I just got a call myself. The person on the other end is using old credit history information to try and scare you into paying him, not the credit card companies or whoever. I read an article recently about new collection agencies popping up trying to intimidate people by bringing up old unsettled debts that in most cases have already been charged off by the creditors. They can get old credit card histories through public records, which in some cases have been settled or charged off but they use language about 'judgements' and 'civil court' but the [***] wouldn't say what court, when, at what time, etc so that was my first red flag.
If you press the person for more details, they say they just work here and we're a third party, we don't know all the details about your case, etc.
They also try and trick you with the 'I've verified your identity' but they don't say they are recording the conversation so it's totally not valid in court.
So it's [***]. If anyone was going to come after you for money you owed, you would get something in writing.
Me again! I did some research. The Att. Generals Office says to call The Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs @ 404-651-8600. Then they say to fill out a form on there website. WWW.STATE.GA..US.\GAOCA
It is also suggested to call there local Better Business Bureau 404-688-4910. Please help stop these criminals from making people victims.
Here's the contact info and the correct URL for the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs in Georgia:
Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs
http://consumer.georgia.gov
2 Martin Luther King Jr., Drive SE, Suite 356
Atlanta, Georgia 30334-4600
Phone: 404-651-8600
Toll Free: 800-869-1123 (toll-free in Georgia, outside of the metro Atlanta calling area)
Fax: 404-651-9018
Office hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
Report them also to the Federal Trade Commission: https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01
And if anyone outside of Georgia is receiving calls from these bumbling crooks, file a complaint with your state's attorney general. The contact info for each state's AG is here: http://www.naag.org
I'm a bankruptcy attorney and I have a client who received one of the calls from "Investigator Michelle" at 404.287.0204 regarding a debt included in her bankruptcy for a discharge. The debt was owed to Chase and "Michelle" refused to take bankruptcy information or let anyone get a word out. My paralegal called the number back and was hung up on and so was I.
So, this has become a violation of a court order, aka a violation of the bankruptcy stay, and I am prepared to file a show cause motion to hold them in contempt, but I need an address. I have advised my client to be coy next time they call and to act like she doesn't have her case number in order to find out what she owes and where to send the check. If any of you get an address and post it, I will gladly join the good fight; the bankruptcy court has a lot more teeth than the FTC or the attorney generals' offices when it comes to harassing phone calls.