Go a call this morning at my work number and cell phone number stating my social security number has been involved in fraudulent activity and I need to go turn myself in at the police station or call Officer Gipson. I laughed at the guy who called and told him to lose my number.
http://800notes.com/forum/ta-86217073a9c8dad/ ... 077595690349410
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http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors
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http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressreleases/extortion_scam.htm
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http://800notes.com/arts/Jb8EW-eDhQA/harassin ... ou-need-to-know
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Section 809 of the FDCPA http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf requires 3rd-party debt collectors to give debtors written notice of debt (the key word is *shall*) :
"§ 809. Validation of debts
(a) Within five days after the initial communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall, unless the following information is contained in the initial communication or the consumer has paid the debt, send the consumer a written notice containing—
(1) the amount of the debt;
(2) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed;
(3) a statement that unless the consumer, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt collector;
(4) a statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such verification or judgment will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector; and
(5) a statement that, upon the consumer’s written request within the thirty-day period, the debt collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor."
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A Collection Agent May Not…
Here are the top 11 actions prohibited by the The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act:
Misrepresent Him or Herself
A debt collector may not misrepresent himself as an attorney or law enforcement officer.
Use the Telephone to Annoy or Harass
A collection agent may not cause a telephone to ring or engage any person in telephone conversation repeatedly or continuously with an intent to annoy, abuse, or harass anyone at the called number.
Threaten Arrest or Lawsuit
A collection agent may not threaten a consumer with arrest. It may not threaten legal action that is either not permitted or not actually contemplated. In other words, a the threat of a lawsuit may be an empty one.
Use Abusive or Threatening Language
A debt collector may no use abusive or profane language in the course of communication related to the debt.
Publish a Bad Debt List
Publishing the consumer’s name or address on a "bad debt" list is prohibited.
Contact By Embarrassing Media
A debt collector may not communicate with a consumer by post card. It may not use any language or symbol, other than the debt collector’s address, on any envelope when communicating with a consumer by use of the mails or by telegram. A debt collector may use its business name if such name does not indicate it is in the debt collection business.
Contact a Consumer at Work
A collection agent may not communicate with consumers at their place of employment after being told this is unacceptable or prohibited by the employer.
Seek Unjustifiable Amounts
A debt collector may not demand any amounts not permitted under an applicable contract or as provided under law.
Contact a Consumer Represented by an Attorney
A collection agent may not contact a consumer after it learns the consumer is represented by a lawyer.
Communicate With a Consumer After Receiving a Validation Request
If a consumer sends a written §1692g response within 30 days, the collection agent may not communicate with the consumer until it mails the consumer the requested verification of original creditor's name and address.
Communicate With Third Parties
A debt collector may not reveal or discuss the nature of a consumer’s debts with third parties other than the consumer’s spouse or attorney. A collection agent may contact neighbors or co-workers only to obtain location information. It may contact a third party again if it has reason to believe the information the party provided previously is false.
Bills.com FDCPA FAQ
Below are questions Bills.com readers ask frequently:
Can a Collection Agent Call My Cell Phone?
Yes. However, if you tell the debt collector it may not use that number because it is a cell phone, it may not contact you again at that number.
I Keep Receiving Dozens of Calls From Collection Agents. Is That Legal?
No. Unscrupulous collection agents will use "block parties" or "office parties" where they contact a consumer, multiple neighbors, or co-workers telling them they need to reach the consumer on an urgent matter. This is not permitted under the FDCPA.
A Collector Says I Will Be Arrested if I Do Not Pay
This was a true statement before the US Civil War, but has not been true since. People may be arrested if an aggressive judge files a bench warrant for a person who does not appear at a hearing relating to a lawsuit regarding a debt. However, in that case, the offense is the failure to respond to a court order, and not the existence of the debt. As stated above, it is illegal under the FDCPA to threaten a consumer with arrest if the consumer does not pay the debt.
202 " AREA CODE FRAUD SCAMS".........have been going on forever !!!
( already addressed here and in the forums a million times already.......everyone should know by now !!! ).
NOTE / NEW !!!! SIMILAR AND IDENTICAL CALLS NOW " ORIGINATING" FROM THE "209" AREA CODE.......same crap / fake calls / fraud attempts , just a new area code............
202 area code fraud scams !!!!!
PLEASE NOTE !!! THESE SCAMMERS ARE ALSO IMPERSONATING THE US GOV'T / SEVERAL GOV'T OFFICES AND PERSONS....BEWARE !!!
- they are also impersonating DEA officials / IRS / FAKE LAW FIRMS etc.... with threats to arrest you unless you immediately send money via wire transfer / western union to some offshore country !!!!! obvious scam !!!
some are landlines...many are cell phones...some are spoofed and linked to offshore foreign call centers / countries !!!!
we've traced back most of these numbers to offshore foreign call centers mostly in INDIA / THAILAND / AFRICA / JAMAICA ETC....
here's a few other numbers posted from the same area code offering a wide variety of scams / fake emails and scams after posting something on craigslist ( old scam ) ...... collecting for non existant " payday loans "....free money / scam giveaways / calling on behalf of a humane society..... $1,000's in free gov't money......... etc etc.....stories change out all the time......and the usual nonsense!!!
** mysteriously call to claim they have several thousand of dollars to send you / give ....just provide your bank account and credit card right away etc etc.........scam scam
several of these are the usual long ongoing scams such as : you have won a free walmart / bestbuy gift card....or you have won a free ipad etc......all long ongoing scams............
i got a call from 911 and they left a msg identifying themselves as oficcer watson with arkansas state police telling me to call officer gipson at this number 2022398194. but the caller id said it was 911 calling and in the confusion somehow an ambulance was deployed to my sister in laws becsause she has the cell phone number that used to be mine and they tracked the phone and sent an ambulance