I have had the same experience. For a year I have had horrible calls from a collector yelling and screaming and rude saying I owe for an old US Bank account. I went to the bank which I have never had an account and confirmed that a "Patricia" does owe for one but not me. They call it tracing; Finding one piece of the puzzle and then going after the subject. Even though wrong ss, wrong middle initial...same first name! The calls stopped for a few months then started again. So again I went to US Bank, same lady and verified. Now almost a year later of these calls and there have been many! I get an address verification, for a law suit from 323.319.2691 they referred me to Barry Lawson and James Schultz 866.571.1694. Seemed fishy...same story, this time they said getting ready for court. Of course no info was given out from me but still it ruffles my feathers! How dare they try and harass me over over a year.
A man (I forgot what he called himself) told me he was with a "claims verification department". He told me that his calling me meant that me or someone I knew has a claim being filed against them... I verified my name. He then told me that I was the one the claim was being filed against and that I had to call a different number to find out the details. The call back number was 877-410-0774. He gave me a case number and two names associated with this number... Doug Thompson and Michael Greenberg. I have yet to call back. I immediately pulled out the laptop and googled the two names and this is what popped up >>>>http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/8774100774<<<<
I might call back just for sh**s and giggles and let these people know that their "names" and numbers are popping up on the net.
Well, different numbers but the guy said he was from the claims verification department and needed to verify my address for my upcoming court date. Initially I thought it was a collection agency trying to scare me but something sounded "off." I asked him for proof of his agency and told him that I will not give him any information until such time as he provided it and that I had no idea what he was talking about. He then replied very dramatically that if I didnt know what was going on I need to call the "law firm" ...I was given the names Barry Lawson and James Schultz, their number and a case number. The person who answered this line I told that person that I was not giving any information, that I didn't know what they were talking about and that until proof was given that this was, in fact, an legitimate company/agency, I would not give more than my first name. The guy then tried to pull the info saying that he couldn't tell me anything until I verified and that they wouldn't be allowed to give any information until I verified MY INFO. (ha! yeah right). He then said he was getting one of the lawyers on the phone. This was amusing because this was all presented like a call center. Anyone who has ever worked at a call center knows the "boss" is not there directly! This Lawyer, Schultz I think, got on the phone. I gave him the same schpeil and his response was that he didnt know me and didnt need to speak with me. When I figured out what I wanted to talk to him about I could call back...I didn't let him finish---I just hung up. The funny thing is--it sounded EXACTLY like the first kid from the supposed other company. I figure if they have my number and I am really about to go to court, they will have a more definitive way contact me. In my GUT I seriously feel like this was a scam! The "claims verification department" number was 404-418-8648 and Barry Lawson & James Schultz Law firm was 866-919-4861. I honestly tried to look up on line the numbers and names to verify, so that if it's legit I can square things away but clearly...that's not the case! BEWARE!
I just received a call from 1-614-420-2608. It was a young man claiming to be from "Address Verification Services", wanting to "confirm my address for the paperwork being sent out today." I asked what paperwork he was referring to, to which he replied, in a surprised manner, "Oh, usually when I call people are expecting my call, I guess I should go back a bit. I work for Address Verification Services, and I'm calling because the offices of Barry Lawson and James Schultz need to send you legal paperwork for case# XXXXXXXXXX, and they need your current address."
After having dealt with scammers like this in the past, I immediately smelled something fishy. I told him I hadn't been expecting any legal paperwork, and I didn't care to give anyone my address without some understanding of who I was talking to & why. He sounded very sympathetic, and gave me another number for the "LAW OFFICES OF LAWSON & SCHULTZ", 866-919-4861, which I immediately called.
The kid that answered did so in such a way that I knew I was absolutely not dealing with any sort of legitimate law firm. He hung up on me the first time I called, because he didn't like my tone and didn't have to tell me anything about the case. This being after I mentioned that I'd already filed 3 FTC complaints against similar companies, and would gladly filed a fourth.
I called back again, and engaged in a fairly hostile argument with this young gentleman, which ultimately led to him actually putting the supposed "Mr. Barry Lawson, Esq." on the phone. Barry was about as bright as his "assistant", said he didn't have to give me any info (despite the fact THEY called me, AND I had a "case number" supposedly issued by them).
I pleaded very politely, one last time, for the powerful Mr. Lawson to give me some information about this legal case that I was supposedly involved in, which he once again rudely denied me. I ended the conversation by making Mr. Barry Lawson fully & absolutely aware that he and his employees are all, in fact, schmucks.
IF these guys call you from 1 866 919 4861, or from their address verification number @ 614 420 2608, be very cautious. These scumbags make a living scaring the old & uninformed out of their hard earned money. If you owe a legitimate debt, pay it. That said, if you do have a legitimate debt, it will most likely NOT be these guys trying to collect it. They buy out of statute/invalid debt and scare people with lawsuits. Their behavior is illegal, and if you file a complaint with the FTC, they will actually follow up on it.
I have had the same experience. For a year I have had horrible calls from a collector yelling and screaming and rude saying I owe for an old US Bank account. I went to the bank which I have never had an account and confirmed that a "Patricia" does owe for one but not me. They call it tracing; Finding one piece of the puzzle and then going after the subject. Even though wrong ss, wrong middle initial...same first name! The calls stopped for a few months then started again. So again I went to US Bank, same lady and verified. Now almost a year later of these calls and there have been many! I get an address verification, for a law suit from 323.319.2691 they referred me to Barry Lawson and James Schultz 866.571.1694. Seemed fishy...same story, this time they said getting ready for court. Of course no info was given out from me but still it ruffles my feathers! How dare they try and harass me over over a year.