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.
So my wife has been receiving calls on a chase bank debt that we already paid off through a previous collection agency when we found out about it. Most recently we received another series of calls from Scott Thomas and Associates threatening a lawsuit even with a statement of full payment from the original collection agency. After contacting Chase bank and being told the account was already paid in full, there is little to no merit of them having any sort of legal precedence correct?
Thompson* not thomas
Correct. I would file debt collection complaints to the agencies referenced in the above article.
Sorry for all the replies, the website is https://www.scott-pc.com/index.html VERY plain looking
That is not what a legitimate debt collectors site looks like.
Hi, Earlier this week I was called regarding a debt from 2004. It is a true debt but did not show up on my credit report. Ive wanted to come clean with any past unpaid bills (went from 412 to 713 score) so immediately paid the bill over the phone. Four days later the same collection company called and sort of threatened me with another collection from the late 1990’s. I don’t recall telling the first caller my present employer, but this second caller knows where I work (which is posted on facebook). They need the money immediately or they will go to my place of employment. This caller named off people in my family and old addresses from another state.
How do I find out if they are legit?
Collection Company is Leslie Kaine Morgan Inc and their website seems legit. I also checked BBB and found nothing.
Their web site is not all that legitimate looking, and the threats and such are really only made by fake debt collectors, or ones willing to violate your legal rights. Add to that the age of these debts they are referencing and i call scam.
Michael – I received a phone call today from an investigator Stacy Phillips who stated a locate and detain action had been put out for me regarding an account held with the “Plaintiff” she never stated who the plaintiff was. All that she gave me was a call back number of 844-864-5919 and a reference number. When I called the number back it answered as “County Mediation” To make matters worse she contacted my 18 year old son on his cell phone and proceeded to harass him and curse at him as well. The numbers came up private or blocked. I have filed a complaint with the CFPB but I wanted to know if there was anything else I needed to do.
I would file another complaint with your state AG.
The message sounded like it was from a call center lots of background noise. I was wondering If this sounds like a scam or fraudulent collection call based on the scare tactics? She threatened my son saying he is harboring a fugitive. I also found out they called my part-time place of employment shortly before I came in to work tonight.
The violation of laws that prevent debt collectors from doing what they are to you marks it as a clear scam.
Great Insight thanks for the write-up. Having had some debts in the past I still get collection calls and letters. Most the time these are scams and I have learned to distinguish the real ones from the bad ones.
I am being harassed! This woman has called my sons at work, my husband, and called me over and over. I asked her not to call my phone anymore and she called me four times in a row within three minutes!! She keeps saying she is going to serve me either at my job or home, she told my son she needed two forms of ID and my signature. Good luck with that! She is harassing is and I am very upset! I have the number she called from and also a toll free number she gave. She refuses to tell me what it’s about, who is behind it, she gives no detail.
It is a scam. File complaints with the information you have.
I have been getting this kind of calls since 6 years ago. The first time I called back, providing the case number they left on the voice mail message . They said I owed a payday loan that i took in a state I have never been in. I asked them to send me the papers of that debt and they never did. They had my real address on file and my ssn.
Ever year since I get this robocalls from several numbers leaving messages with different case numbers, saying I should call back. Always a different company. Some of the calls are registered as from russia, india and egypt. They have said they are going to serve me at my work place, at home, send my case to the investigator, legal office, etc. I always check the numbers in google and never find the company but I find comments of other people in the same situation.
My credits reports are clean, nothing in collection, nothing wrong. I never have gotten a payday loan in my life. In the last couple weeks they have called and left several messages on my brothers and parents phone. It worries and embarrases me. I wish they could stop! 5 years dealing with this! I wish I could know how I ended up in this situation.
I filed with FTC but did not help me. Since they are multiple calls from multiple numbers it difficult to identify the scammer. 🙁 I wish they let me alone. It makes me anxious everytime I see a phone number I dont know calling. Especially out of state numbers. what can I do?
Without the ability to identify or locate the scammers, it is really tough to suggest a next step. I do know some people who simply changed their phone number.
Hello, I am dealing with what I belive a scammer, I have received these phone calls saying I need to call this number and if I do not contact them they are going to go ahead and file a complaint. And when I ask the lady who it was and what was it for? She said I had to call the number,and she gave me a file numbers to give to them. So I called the number it was a 1-844-636-8701 and they are called Ltd, I talk to Marcela she told I owed a 473 phone bill from 2007, and it went into default in 2012 and I ask her why is it just now going into default, should went into default in 2007? She says it was getting paid for six months! Then the payments stop,which doesn’t make sense to me. She also said they are going to garnish my wages, take my car,cause they are going to get their money! I asked her to send some kind of documents threw the mail, showing proof? She says they have already! Which I have not received, she said they were not going to send it again cause it’s wasting money!! She said if they take me to court it would be 901 but I can set up a payment plan for 453 and for 117 a month for four months! And they would add a postive on my credit report! And I said have no money! Then she said I can pay 20 dollars as a down payment, I said I have nothing! So I took the 117a month, I asked how they got my current address and number she public records and they hire a third party company to find me. I called u.s cellular to see if they can tell me who they sold it too! And I gave them the phone number and the company name and he says they don’t come up, he shows nothing on my account ethier! So he told me to go check my credit report,cause the company should be on my credit report, too make sure it’s a real company and not a scam. So I did and I don’t see them or the debt anywhere,on my report! So I called her back today and ask her why isn’t the debt know my credit report and she says they haven’t reported it yet, but yesterday she said they have, I also said u.s cellular doesn’t have any records of this info, and she said they wouldn’t cause they sold it to them. I did some research of my own and Google them and they have a lot of complaints file among them, and that they are a scam, And I also set a payment arrangement with them already! So I am about to cancel my card, cause I don’t totally trust them, so what do I do? They keep calling my house stand cell phone, Does this sound like a scam to you?
It called LTS collections not LTD.
It does sound just like a scam.
I had just gotten a call from them aswell today before I did a signing I got online started to research. Read this I called them back and told them that I wanted information of the company they were hired by etc as proof and that they were reported as a fraud. She couldn’t give me any information and that she would half to call me back. After our first phone convo I did tell them I needed proof they were not a fraud she said check our reviews we are 100% legit. only hing I have seen is fraud…
I got a call two days ago on my cell from an unknown number, and I didn’t answer. A few minutes later my mom called me and said she got a call from someone named Eva Martin looking for me, that she had legal papers to send me. She was very worried that I was in some kind of trouble. I told her I’d look into it. After doing some research online I realized it was most likely a scam. My mom said the call back number the woman gave was 844-249-8931. I keep getting calls on my phone, and they keep calling my work. The first time they called my work I was there….spoke to this Eva Martin woman and she said that I had legal papers sent to me “more than 40 days ago” and asked why I didn’t respond. I told her I never got any papers and she said that if I didn’t call this number back by 6pm that someone would come to my work to serve me papers….that didn’t happen. They’ve called my cell again today and called my work again. My coworker who took the call said a man called and kept asking her questions about me, and demanded the name and number of our regional director. When she wouldn’t give it to him, he said he’d call our customer service number to get the info about me. They’ve never given the name if the company they work for, or what this so-called legal paperwork is even about. I feel its a huge scam but its still scary and I just want them to stop calling me at work and especially my mom. Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated because its starting to bother me.
Total scam. I would file a complaint with your state AG and the CFPB. Tell them you know they are a scam, and you have filed complaints if you like.
I just had another call at work telling me that I’m having legal papers served to me at work in 20 minutes and was instructed to call a number, different one from last time. This one is 844-401-3851. I called and gave me some info. The debt they say I have is real but I still feel like they’re scammers. The law firm they gave me doesn’t come up on google and the number has been marked on a website as unsafe. I even looked on my state’s repository and the case number they gave me doesn’t exist and there’s nothing about it when I search my name. This is starting to scare me because I’m not sure if its real or not. The law firm they said they’re with is KMF law group carmen and Michaels. They said to pull my credit to prove they’re legit. Still have not been served papers….
Scam.
Just got off the phone with someone from the same number. I wrote down the number on google and your comment brought me here. The story sounds the same with the “legal papers” part.
Help i have a debt collecter saying there going to sue me i signed a paper saying id settle but I’m not sure there real what should i do?
Post more details about who you are dealing with, and the history of the debt at issue.
I contacted bbb and federal trade commission it was a place called allied finacial solutions sayimg there going to sue me. I did research and couldn’t find anything on them. When i did a reverse address search it came back as a different company so i called and verifyed they were at that address. When i called the collections back and asked for there address he kept saying didnt you get my email it is in there.
So I just received a call, and when the called ID popped up, it said unknown…. so I didn’t answer it. He left a voicemail stating that someone tried going to my residence yesterday to serve me, but I wasn’t there and that they would be coming to my work place around 1 today to serve me. I called the number back and the guy told me the company he worked for, what company my old loan was from, and was able to give me the last 4 of my social. He gave me the address that he said was on the loan, but I do not live at that address and when I told him that he got a little bit of an attitude. He asked me to hold on a minute so see if there’s anything we can do “outside of court” to get the debt paid off. I did inform him that I didn’t feel comfortable with this phone call, because I wasn’t sure if this was real or if it was scam. And he proceeded to tell me “well that fine. You’re already scheduled to be served so there’s probably not much I could do anyways so if you’re wanting to appear before a judge, that’s fine” I said okay thank you, and I hung up.
This is a loan that I do owe on. But this one is hard and it’s making me very nervous. How can I tell if this was real or not?!
What is the name of the collection company?
When was the loan last paid?
I’m dealing with what I believe is a scammer, but they will not leave me alone. My first series of calls – they called me, my sister and my mom – was from a man named Richard Brooke’s at Integrated Recover Services. He was very rude and would often name call and bully me to try to pay a legitimate debt that I owe. I called the origins of te debt who said they sold it to United Debt, and when I confronted Richard he said UD sold it to him.. I said I know he’s a scam and wouldn’t get a dime from me. Now a different man named Curt Stevens is calling from Integrated Services stating that he needs I verify an address and I’m going to have my wages garnished etc. and today called my sister looking for me stating that “he heard I was ridiculous”. I’m reaching out trying to figure out how to pay off my debt to the right company, but I don’t know what to do. These people won’t leave me alone and because they won’t I’m starting to worry they might be real, but their behavior is awful and seems like something they should not be allowed to do.
What state are you in? I want to email you a list of attorneys who handle collection violations who you can call and talk to about some options.
Okay thank you so much. I live in Kentucky, and the situation is getting worse. Yesterday they started calling my dad and my grandpa.
Email sent. The prior post, and the new behavior, suggest you are dealing with scammers.
A company called me regarding a debt all they stated was they were legal department said i had to pay that day because i had a court date already set they proceeded to call my son and tell him the same story and i must contact them immediately. They calked my cell repeatedly i did make a payment to find out from the company they were collecting for that i had no money due. The company is still threatening me with charges and a summons. What can i do to recover my money
Call your bank and try to reverse any charges. File complaints with your state AG and the CFPB.
Have any insights on Williamson Morgan and Associates operating out of California? They seem to be pulling some of these same scams and tricks, but I am worried they may be legitimate.
I would file a complaint with the CFPB. Be sure to include the false and misleading statements about the SOL tolling that you mentioned on the other page.
I received a call today but I missed it. They proceeded to call me, but I was busy dealing with work related issues. I finally had the time to call the number back, it rang a few times then a machine came on stating that all the operators were currently busy and sounded very generic. The message stated for me to leave a message with my name and number and someone will return my call. As soon as I hung up I received a call I answered and it sounded as if there was a bad connection, this happened 3-4 times after I’d hang up. I was finally able to hear the lady on the other line and she told me I had a civil… she wouldn’t give me any detailed information as to where the account was opened or email/mail me any kind of documentation about it. Oh I almost forgot that the first time I called and got an answer she directed me to cal a different number with a different area code. What do you think?
Also they said a judgment was going to be made tomorrow because I didn’t respond to a warning and my wages/assets would be garnished.
Lies, and more evidence of a scam.
Scam. Legitimate debt collectors will tell you who they work for and the nature of the debt without exception.
I had someone call saying they worked for a law office out of Texas and I was gonna get served a lawsuit if I didn’t settle a debt on a 10 yr old bank account that I never even knew was overdrawn. So of course I was skeptical about it and started questioning everything so he says well we will just but a lien on that 2012 SUV of yours. So that of course made me nervous cause that’s my wife’s way to work. Like an idiot I agreed to a one time payment of the “original” amount. They kept telling me I had to agree to this deal by noon that day. So the email me the papers to e-sign and like an idiot I do. Then I read the name on the papers and it’s zenco so I researched and found out they were involved in a lot of scams. So naturally I went and closed my bank account so that couldn’t get any money out. Now I’m getting voicemails from the same guy threatening me with fraud charges.
File complaints with your state AG and the CFPB. I would ignore them form here.
I recently received a phone call from a debt collector about an old credit card from First Bank and they threaten to pursue legal action against me if I didn’t agree to a settlement. I don’t recall this debt and I asked for verification of the debt and proper documentation. They refuse to provide me with any type of paperwork. I asked them for their name and address and they also refuse to give me that information. I also pulled up my credit reports and there’s nothing on there from First Bank of from a collection agency, I’m in the state of California
Any debt collector refusing to tell you who they are is a scam.
So he called me again and said he was with Padilla and Associates and his name was Daniel Padilla but still refused to give me an address. I asked him to please verify the debt and still declined to give me any type of documentation said if I decline to agree a settlement all that information would be provided at the time I get served. I also mentioned to him that none of this information shows up on my credit report and he said that it’s not on there because it has fallen off the report but once I pay it would show as paid and would raise my score. Since I declined to payment he hasn’t called back. He gave me a bad vibe since he kept asking me for a credit card to settle the amount and once I provide the cc he would email me paperwork to sign and all his information would be on there.
I have lived in Missouri my entire life, and I have a supposed collection agency that called my father in-law yesterday and my mom today saying they’re trying to contact me, telling them I owe an outstanding debt to Sprint from 2001, it is now 2016. The thing is I did not even have a cell phone in 2001. I do have a current plan with Sprint and have been with them for nearly 8 years now and they have never once tried billing me for an old account (because it never existed) or contacted me in any way about an outstanding account.. My account with Sprint is current and paid, so I don’t understand where this collection agency is getting that I had an account in 2001 or how they got my father in-laws number, who I didn’t even know until 2006 or my moms number. If they’re working on behalf of Sprint, they should have all my current info, phone number, address, etc…and not be contacting and harrasing my family members. Again, I was 20 years old in 2001 and didn’t have a cell phone or any other service from Sprint. I joined Sprint in 2007 and have never had an issue claiming I had a previous account with an outstanding balance of $270. I wondered if it was a scam, or someone stole my identity in 2001 and I never knew about it, but 15 years seems like an awfully long time and I have been with Sprint for many years now and never had an issue.
When calling my father in-law and mother, the person did not identify themselves, they only told them both it was about a civil matter and I needed to contact them by the end of the day or they would continue filing a complaint against me.
I called the number and case reference and spoke with a lady. She never asked me to pay any money and I never claimed the bill was legit. In fact I told her I felt like I was being scammed and that I had never had an account with Sprint prior to 2007. She said they sent me 2 letters in the mail, the last one being 45 days ago and maybe “you just didn’t get them” I asked her to email me a copy of whatever documents she had so I could see they were real and I gave her my email address. She said I should receive them within an hour. I never received them, I even checked the spam folder to be sure. This morning my mom texted me that someone from the same phone number (this time a different case number) called her and left a voicemail saying that I had 2 hours to contact them or they would proceed with action. I told my mom it was a scam and to not let them try to convince her to pay it on my behalf. I don’t believe a real collection agency would spend the time on a $270 debt (that doesn’t even exists in my view) that is 15 years old and contact family members, one of which was the day after they already had my phone number and email from speaking with the lady yesterday. Why then would they call my mom this morning?? That is too shady to be real.
It is too shady to be real, but that is how scammers pressure people into making mistakes.
I got a call from 888-712-7130 trying to collect on a real loan I paid off 7 years ago. They called themselves “Finacial recovery Services” and A1 Couriers acting on behalf of Compass Capital. They have no website or physical address just a PO Box 45612 Miami Fl 33144.
Can anyone help me locate where these guys are physically?
How can I track these guys to a location. Can anyone help with that?
I could only find this scam warning about Compass on the Washington state department of financial institutions website.
Actually, there are a ton of other warnings about Compass Capital being a scam payday loan debt collector.
I received a phone call today from a woman claiming she was looking for me with my new married name. She said she was a third party trying to serve a summons to court action on Rex road (I was under my maiden name then). That address was 26 years ago. She gave me Leegh & Associates at 855-406-3165 with a reference number. So when I called it was an Authur who answered and was very rude. He said I had a case against me and they were trying to serve me a summons to court. He said to hold while he clears the line and I hung up. I had no intentions of giving personal information. I checked on google regarding this company and tons of information appeared of SCAM. So i called the number back one more time and another lady answered and said that a collection was filed against me. But REX rd was 26 years ago and I had no debt. So I am lost as to what it is. They asked me to provide all my personal information to verify my identity but I refused. I asked them to give me their business license number and company name. She gave me a website to go to under California business Secretary of State and put in Kepler.sos.ca.gov. Of course it does not come up. I finally received a call from my husband and they have left him multiple messages on his cell phone for me to contact them regarding a bad debt.
How is it possible to tie me and my new husband together and get both our cell numbers. How do I proceed and is this a scam?
Debt collectors have all manner of skip tracing tools available to them. Scam debt collectors can use the same tools.
What you described is not something legitimate debt collectors do.
Someone called me claiming a case was being filed against me and once it left the office, I lose my legal rights. Said, I needed to call.the legal department right away. Also mentioned that an order to locate me was issued. They left the same message with my mom. When I did a reverse phone number look up, it was from a cell phone. When I called the “legal department” to see who it was they rapidly shot of some law office name. I.hung up. They called back 12 times in a row and then stopped til 1;40 am when they called again.
A terrible scam Kat. I am sorry you are going through any of this.