Received calls and voicemails from 786-420-6063 and 786-350-7442 the last two days. Called then back and requested that they remove me from their calling list. I told them they had the wrong #. She apologized and removed me from their calling list. Hopefully, this will stop the calls.
I received a phone call from 786-420-6063, upon receiving this call I did not answer as I did not know the number. I logged into Whitepages.com and did a reverse look up, which turned up nothing. Then I decided to call the number back (which is something I usually do not do) the female stated her name is Christy Clark, she stated they are calling for New Grant Funding, but they're also going through Jack Adam's and Associates. She rattled off the last four of my social security number (but was not hesitating to actually verify she was actually speaking to me the way I've always been dealt with when coming down to a collection for a debt.) She began to tell me I would be arrested within 24/48 hours if this bill does not get paid. "It's no longer about the payday loan; but about the check - which is check fraud". In hearing this she told me IF I'm able to at least pay out half of the bill, I then can pay the other half w/in 30 days and I'll be set. I explained to her there is no way I can pay this. She then stated I'd be arrested and the courts would then treat me very badly because they do not know I'm not a criminal, and all they know is that I've committed a fraud.
I began to panic, and in searching how to come up with the money a friend told me to not send any money, this is a scam. I then called a lawyer who deals with these matters. The lawyer I spoke to said if in fact this is true, my rights have just been violated, because it is illegal to scare someone into paying a payday loan which is a civil matter and he asked had I written out a check when I got the loan. I stated that no check was at all written. He then stated to me "then how can they say there's a check when there's no check?" He then told me to contact the Attorney General, and let them know what is going on and let them deal with this matter. He also said contact the Better Business Bureau as well. He said I could read up on the Fair Debt Collection Act as well. He then stated IF this is in fact not true (which he was siding with) that it's a hoax. He told me to not send any money whatsoever. He said on the other spectrum - this very well could be a hoax. He also said how can they put you in jail before going to court? The lawyer also said that these people more than likely got my information from some public place about the payday loan and all they have are the last four of my social security number; but he bets they can not verify my entire number.
As I thought about everything from this point; my thoughts were, how could they say all of this w/out really verifying who I am? Where is the 'account' number or reference number for this situation (which 99% of the time there is always one of some sort).
I started a little bit of researching: They stated the loan was now turned over to "New Grant Funding" out of Miami, Fl. when looking up this name, all that surfaced were links to getting a grant. In looking up the number thru the google search engine, all that surfaced was the comments listed here.
This morning around 9:45/9:50 I get another call from this same number. In speaking to Christy, I began to asked her "what is the name of the company you're with?" She stated they are called Legal Mitigations out of Miamim, Florida and they're collecting for "New Grant Funding", I then began asking for a reference number OR an account number of some sort. She stated she can not provide on as everything is 'locked' up in the case packet. I then asked what payday loan is this? She stated she did not have that information, that the loan was now turned over to New Grant Funding and there are so many locations she has no way of telling where exactly its come from. I then asked her for a number to call and she stated they're not at all allowed to give out that information as there is a "no contact" set in place. I then told her "Look Christy, with all of this in mind and it being such a serious situation, I need to be able to verify all of the information especially so that I can pay the loan back." She still kept to her words and stated this can not be told out as it's "locked in the packet". She mentioned I could get a lawyer ... then with this in mind I stated to her since she brought that up, that is what I'll then pursue - getting a lawyer since she can not verify any of the information. She said to not forget I will be arrested w/in 24/48 hours.
This sort of thing was a bit nerve wracking. They did scare me, as the lawyer stated 'they succeeded, that's for sure'. My stomach was in knots. God protected me in this situation. I've only posted this because I do want others to know what to watch out for. If anything happens and I do get arrested, I'll make sure to come back and post it...at some point. May you all be safe out there.