Just recieved this email from this guy with a foreign accent :This is Officer Brian Jackson From Attorney General Office Clifford Law Associates, just to make you aware about legal mess, you are running very short of time, before company initiate the legal charges on you, call me back as soon as possible, my call back number is 321-576-1077 repeat its 321-576-1077 . Make sure you gonna return my call immediately, If I don’t get call from you, the next call would be given to your manager at your work, we’ll send one the copy of affidavit. This is reminder call for you that your social security number, your driving licence, your residing address as well as your work place are under legal investigation so before we take further step call me back right now, I’m waiting for your call until then have a bless day.
There is the first problem. They are required by law to mail as in delivered by the mailman, any and all information. E mail is not and never has been a form of legal communication.
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