Over the last several months, someone has gotten a hold of my name and all my numbers (cell, work, husband's cell). They may call a few months apart. They may call several days/times in a row. They have different company names, different numbers, and vary on the issue. But they are all SCAMS. At first, I was very freaked out. I thought I had forgotten about a debt from years ago. Now I realize it's all fake. I've checked and rechecked my credit report. At first, it was a cash advance I had supposedly taken out and never repaid. Now it's supposed check fraud and signature fraud. They are threatening, saying I will go to jail, etc. I don't answer the calls anymore. Any new number that comes up on my cell, I block it. I can't block them on my work number, so I just don't answer the phone. Sometimes they leave messages, sometimes not. I probably haven't heard from them in about a month. I received a call at work today and they left a message. Today they are "CRS Mediation Firm" and I must call them back before 4pm tonight or their legal department will be forced to handle the situation. It's ridiculous, a waste of time, and annoying. The number they called me from is above, and that is also the number they told me to call. They also gave me a case number. No. I won't be calling them back. I wonder how many people are subject to this harassment. I know what they are doing is illegal, but I have no idea how to make it stop.
Over the last several months, someone has gotten a hold of my name and all my numbers (cell, work, husband's cell). They may call a few months apart. They may call several days/times in a row. They have different company names, different numbers, and vary on the issue. But they are all SCAMS. At first, I was very freaked out. I thought I had forgotten about a debt from years ago. Now I realize it's all fake. I've checked and rechecked my credit report. At first, it was a cash advance I had supposedly taken out and never repaid. Now it's supposed check fraud and signature fraud. They are threatening, saying I will go to jail, etc. I don't answer the calls anymore. Any new number that comes up on my cell, I block it. I can't block them on my work number, so I just don't answer the phone. Sometimes they leave messages, sometimes not. I probably haven't heard from them in about a month. I received a call at work today and they left a message. Today they are "CRS Mediation Firm" and I must call them back before 4pm tonight or their legal department will be forced to handle the situation. It's ridiculous, a waste of time, and annoying. The number they called me from is above, and that is also the number they told me to call. They also gave me a case number. No. I won't be calling them back. I wonder how many people are subject to this harassment. I know what they are doing is illegal, but I have no idea how to make it stop.
What they are doing is illegal. Threats of jail because you owe money, never happen. Read the following, try to get them to give you an address and send them a certified, return receipt cease and desist letter. Most likely they won't give you an address or else it will be a fake one.
This is a common ploy by criminals attempting to extort money from people by scaring you into believing that you will be criminally charged, go to jail, lose your driver’s license, have wages garnished, be sued, and a variety of other variations on this, all for an alleged or nonexistent debt. They also use the “process server” who calls and claims he is going to serve you, but then says you could avoid it by calling another number. Now why would a “process server” want to do you, a stranger, a favor, and at the same time not get paid to deliver the papers?
Federal law (FDCPA) requires them to send you a letter (US MAIL ONLY) within 5 days of their first contact that contains their name, physical address, the creditor’s name, and the amount of the alleged debt. It also must contains “mini-Miranda” telling you that it is an attempt to collect a debt and that all information will be used for those purposes. The one other important thing that this letter must also have in it is that you have a right to dispute the debt within 30 days of receipt of the letter and if you do so, all collection activity must be stopped until the debt is verified.
Read up on your rights here, get template letters to send and also make a complaint at this government site: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/
Also file a complaint with your State Attorney General's office.
List of State AG’s offices: http://consumerfraudreporting.org/stateattorneygenerallist.php