Just received a call from a local number that I didn't recognize so I didn't answer and a Elizabeth Child's left a message saying she was a fraud investigator and she had received something with my name on it and it was important that I contact her and then left this 704 number. Pretty slick little scam they have going. These bunch of bottom feeders need to get a life.
I just got the same call. Let me fill some of you in. These companies buy huge lists of people that have very old debt. They might buy a list of 300,000 names with a total of 10m in debt for say $50,000. They then go to work trying to collect from them. I settled a debt about 10 years ago and have the letter but I love messing with them anyway. This one sounds like it will be fun from what I read here. They are basically looking for people who scare easily. If they bought your 10 year old 10k debt for $3 anything they get is great. The thing about these people is they know they can tell you anything on the phone. You MUST not get emotionally charged on the phone because they feed on that. If you want to make them crazy stay calm. Let them motor mouth and interrupt but be polite. Do not talk to them long or they may trip you up to say something that WILL give them a legit debt. They record conversations and will review them later. If you admit you owe the debt they will take you to court with a typed transcript. I dont know for certain but suspect that these companies are connected to people who are involved in identity theft. I dont think they do it themselves but they probably broker the information. There are people who will buy your ss number, mothers maiden name, bank account number etc. to use and broker to others. Here are the rules for these people:
1: NEVER ADMIT YOU OWN THE DEBT. Admitting you owe the debt can make it so you do owe the debt in the eyes of the law. Tell them you don’t remember it and ask them to send you a copy of the paperwork they have from the company. The ORIGINAL credit card agreement, the paperwork you signed, a statement from the company. They are probably not going to have this and if they don’t it is not lajit. To many of these companies you are a name on a list. They probably don’t even really own the debt. They will just try and get you to pay. You will be paying someone who does not even own the debt and they will just sell the debt to someone else once they bleed you. That is what is ironic….paying them means nothing if they don’t own the debt.
2. NEVER EVER pay them a dime. In the state I am in the statue of limitations (SOL) is 5 years and it varies by state. It varies by state but there is zero chance they will get a judgment against you past that date. Unless it is a student loan then your beyond screwed. You need to research the time period for (SOL) for your state. Here is the thing though….if you have a debt that is 8 years old and SOL in your state is 5 years and you make a payment on that debt…the time frame starts all over. Then a debt they don’t have a chance to collect is now collectable for the next 5 years by anyone!!! You do this you are screwed. They will call it a processing fee or something else to get you to pay then even a dollar…does not matter once you pay you are really in bad shape.
3. Tell them in your state the SOL time frame is (xxxx) whatever and they are SOL. They can still sue you and if they do you will have to research the letter you give the judge indicating SOL. Don’t be afraid of being sued as it is not likely they will and SOL always wins. Chances are they don’t even really own the debt. I strung two collection agencies along for a long time over the same paid off 8 year old debt. They got very highly irate many times and finally I told them they are SOL and instantly they just stopped. They gave up right there on the phone.
4. Keep in mind they can say anything to you. Ask them to put whatever they tell you in writing. I always set up a separate email account to get them to send me stuff. Send them letters requesting the info above and keep in mind it does not have to be typed and all that. Just write it on a piece of paper and send it so you get a returned receipt. If you are thinking you don’t have time for this that is the other thing they are counting on. If they are calling you at work send them a letter to tell them to stop….google it. If they are calling your relatives do the same.
These people are predators and they will say anything to get their commission. They are on commission. Like all predators they look for the old or weak to prey on. They will be your friend or your enemy if it suits them. Don’t chat with them and tell them anything about your life. They will use it against you. Don’t be an idiot.
Just received the same call and the same stuff something is attached by my husbands social and they had his name and left a number n I called it back but hung up to do some research.. Than after reading all of this it hit me this must be the same ones that have been calling here asking for my husbands ex girlfriends son who also has the same Name as our Son but different middle name . When I have tried to explain its not our son , it's a ex girlfriend and we have no clue or connection they said they have Agents and police in the area to come arrest him .. I said come on bring it on .. You won't find anyone here .. I than hung up she Called back and I let it go to voice mail.. This place is crazy and they need to be shut down.. Lastly, How they got my Cell phone number attached to my husband and HIS ex's Girlfriends son is crazy stuff .. When it's not even the same last name on the account as my husbands..
Got a call from these people for someone I've never even heard of. The number that showed on the caller ID was from Florence, SC (843-536-4706). The message said "Hello. This call is intended for X X. This is Elizabeth Childs. I am a consumer fraud investigator. A returned item has been attached to your name and social security number. It is in your best interest to return my call at 704-412-5676." (not a SC number)
So, I did an internet search of the number... the results led me to call them back just to see what would happen...
1st call- Man refused to tell me what company he was with, told me I HAD to call back with my number unblocked before he would tell me what company he was with. After several more attempts to get his name and company name, I told him I would simply report the number for harassment, at which point he threatened to sue me in court.
2nd call- Asked women her name and company name, she kept asking me who I was and my phone number to which I replied that they had called me and I didn't give my information to strangers. She hung up.
Call #3- Woman answered with the name "Patricia". I asked the company name- she said PDR. I asked her name again several times, and when she finally responded, her name had oddly changed to "Terri". I explained the course of the previous two calls, and reminded her that if they were a collection agency they were in violation of SEVERAL Fair Debt Collection Act articles. She told me she had nothing to do with what others did, and pretended to transfer me to a manager. I hung up.
Call #4- Oh, this one was so fun! I asked three times for the name- Kim. After several more request for the company name (after arguing about me not giving them my name/number) she replied "PDO" and then later in the conversation it changed to "PDL". Kept being a smart A@@ (just like all the rest" and kept asking me "what I didn't understand". Continually refused to tell me the nature of her call.
Point is- this is a collection agency for payday loans. They have been reported over and over and over. They are verbally abusive without provocation, they are smart a$$es, they repeatedly violate the Fair Debt Collection Act. If this number shows up- RECORD THE CALL AND KEEP THE MESSAGES FROM THEM!! Then, turn around and report their butts!
Did I mention that I recorded the last three calls?! :-)