Sine guy trying to sound friendly & official left a message, asking to speak with someone I never heard of. Sounds fake, or underhanded to me. See also: 425-644-2280
Some weird company or phonies keep calling and leave stupid messages. Some idiots keep calling asking about some criminal with a name I can't even understand. Refuse to stop calling no matter what. I think a con artist might owe them money -- or they are. I have no idea. Jerks.
You are not responsible for the debt, but you may experience difficulties convincing the debt collector of this. Under federal law, the debt collector has certain responsibilities in investigating your situation and may be liable for failure to cooperate.
Abuse of telephone lines is illegal. Debt collectors can not violate specfic laws regarding when and how they contact you. If you are not the debtor, you have your own legal remedies. Disreputable companies buy large numbers of miscellaneous old debts from other collection agencies and may keep demanding payment from you, even if you have nothing to do with the debt or debtor. They know that if they hassle and threaten 1000 people mercilessly, perhaps 10 of these victims will pay some amount (say, $500) out of fear or confusion -- That's a cool 5000 bucks just for making a bunch of hostile prank calls. Quite a racket!
There are also fraudulent companies who call and attempt to obtain personal information, especially social secuirty numbers and credit card accounts. This info can then be used to commit a variety of serious interstate and international crimes. It is a serious and growing menace.
Know your rights. Learn to recognize abusive collection practices. Even if you owe a debt, a collector owes you fair treatment and respect for your privacy.
Also, be aware that even if the collector's conduct does not exactly match the language of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, that collector may still be liable for its conduct under federal and state laws.
Often the first contact with the debt collector is a telephone call from a representative, a pre-recorded message asking you to call a mysterious toll-free number, This is already a law violation and can be actionable.
Start and keep a file. At the first contact from a collection agency, start a file. Your file should include dates and times of phone conversations, and pre-recorded messages the collector leaves on your voice mail.
Don't be coerced. Never pay a bill you don't owe just to get the collector to "go away." Any payment of the debt is considered an acknowledgement that you are responsible. Even if you pay, that will not erase a negative entry on your credit report.
Complain about abusive collection practices. Under the federal FDCPA, a collector is not allowed to make idle threats, express or implied (for example, "We must get your payment no later than the day after tomorrow"), or use abusive or profane language. A collector should not discuss your account with third parties or use the phone to harass you.
Military members should make an appointment with the local Judge Advocate General's office if contacted by a collector. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), previously the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act (SSCRA), provides protections for military members
The FTC and the IRS have been investigating debt consolidation fraud. Seek legal help. You may sue in state or federal court. The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) sets the national standard for collection agencies. The FDCPA, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), prohibits abusive collection tactics that harass you or invade your privacy. (15 USC §§1692-1695)
DEBT COLLECTORS:
May not call you repeatedly or use the phone to harass you. Among the many things a collector is not allowed to do is threaten you with a lawsuit just to get you to pay the debt. They cannot exchange (with other agencies) information about individuals who allegedly owe a debt; cannot distribute a list of alleged debtors; cannot advertise a debt for sale; cannot compile a list of debtors for sale to others; annot leave messages with third parties, asking them to have the debtor call the collector.
Phone numbers change frequently. Frustrations are heightened by the inability often to speak to a "live" person to explain mistaken identity. Recorded messages often include only a toll free number without the name of a personal contact. The PRC raised these and other concerns when the FCC was considering whether or not to allow debt collectors to leave prerecorded messages on cell phones. --
In a related matter, the FTC issued an advisory opinion regarding the dispute rules as they relate to debt collectors that report information to credit bureaus.
Get it together before the wagons circle. This case looks like an expanding thing around similar citiations. Files might "disappear" before anyone acts. That would leave nothing but loss for the wagons. If you can work fast, find somone you trust who can handle this kind of diversion,
sleight of hand, and inferred intimidation.
OK, try searching on the Web for BBB, the better business bureau in the state of Washington. Someone filed report and doesn't look good. Some guy is Jack T. Wolf. There is stuff online about AAAA that doesn't sound right, but you have to find out for yourself. That's all what found.