They called me from 877-775-7615, they claim to be at 224 E 11th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015. They do not have lawyers on their payroll (I asked for one), yet they claim to be a "litigation firm". I wonder how you can litigate without a lawyer. They gave me old addresses of mine and make it sound like they have enough information on you to scare you into thinking they are legit. Don't fall for it, just have a good laugh. By reading other consumers report, you can tell they are all bad debts whose statute of limitation have well expired. IT IS UNCOLLECTABLE and will not stand in a court of law. They probably got your information from a stolen database from any of the actual collection agencies where your account was legitimately placed in the past.
Consumers across the country report that they're getting telephone calls from people trying to collect on loans the consumers never received or on loans they did receive but for amounts they do not owe. Others are receiving calls from people seeking to recover on loans consumers received but where the creditors never authorized the callers to collect for them. So what's the story?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:
is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.
If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:
Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.
Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.
Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft – charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.
Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate – but you think the collector may not be – contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.
Also good info at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau:
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/1699/h ... legitimate.html
According to another post before you these scammers are checking victims facebook accounts.If you have FB or twitter or linkedin or other social media you want to make those private and remove all posted information such as employers or schools these types of debt scammers usually start calling everywhere trying to harass victims into paying to stop the calls.Inform your family and friends you are the target of scammers and to immediately hang up if receiving any suspicious calls regarding you and to release no information.
An individual names Karen Gier called my aunts home threatening her about a debt that belongs to a relative. The name on the called ID was Litigation Services (323) 300-5792 ext 221. She was aking for social security number and saying they came to the house with a warrant but no one was home. They also gave her a phony court docket number. In all they pretty much spooked her and I'm glad she didn't give out any information. I hope to answer the phone and give them an "ear full". Shameful tactics these people use
This is a total debt scamming operation. Do not pay them anything. Do not give them any information. Block their calls.
Just because a voice on the telephone claims you owe a debt does not mean you owe it
If a voice on the telephone claims you owe a debt:
1. Demand the person give you his or her name, company name, and address
2. Demand a debt validation letter by US mail. E-mail no good.
3. Do not pay the collection agent or anyone else a DIME until the debt is validated.
Of course they won’t do this, no scammer ever will, so simply block their calls and ignore them.
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection (Threatening arrest or criminal process in order to collect a civil debt is a clear violation of the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act)
Also contact your local attorney general
If they continue to bother you, and you know you do not owe any money, tell them that you know this is a debt scam and that you are making a complaint to the police for extortion. You might have to yell at the scammer and talk over him or her. Once you get a copy of the police report and they call you again , just read out the file number and the name of the PD or Sheriff’s office involved. Tell them you’ll be glad to send a copy to them at whatever address the jack***es are working out of now.
Is that debt collector for real?
July 1, 2014
by Lisa Lake
Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
It’s stressful enough getting calls from debt collectors for bills you actually owe. But if you’ve ever been harassed and threatened for debts you’ve never even heard about, let alone accrued, it can be downright harrowing – and quite possibly illegal.
Today, the FTC announced that a U.S. district court has temporarily halted a Georgia-based operation from using deception and threats to collect millions in phantom payday loan “debts.” The FTC says Williams, Scott & Associates and company president John Williams lied and threatened people to pay on debts they didn’t owe – or debts the company didn’t have the authority to collect.
According to the FTC, the debt collectors claimed to be federal and state agents, investigators, or members of a government fraud task force, or they pretended to be with a law firm. They falsely told consumers their driver’s licenses would be revoked and that they faced immediate arrest and imprisonment if they didn’t pay up. How did the debt collectors even know to contact those consumers? The FTC says many of the people had inquired about a payday loan online at one time and submitted contact information, which the company later got its hands on. The case is pending in federal court in Atlanta.
Don’t get intimidated by a bullying bill collector – real or fake. Any debt collector impersonating a law enforcement officer or threatening you with immediate arrest if you don’t pay up is violating federal law.
If you think a caller may be a fake debt collector:
Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller you won’t discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." If the caller refuses, don’t pay.
Put your request in writing. If you have the caller’s address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) requires any debt collector to stop calling if you ask them to in writing.
Don’t give or confirm with the caller any personal, financial, or other sensitive information. Fake debt collectors, and other scammers, can use your information to commit identity theft and other crimes.
Contact your creditor. If a debt is legitimate – but you think the collector isn’t – contact your creditor. Tell them about the suspicious call and ask who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
Report the call. File a complaint with the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA.
Learn more about protecting yourself from fake debt collectors and about your rights if you actually are facing debt collection.