I have received several calls from this number with messages left regarding a case number and legal action with 24 hours to respond. Caller does not identify who it is calling or the company they are calling from. Isn't that illegal? When I called the number the first time, it went to voicemail and the name of the office was deliberately muffled but it was clear when you were told to leave a phone number, case number and SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. Called a couple more times and instructed whoever it was to send me a letter of debt validation with the original creditor and amount of said debt along with their physical and verifiable address. I also reminded them that they had already violated several laws by the way they were contacting me and had been told there would be no discussion about anything until I received the information I needed. The last time I called, it again went to voicemail but this time, the vm had been changed and a man said it was the office of Sam Belkins of PCS, whoever that is. Anybody else heard anything about these people?
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.
Does anybody know if this PCS group at 716-810-6964 (Samuel Belkins) is in cahoots with the ACS scam artists? I googled the number and PCS showed up in a complaint pertaining to ACS. What is PCS supposed to be? Are they legit or just another scam?