I just got a call from Catherine Strein (South Florida Group) as well and she said I owed $1400 to Check-N-Go / Ace. She said if I didn't pay by 2:30pm that they would be faxing over paperwork to my county office which would then put a warrant out for my arrest and I would have to pay three times the amount I owed. I called my local county office and they said they can't do that. DO NOT give them any money. If they were actually a real firm, she wouldn't hesitate to give out her information. Looks like she tells everyone different things. She also called my work today and was very rude.
It helps to call the actual company that they say you owe. I called them and they have no record that I owe them anything. Made me feel at ease knowing that.
They (her name is Catherine Strein) have called my work twice so far today and if I happen to actually talk to them, they are gonna get an earful. They are not to call you at work and besides, I don't owe them a thing. If you tell them where to go, it normally ends the phone calls!
I just got a call from Catherine Strein (South Florida Group) as well and she said I owed $1400 to Check-N-Go / Ace. She said if I didn't pay by 2:30pm that they would be faxing over paperwork to my county office which would then put a warrant out for my arrest and I would have to pay three times the amount I owed. I called my local county office and they said they can't do that. DO NOT give them any money. If they were actually a real firm, she wouldn't hesitate to give out her information. Looks like she tells everyone different things. She also called my work today and was very rude.
It helps to call the actual company that they say you owe. I called them and they have no record that I owe them anything. Made me feel at ease knowing that.
REPORT ANY CONTACT WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS TO THE FTC, IMMEDITELY!!!! (www.ftc.gov)
Over the past three weeks all weekdays and Saturdays multiple hours during the day and after 9:00pm from Monday, January 30, 2010 until February 20, 2012, a common friend of ours’ has been receiving calls from a male with an African-American speech inflection threatening an affidavit has been filed against my wife for writing bad checks and owing a 'Pay-Day' loan. The male refused to identify himself during his 20+ threatening and intimidating calls, only providing an account number and phone number (305-914-6728). My wife returned the phone call on February 17, 2012 during the afternoon to this unnamed individual in order to end the harassment to our friend, a third-party with no affiliation to any of these matters. The receiver of the call told my wife he represents WOOD FOREST (WOOD FOREST is a fictitious name), refused to give his name, told my wife he was dispatching the police to our house, said to my wife that its her '[***] is in a sling, lady!', demanded a payment of $900.00 over the phone, refused to provide an address and refused to send any documents via post to our address yet offered to email the information, before refusing to take the information and hanging-up on my wife. We remained in fear my wife was going to jail for fraudulent allegations. Fortunately, that never transpired. I began researching these individuals via the internet and calling the provided phone number during non-business hours. The answering service associated with the aforementioned phone number is associated with AMY GRANT, INVESTIGATIONS DEPARTMENT, SOUTH FLORIDA GROUP. Other associated numbers include: 305-964-9434 and 305-918-4670 and 786-528-0314. According to internet searches revealing the illegal, unethical and deleterious practices of this company, it appears other individuals associated with South Florida Group are: MICHAEL SHAW, BRIAN MERCER, CATHERINE STREIN, SAMANTHA TAYLOR, THOMAS PIERCE and JOHN MONTGOMERY, all of whom reportedly employed the same tactics with other citizens to extort monies either illegally or in direct violation of the FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT. Other additional phone numbers include: (866) 629-9947, (888) 472-6781, (888) 313-9572, Through further research, it appears South Florida Group is an affiliation of BRONSTEIN, SHAW & ASSOCIATES (888) 701-0360, aka JENKINS, SHAW & ASSOCIATES (877) 863-5647, aka BRONSTEIN, SHAW & ASSOCIATES, INC., 814 KENMORE AVENUE, BUFFALO NY 14216. The individuals appearing to be affiliated with these 'law groups' are: MR. JONES (877) 863-5647 x493, fax (716) 691-3939 and MR. MYERS (888) 701-0360 x475, fax (716) 873-2700, RENEE WILLIAMS (888) 701-0360 x473 and MR. STONE (716) 533-1569. It appears JOSEPH STONE aka JOSEPH MARLETTE (716) 533-1569 is the owner/CEO. From research, it appears Mr. Stone (aka Marlette), also, owns and runs collection agency: ICS (INTERSTATE CHECK SYSTEMS, INC., 15 HAZELWOOD DRIVE, #102, AMHERST NY 14226, (888) 358-1120, (888) 832-9845, (877) 230-2988, (716) 691-2472 and fax (716) 691-2440.) Reportedly, it appears ICS employees (RAY PADILLA, SHAWN MICHAELS and JIM DOUGLASS x335)utilize the same illegal collection tactics, and litigation and arrests alleging fraud in the State of New York exists regarding affiliates and constituents of ICS (according to some reports, this agency has been shut-down by governmental interventions.) It appears Interstate Check Systems is an entity of Northtown Capital & Associates. Northtown's web site is: http://www.northtowncap.com. Northtown's address and location is (same as Interstate Check Systems): 15 Hazelwood Drive, Suite 102, Amherst, NY 14228 - Phone: 888.358.1120 - Fax: 716.691.2122 Corporate filings found at: http://appsext8.dos.state.ny.us/corp_public/corpsearch.entity_search_entry Selected Entity Status Information Current Entity Name: INTERSTATE CHECK SYSTEMS INC. Initial DOS Filing Date: NOVEMBER 16, 2009 County: NIAGARA Jurisdiction: NEW YORK Entity Type: DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION Current Entity Status: ACTIVE Selected Entity Address Information DOS Process (Address to which DOS will mail process if accepted on behalf of the entity) INTERSTATE CHECK SYSTEMS INC. 3047 MAPLE ROAD NEWFANE, NEW YORK, 14108 Registered Agent SPIEGEL & UTRERA PA PC 1 MAIDEN LANE 5TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NEW YORK, 10038 Current Entity Name: NORTHTOWN CAPITAL & ASSOCIATES INC. Initial DOS Filing Date: OCTOBER 23, 2009 County: ERIE Jurisdiction: NEW YORK Entity Type: DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION Current Entity Status: ACTIVE Selected Entity Address Information DOS Process (Address to which DOS will mail process if accepted on behalf of the entity) NORTHTOWN CAPITAL & ASSOCIATES INC. 1 MAIDEN LANE 5TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NEW YORK, 10038 Registered Agent SPIEGEL & UTRERA P.A. P.C. 1 MAIDEN LANE 5TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NEW YORK, 10038 Additional Corporate filings show: Selected Entity Status Information Current Entity Name: BRONSTEIN, SHAW & ASSOCIATES, INC. Initial DOS Filing Date: FEBRUARY 28, 2011 County: ERIE Jurisdiction: NEW YORK Entity Type: DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION Current Entity Status: ACTIVE Selected Entity Address Information DOS Process (Address to which DOS will mail process if accepted on behalf of the entity) BRONSTEIN, SHAW AND ASSOCIATES, INC. 814 KENMORE AVENUE BUFFALO, NEW YORK, 14216 Registered Agent SPIEGEL & UTRERA PA PC 1 MAIDEN LANE 5TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NEW YORK, 10038 This scam, perpetrated by these entities, is far-reaching and preys on those, such as my wife and I, who are attempting to find stable-footing, again, in life through responsible and reputable means. All of the aforementioned individuals and entities are, reportedly and experientially, are violating laws, complicit involvement in illegal scams, willfully and knowingly, thereby harming and injuring unsuspecting and innocent victims, such as my wife and I, by their intentional acts, aiding and abetting extortion through fraudulent practices and are in direct violation of the FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT.