Sharing this information so others may be forewarned....
Boy, was this hard to find!! I have received two phone calls from this number this week, but didn't answer as I wasn't near the phone either time, nor was a message left. As I was waiting for a call from a person who I didn't have a phone number for, I took a chance and called this number back hoping to find that it belonged to the person I was looking to hear from. The cheerful voice that answered said it was ACS, and "how may I help you today?" Since I had no clue what the initials were, I asked what ACS was? The reply was something about a "financial services", and I immediately hung up. I have no outstanding debts, but have recently received other scam phone messages regarding some phony account number with instructions to call back within a time frame which is not disclosed, and how documents will be delivered. What a farce!
I have dug up the following, rather lengthy info on the fake ACS and other assorted fake companies.... and it's now May 2015!!
+++++
"The scam artists have most recently identified themselves as ACS"
http://acsisascam.blogspot.com/2010/05/acs-debt-collectors.html?m=1
ACS is a Scam
Thursday, May 27, 2010
ACS Debt Collectors
ACS, (aka National Affidavit Processing Department and United Financial Crime Division, and other fake names) is a fraudulent debt collecting agency that attempts to extort money by making confusing, threatening and annoying phone calls....
further down the article reminds....
What does a debt collector need to provide as debt validation?
●Proof that the collection company owns the debt/or has been assigned the debt. This is basic contract law. It is very difficult to get a judgment without a direct contract between collection agency and the original creditor.
●At a minimum, some account statements from the original creditor. If you really want to get sticky, you can pin them down on the amount of the debt by requiring complete payment history, starting with the original creditor. This requirement was established by the case Fields v. Wilber Law Firm, Donald L. Wilber and Kenneth Wilber, USCA-02-C-0072, 7th Circuit Court, Sept 2004.
●Copy of the original signed loan agreement or credit card application. However, account statements from the original can fulfill these requirements.
Plus, they must show proof positive that you owe them this debt. It's not enough to send you a computer-generated printout of the debt. There is an opinion letter from the FTC to back this up:http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpa/letters/wollman.htm
Nor can they ask you to pay for digging up records of your debt:
http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpa/letters/krisor2.htm
So, if a creditor can't verify a debt:
●They are not allowed to collect the debt,
●They are not allowed to contact you about the debt, and
●They are also not allowed to report it under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Doing so is a violation of the FCRA, and the FCRA states that you can sue for $1,000 in damages for any violation of the Act.
further along into the article.....
The scam artists have most recently identified themselves as ACS, National Affidavit Processing Department and United Financial Crime Division, but may use additional phony names. It appears the phone numbers used by the scammers are "spoofed" numbers, so that the number appearing on a consumer's caller ID is not the actual number of where the call originated. It appears the calls in question may be originating from outside the United States.
When questioned, the individual calling refuses to disclose the full name or address of the collection agency he claims to represent. These scammers have been able to provide consumers with identifying information, such as the consumer's social security number, home address, e-mail address, names of family members and the consumer's computer IP address.
Since the callers are able to provide valid personal information, consumers may become confused and believe they are being contacted in regard to a legitimate debt.
If the initial debt collection scam is unsuccessful, the scamsters keep at it, often calling back months later posing as law enforcement officers or officers of the court. Typically, they threaten the consumer with arrest for fraud or some other fictitious crime unless the consumer agrees to immediately wire money via Western Union.