he walked into with his bank named in the letter with dates over four years old ,
I would file complaints with my state AG and the CFPB.