Got a message on the answering machine from a woman named "Diane ???" - (sounded like she purposely made her last name unintelligible). Stated that it was "urgent" that I return her call and that they had a "legal claim filed in their office today, August 16th 2009" (It hasn't even become August 16th 2009 at this point - maybe she meant to say August 6th - but it was clearly stated the 16th in her message). Told me to call: 770-234-0101 ext. 2108 immediately - never giving the company or agency that she was supposed to be representing. Since I live no where near that area code, I decided to do some research - it was Nations Recovery Center in Atlanta, GA - I live in NY and if a claim were to have been filed, it would have to be in the county in which I live which about a thousand miles away from them. In my research, I found that in November of 2008, a 39 year old trainer from Nations Recovery Center was impersonating a Fulton County sheriff by obtaining a police officers uniform, handcuffs, a fake ID and badge and would illegally try to effect collection efforts on alleged debtors that were in a reasonable driving distance from their office. The man impersonating a sheriff was reported to have even carried LOADED handguns on a gunbelt. He was arrested by the real Fulton County sheriffs and they found one of the two LOADED handguns on his belt when he was arrested. (You can search for the articles online regarding the arrest.)
If these people think I'm dealing with a completely illegal operation, they're nuts and in case these guys haven't noticed, our AG here in NY just got done going after a huge list of junk debt buyers, attorneys and process servers for doing illegal stuff like sewer services, impersonating attorneys when they weren't, etc. which resulted in thousands of default judgements being vacated, so they may want to be careful and make sure that they follow the law, which apparently they have a long history of refusing to do...
I heard the same thing. Then when I called and said they had a mistake, they said they were going to put me in prison....ummm? What prison for what, I asked...and the lady said I know what I did and that's where I was going for not paying a debt. Had no idea what they thought I owed. But it is a scary threatening call.
They called me this morning at work. Same MO as mentioned above. Old Credit Card, they refused to Credit Back an annual fee after I closed the account, so I refused to pay for something I didn't agree to. 4 years later, these goons call saying they have an garnishment order ready to file. Funny! There hasn't even been a pre-trial hearing! Told them go ahead and file! They then said they'll file to have me served with a summons, I told them to send it! Who ever she was, (Again, same MO, slurred her name) i think realized I wasn't going to play her game and she hung up on me. I live in Florida and in the State of Florida a head of household has a right to NOT BE GARNISHED. (Texas I think is the only state more pro-consumer than Florida.) We'll see what happens, but to come after me for $150 plus interest isn't going to go far nevermind it's not even worth it.