I was contacted by the this number yesterday claiming I owed a loan from a payday company from 2011 that they were a legit debt collector acting on behalf of this loan company that they were going to take me to court or have me settle which by now they said was 1500 dollars. Yes I applied for a loan in 2011 before going on a trip I was approved but never went through with it I was getting haressed by the loan company threatened with a lawsuit they called at my work etc I threated to sue them for harressment. I reported the number to the do not call list now 6 months later I get a call from this number which is ironically different then the one that I was called from originally. They sound legit THEY ARE not do not give into they have not taken me to court in 2 years nor have i been given papers from a collection agency
A man named Michael Connors keep calling my job saying this is a serious legal matter. Said he works for a company named check system Legal Dept. and that it is a civil complaint. How do I get them to stop harassing me at work? I don't owe any monies that I am aware of. I have been scammed before by these people, gave them my credit card and they drained my bank account
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.