Police have enough to do in matters of public safety without chasing down penny-ante debts. Debt collectors cannot farm out their duties to tax-funded law enforcement, and the police wouldn't want the job even they had it.
Never let bullies on the phone confuse extortion with debt collection. Honest debt collectors do not typically send their claims straight to a judge, and they don't take your ransom money to broker quick deals with so-called "process servers". There are no secretive "arbitrators", "assessment specialists", "detectives", "investigators", "mediators", "mitigators", or "prelitigation specialists". They are sweaty double-talking criminals with a script full of coercive remarks. The agents' horrid threats are empty and their conduct is illegal.
Lawful debt collection is a process, not an ambush. Early in that process you must be given a specific notice about your alleged debt and how to dispute it. From there, you have a right to obtain proof of claim *on paper*. Federal law does not expect you to take only the word of strangers on the phone that bad things are about to happen. Do not reward lawbreakers with your money. Challenge them always, sue them if you can.
FTC and CFPB material on US federal collection law:
http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/search ... debt-collection
I got a call from a man who said he was from a law firm and that I owed money to a bank and if I didn't pay them $987 then a warrant was going to issue an arrest warrant.
I was confused because I had never recieved anything but he assured me that a 10 day court notice was sent out and I failed to respond. I had mentioned that I was going to make contact with my lawyer and consult him about the situation. He then offered to take my case for $1,000. I was irritated and asked him for the number of the alleged collections agency.
He then transferred me and for a brief moment there was some crappy elevator music playing and a woman answered the phone telling me that the company's name was Elite Paymeny Solutions and basically gave me the same information the other person did. She gave me an account number and everything. She even offered to take a payment through the phone by debit or credit card. Since I refused to do so she then told me that I could do a money gram at walmart but needed to use the blue and white sheet since it was to a business. It sounded fishy from the get go so I left and met with my lawyer. He basically said it waz a scam.
ALSO, what confused me is that they sent that supposed 10 day notice to an old address I hadn't lived at for 2 years but somehow managed to get my cell phone number, which had recently been changed. When asked how they had gotten my number she said it was in the records. Which was funny seeming how I'm on my boyfriend's cell phone contract. So you're telling me you found my cell phone number but couldn't even find the right address, which has even been on my driver's license for 2 years and through the system.
So yes, it was totally a scam! I wouldn't give them any form of information what so ever!
You could have stopped wondering at the "arrest warrant" threat if you'd known better. If you "owed money to a bank" you would long ago have heard from that bank, not some jailbird in a call center making confusing claims and illegal threats.
It's also likely there was never a "10 day court notice". It's cheaper to hustle you on the phone and make you *think* there is a lawsuit with your name on it, something you can easily verify with a court clerk. Pay them now, with not a scrap of debt validation, and they can allegedly save you from scary police, judges, and lawyers. None of this resembles proper collection of valid debts.
You've also picked up on the selective targeting of current and outdated means of contacting you, a common issue among fraudulent junk debt and payday loan collectors. They can skiptrace their way to almost any phone number and address they want, but then choose many indirect channels (relatives, employers, past homes, the neighbor's dog) if it suits their scheme.
Right! I've never been scammed before so it was really frustrating. My debt was from when I was younger, my old bank has me on a payment plan to pay off the debt. I'm also paying the last of my student loans off finally so it was a frustrating situation.
Funny enough I actually called and the number was no longer in service.
I hate to think that people actually do this and get away with it. :(
Elite Payment Solutions aliases: The Cambridge Group, Hartford Management Group, Mariner & Associates in Amherst NY
- related to Lionstone Holdings Group, LLC / Lionstone Acquisitions / Lionstone Recovery in Kenmore, NY
-- in turn related to Bahamas Marketing "hot check"/PDL thugs of a thousand names, who tell victims they "need an attorney" and threaten to "prosecute for not answering a complaint", and other blatant FDCPA violations.