Total scam. Debt collectors do not serve papers for check fraud. Check fraud is a crime and would be handled by police and public prosecutors. If you had written a bad check you bank would have already notified you. Usually the bank will settle with the bank patron. Police and prosecutors are almost never involved unless it is a large sum and a deliverable attempt defraud a bank. But no debt collector would be involved in that sort of thing. Total scam. They are trying to scare you.
Fraudulent or Zombie Debt Collectors—Things to Know
If you have received a call stating:
1. You have defrauded a financial institution
2. You owe an unpaid payday loan
3. You have a warrant due to an unpaid loan
5. You will receive a court summons
6. Authorities are coming to arrest you
7. Anything similar to above,
a. Do not give them any information or verify any information for them
b. Tell them you know they are a scam operating illegally and that you are filing a complaint with the appropriate authorities
* File a complaint with the FBI on their Internet Crime webpage http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
* File a complaint with the Attorney General for the state you live in
The more information and complaints there are, the better the chance of getting these criminals to stop (or at least reduce the frequency). [abstracted from another site]
Ignore it. If they gave you a court address and a case file number, call up that courthouse and see if it is valid. Most likely just another scam. Proper service of process is usually in-hand by a licensed process sever. Seems like a total scam to me.
What they are trying to do, is scare you into paying them something.
Go to the police and tell them what happened and ask if you can make a compliant for extortion.
Fraudulent or Zombie Debt Collectors—Things to Know
If you have received a call stating:
1. You have defrauded a financial institution
2. You owe an unpaid payday loan
3. You have a warrant due to an unpaid loan
5. You will receive a court summons
6. Authorities are coming to arrest you
7. Anything similar to above,
a. Do not give them any information or verify any information for them
b. Tell them you know they are a scam operating illegally and that you are filing a complaint with the appropriate authorities
* File a complaint with the FBI on their Internet Crime webpage http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
* File a complaint with the Attorney General for the state you live in
The more information and complaints there are, the better the chance of getting these criminals to stop (or at least reduce the frequency). [abstracted from another site]
Read previous notes. This is a total scam. They are trying to scare you into paying them something. There are no charges and you will not have to appear in court. Criminal charges are handled by public prosecutors. Debt collectors have nothing to do with criminal charges. In any event, you can just go down to your local courthouse and see if your name appears anywhere. Chances are it doesn't. As to a civil debt, you can't be arrested for ordinary civil debt. These debt scammers don't go to court because that would expose them.
Obviously,if you received valid summons and complaint for civil court, you have to deal with it, but I don't think that's going to happen.
If they have a valid debt, then tell them, if you talk to them again, that you want a debt validation letter sent by US mail. E-mail no good. If they don't do it, then just ignore them. Don't give them any information, and DO NOT SEND THEM ANY MONEY!
Fraudulent or Zombie Debt Collectors—Things to Know
If you have received a call stating:
1. You have defrauded a financial institution
2. You owe an unpaid payday loan
3. You have a warrant due to an unpaid loan
5. You will receive a court summons
6. Authorities are coming to arrest you
7. Anything similar to above,
a. Do not give them any information or verify any information for them
b. Tell them you know they are a scam operating illegally and that you are filing a complaint with the appropriate authorities
* File a complaint with the FBI on their Internet Crime webpage http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
* File a complaint with the Attorney General for the state you live in
The more information and complaints there are, the better the chance of getting these criminals to stop (or at least reduce the frequency). [abstracted from another site]
They keep bothering you, go to the police and make a complaint for extortion.
Just take the letter and go down to your local court house and talk to one of the clerks to see if it's valid. Most likely it isn't. They are doing this because they think you are vulnerable. Let 'em know you're not.