The person who called me, called from a different local number and left me the 877 number to contact with a case number. The gentleman who called me was very threatening on the phone. Being the nosy person I am, I googled both the number he called from and the number he gave me to have my husband call. I've alerted local authorities.
Just got a call from some guy saying that there is a claim for me or whatever. He called from 703-988-1970. When I asked him what was this about he acted rude saying r u honestly telling me u have no idea. I paused (to keep from cursing his lil a$$ out) then said NO. He said they were supposed to call and inform me. WHO? What is the name of the firm....before answering he gave me a number I wrote it down. BUT I'm not calling anyone. If u r looking for me u call me. The number he gave me was 877-208-4497 I asked again what's the name of the firm. He simply said Waterman. When I looked it up it had all types of "law firms" but non with this number he gave me. But he never said Its so & so & Waterman, like I saw when I looked it up or nothing as to what I saw. I didn't copy down any "claim #". They called me on my work # at that.
I got a call from this jerk who never identify who he was and why is he calling me. He informed me that a firm by the name of Waterman and I have a claim out there.Their number is 877-208-4497 and he was calling from 703-988-1970. He gave me the claim number and said he would call me back. I am not calling anyone back and his conversation did not seem real. Nor did I take down any information that he provided to me. It sounds like a scam. He is phishing through numbers if you ask me.
They are scam debt collector. DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY OF YOUR INFO!!! They got 420 $ out of me last year and tried it again this year except this time I knew who they were. If they tell you someone is after you, don't panic, it is not true. You are safe and sound.
Yes, since you paid them without making them follow the letter of the law, they will try again and again and will sell your information to other crooks as well.
Criminals masquerading as debt collectors attempt to extort money from people by scaring you into believing that you will be criminally charged (they use the bad check or hot check claim a lot) and go to jail, lose your driver’s license, have wages garnished without actually being sued or going to court, be sued, and a variety of other variations on this, all for an alleged or nonexistent debt. One of the tricks they use is to call your family, friends, neighbors and/or places of employment (past or present or both) to create panic and embarrassment so that their intended victim calls them and they can scare that person into paying their extortion money. They will use the words “Mediator”, “Arbitrator”, or “Law Office” to make you believe that they are something other than a debt collector want-a-be and that they don’t have to follow Federal and State collection laws. They do have to follow those laws, but they won’t. They mention that they have received a Fax document, to create the sense of urgency. They also tell you that if you fail to call them back you are "waiving your right to council", which is pretty much nothing but hogwash. They also use the “process server” ruse who calls and claims he is going to serve you, but then says you could avoid it by calling another number where they will ask for money to “make it go away” (this is actually the same place, they work in teams, one pretending to be the server, and the other usually pretends to be a lawyer). Process servers do not ever call ahead so that you can dodge them. Process servers get paid to serve papers, nothing else.
It is incumbent upon them under the law to prove that the debt exists and that you owe it, and that they have the legal right to collect it. You are not obligated under the law to prove that you don’t owe or that it is paid.
Federal law (FDCPA) requires them to send you a letter (US MAIL ONLY) postmarked 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 receipt 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 and also make a complaint at this government site: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/
Also file a complaint with your State Attorney General's office.
List of State AG’s offices: http://800notes.com/faq/attorney-general
The person who called me, called from a different local number and left me the 877 number to contact with a case number. The gentleman who called me was very threatening on the phone. Being the nosy person I am, I googled both the number he called from and the number he gave me to have my husband call. I've alerted local authorities.