Received a call from this number claiming that I owed for a Payday loan and that if I did not contact them, there would be further litigation. I called and asked them to provide me with a validation notice of this debt, in writing, sent to my home address, which they claimed had been done several times but with no response. They then asked for the last four digits of my social for verification and I refused. I told them that I had never received any notifications from them, to which the gentleman, "Joel" responded saying that they have proof that they contacted me, and my bank, (an account that has LONG since been closed and the bank out of business), also contacted me about this debt and the only letter they would send at this point is a notice to appear. I told him that I know my rights under the FDCP Act and that I am happy to pay any legitimate debt that I owe, once written verification of the debt and debtor is sent to me at my home address. He offered to send to my email address and I promptly refused, then he asked for my home address. I stopped him in his tracks saying "you claim to have sent out several notices to me in the past, shouldn't you have my home address on file" he stuttered and then said , " I need to verify", I replied and said, "before I give you my address I will need you to provide me with yours" and miraculously, our phone call promptly ended . . . .he hung up. Lesson: know your rights!!
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.
Received a call from this number claiming that I owed for a Payday loan and that if I did not contact them, there would be further litigation. I called and asked them to provide me with a validation notice of this debt, in writing, sent to my home address, which they claimed had been done several times but with no response. They then asked for the last four digits of my social for verification and I refused. I told them that I had never received any notifications from them, to which the gentleman, "Joel" responded saying that they have proof that they contacted me, and my bank, (an account that has LONG since been closed and the bank out of business), also contacted me about this debt and the only letter they would send at this point is a notice to appear. I told him that I know my rights under the FDCP Act and that I am happy to pay any legitimate debt that I owe, once written verification of the debt and debtor is sent to me at my home address. He offered to send to my email address and I promptly refused, then he asked for my home address. I stopped him in his tracks saying "you claim to have sent out several notices to me in the past, shouldn't you have my home address on file" he stuttered and then said , " I need to verify", I replied and said, "before I give you my address I will need you to provide me with yours" and miraculously, our phone call promptly ended . . . .he hung up. Lesson: know your rights!!
I received a call at work from this number. It was about a payday loan I had taken out with Kenwood Services back in 2009. Told him to send me something in writing to my home address not email so I could verify it. He told me that he could only send it by email. Told him he had to but he claimed he didn't because he was not a collector but he also went on to say that he could give me a chance to settle it out of court. Well, if you asking for money then I think that qualifies you as a collector. He then told me that someone would be serving me with papers. I said fine. Have heard this same story before with others and noone ever shows up. I started thinking about it and thought that I had dealt with someone else years ago and did a settlement then. Good thing I keep a paper trail because I found where the other company had sent me a letter stating that they received my payment and the account was considered paid in full. I also call Kenwood and was told that the NGIS was a fraud. They had been receiving several calls from previous customers about them. As always never just take someones word for it over the phone. Ask for it in wrting.