Just because someone on the phone calling you says you owe a debt does not mean you actually 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 ignore them and block their calls.
If they are bothering you, report them:
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection (Threatening civil proceedings with no intent to follow through, or threatening criminal process in order to collect a civil debt is a violation of the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.) The same goes for endless telephone harassment
Note that the US Supreme Court in the Case of HENSON ET AL. v. SANTANDER CONSUMER USA INC., has recently ruled that the provisions of the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act do not apply if the creditor owns the debt in question. As a practical matter this probably won't effect the kinds of scam debt collectors who often show up on 800notes. The scam collectors don't give you any information about themselves so it is impossible to know whether or not they in fact "own" the debt in question. Most do not send debt validation letters and many often say they are collecting for someone else. So, make the complaint anyway if they are bothering you. Let the FTC sort it out.
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. 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.
You'll probably have to yell at them and talk over them. Tell 'em no scammy debt collector is going to push you around.
You have to get tuff with these people because, being akin to thugs, brute force is (metaphorically speaking). the only thing they understand.
ID themselves as Convergent Outsourcing. Also known as (ER Solutions)--a lot of complaints about this group.
Convergent Outsourcing, Inc.
800-444-8485
___________________________
BBB:
THIS BUSINESS IS NOT BBB ACCREDITED.
Convergent Outsourcing Inc
Additional Locations
Phone: (425) 643-3111
Fax: (206) 322-4838
View Additional Phone Numbers
800 SW 39th St, Renton, WA 98057
http://www.convergentusa.com
View Additional Web Addresses
BBB® B- Rating
On a scale of A+ to F
Web site lists no contact info, but lists the name as Convergent Receivables Management: http://www.convergentusa.com/contactus/contact-form.php?d=4
Ok, this is a strange company record. According to their web site, they are located in Atlanta, Ga and have been in business since 1955.
Now the BBB gives them an B- rating with 1122 complaints and 8 negative reviews (how does that pan out) They also say that the business was established in 1950, that they are headquartered in Washington State, and that they are registered with the Washington Dept. Of Revenue: http://www.bbb.org/western-washington/busines ... enton-wa-501066
So if you go to the Washington State web site and look up their corporation, it indicates that they were formed in 2013:
CONVERGENT OUTSOURCING, INC.
UBI Number 603319184
Category REG
Profit/Nonprofit Profit
Active/Inactive Active
State of Incorporation WA
WA Filing Date 07/22/2013
Expiration Date 07/31/2015
Inactive Date
Duration Perpetual
Registered Agent Information
Agent Name CT CORPORATION SYSTEM
Address 505 UNION AVE SE STE120
City OLYMPIA
State WA
ZIP 98501
Now that is the corporation that is active, the other corporation with that name is inactive but was owned by the same person:
UBI Number 600059082
Category REG
Profit/Nonprofit Profit
Active/Inactive Inactive
State of Incorporation WA
WA Filing Date 01/11/1972
Expiration Date 01/31/2014
Inactive Date
Duration Perpetual
Registered Agent Information
Agent Name STEVEN J HUNTER
Address 800 SW 39TH ST
City RENTON
State WA
ZIP 980579004
Special Address Information
Address PO BOX 9004
City RENTON
State WA
Zip 980579004
Bizapedia has them as forming in 1972 and still active, although that date would apply to the inactive corporation (confused yet? I am): http://www.bizapedia.com/wa/CONVERGENT-OUTSOURCING-INC.html
This is interesting. There seems to be conflicting information all over the net on this number. While numerous sites have people saying that it is this electric company, many more say that it is Convergent Outsourcing, a debt collector.
The actual electric company site has an 888 number: http://pse.com/accountsandservices/contact-us/Pages/default.aspx
The following are complaint sites:
http://www.whoscallingnotes.com/listings/puget-sound-energy/800-772-1169/ Some say that it is the electric company, but there are posts that say they have no account with them.
http://www.ruscammer.com/8007721169/index.html this site seems to agree that it is a scam
http://www.privacystar.com/lookup/800-772-1169 this site claims it is Convergent Outsourcing
As does this one: http://www.fschulmanlaw.com/800-772-1169.phtml
But I would say the proof is this Chamber of Commerce page that lists these criminals in Washington and has that very same phone number listed for it: http://chamber.gorenton.com/list/member/convergent-outsourcing-inc-1299
• Collection Agencies
Convergent Outsourcing, Inc.
800 SW 39th Street
Renton, WA 98057
(425) 562-9720
(800) 772-1169
(206) 340-4003 (fax)
Description of the business from Hoover’s:
http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs ... 80233d315d.html
“Convergent Resources strives to avoid a divergence when it comes to collections. The company and its subsidiaries provide accounts receivable management, collection, and customer care services to a variety of industries throughout the US. Clients include banks and financial institutions, retailers, utilities, and telecommunications, cable, and satellite providers. Its Convergent Revenue Cycle Management division offers health care industry collection services to hospitals, helping them recover payments from insurers and other creditors. Convergent Outsourcing provides consumer accounts receivable services. Convergent Commercial is a commercial collections agency.”
Federal law (FDCPA) requires them to send you a letter within 5 days of their first contact that contains their name, physical address, the creditor’s name, and the amount of the alleged debt. It also must contains “mini-miranda” telling you that it is an attempt to collect a debt and that all information will be used for those purposes. The one other important thing that this letter must also have in it is that you have a right to dispute the debt within 30 days of the date of the letter and if you do so, all collection activity must be stopped until the debt is verified.
Read up on your rights here, get template letters to send and also make a complaint at this government site: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/
Also file a complaint with your State Attorney General's office.
As well as the Washington State AG's Office: http://www.atg.wa.gov/
and the Washington State Department of Financial institutions: http://www.dfi.wa.gov/
Just got a call from this number. Caller identified himself as representing Convergent Outsourcing and said they were calling on behalf of Chase Bank and asked me to confirm my address and the last four digits of my SSN. I told him that my one Chase credit card has a 0 balance and refused to verify any of my info.