They called my mother in law

[OnlyUp]

My husband's cell phone rang about an hour ago and I answered it, of course it was ab automated debt collector system. I hung up just as my cell phone rang, same number and all (I didn't answer). Not 5 minutes later my mother in law called all in a panic because someone just called looking for "Defendant" Derick (last name). I told her I had no idea what it was about and that I would call to figure it out.

 

I called and they answered "Investigators." I asked for the name of the debt collection company they are doing business as and she said "don't get an attitude with me" then hung up. I called back and a different lady answered the same way and I asked for a supervisor. She was rude and said not until you give me your name and all of your information. I declined and said I would speak with the supervisor, she hung up on me. This went on 3 more times before another lady answered and I asked for the supervisor, she was of course the supervisor.

 

This is where things get frustrating and comical.

 

I told her about the frustration I had trying to get to a supervisor and that I was hung up on several times. She clearly used caller ID to look up the account and said "My file states you have been uncooperative and keep hanging up on us when we try to locate you to dispatch the sheriff. I asked what the account was about and she let me know the original debtor (overdrawn checking account that was closed 3 months ago) and that they are bringing up fraud charges and my husband was going to jail for this.

 

I then said she was mistaken because she can't dispatch the sheriff's office for anything other than maybe serve us papers to go to court. She then tried to pretend like she was dispatching the sheriff's office via a two-way radio or something (rather comical to listen too). I told her she was rather funny and that she should become an actress because that is not flying with me and if she would like to collect a debt she needs to send us a statement. She then said 'We will see you in court when you go to jail."

 

I am more upset that they called my mother in law. =(

[chugs102]

Oh man. Some serious violations there.

 

If you have a recording, sue them. Sue them hard.

[pjmaxwellian]

Time to break out the voice recorder! (If allowed in your state, of course.)

 

Wow, no advice here, just wow!

 

I hope you get a nice check out of this. (I'm not an expert, I'm sure one will be along soon.)

[collegeparent]

sounds like this is a fraudulent scheme that's going big time. the FBI has issued numerous warnings about these collection scams.

[Clydesmom]

ROFLMAO. I JUST now got off the phone with one of these clowns for the THIRD time. The first time I told them to come one by I was home now and would be arrested and bail out of jail (Dec 10th) NO ONE showed up. Second phone call 10 days later: I demanded address under FCDPA (phone number is blocked) and company name doesn't exist. The same woman claimed she did not know her employer's address and had to look it up. Then gave me one for a florist who is REALLY angry she keeps giving out their address as her employer. Fast forward to today. Call #3.

I now inform her I know it is a scam (she argued) finally said "I don't care where you phished my name and phone number from I am not going to pay you a dime so you can stop calling." She claims they will "do their investigation and it is out of her hands." Translation: she will hand it off to someone else who will call in a few months and try again.

 

Let MIL know it is a scam and to simply hang up on them.

 

 

Oh man. Some serious violations there.

 

If you have a recording, sue them. Sue them hard.

 

There is a TON of violations but you won't be able to sue them. They use pre-paid burner cell phones with spoofed numbers. Untraceable. They use mail drop boxes as a business address so they can't be served. All of this is assuming they are even located in the USA. They KNOW they can't be found to be sued which is why they violate all over the place. Even if you did somehow manage to sue them and get them served they will simply close up shop, change the name, relocate to another county or state and start over. You won't collect because Scammer A has now become Scammer X and is not the same business.

 

Consumer lawyers won't even waste time on it because they are virtually untouchable. Your two options are to ignore them (eventually they do go away) or toy with them like I did until they figure out you aren't an easy target.

[OnlyUp]

How can I even get them for violations if I don't even know who they really are?

[SuperGurl72]

Oh wow. Some ppl sure have some nerve. The bad thing is they probably scare the crap out of tons of ppl a day that don't know any better.

[gca]

Definitely a scam. I get these type of calls once in a while.

Edited January 13, 2014 by gca

[mindcrime]

Time to break out the voice recorder! (If allowed in your state, of course.)

 

Wow, no advice here, just wow!

 

I hope you get a nice check out of this. (I'm not an expert, I'm sure one will be along soon.)

 

If your state does not require both parties being notified, how would you know about the scammer? Most of these numbers are spoofed anyway.

[98Dingo]

Definitely a scam. I get these type of calls once in a while.

I want one! I love playing with telemarketers and the like. The window sales people probably will not call me ever again after I wasted 1/2 hour of their time

[RedHairedLady]

 

 

Definitely a scam. I get these type of calls once in a while.

I want one! I love playing with telemarketers and the like. The window sales people probably will not call me ever again after I wasted 1/2 hour of their time

Were they as bad as the windows telemarketer who called my sister, some years ago? She lived in a high rise apartment complex, and a telemarketer tried to sell her replacement windows. When my sister told the telemarketer that she lives in an apartment, the woman told her, Well, you can take the windows with you when you move". Ha, ha! Seriously! Edited January 14, 2014 by RedHairedLady

[evapor8ted]

ROFLMAO. I JUST now got off the phone with one of these clowns for the THIRD time. The first time I told them to come one by I was home now and would be arrested and bail out of jail (Dec 10th) NO ONE showed up. Second phone call 10 days later: I demanded address under FCDPA (phone number is blocked) and company name doesn't exist. The same woman claimed she did not know her employer's address and had to look it up. Then gave me one for a florist who is REALLY angry she keeps giving out their address as her employer. Fast forward to today. Call #3.

I now inform her I know it is a scam (she argued) finally said "I don't care where you phished my name and phone number from I am not going to pay you a dime so you can stop calling." She claims they will "do their investigation and it is out of her hands." Translation: she will hand it off to someone else who will call in a few months and try again.

 

Let MIL know it is a scam and to simply hang up on them.

 

 

Oh man. Some serious violations there.

 

If you have a recording, sue them. Sue them hard.

 

There is a TON of violations but you won't be able to sue them. They use pre-paid burner cell phones with spoofed numbers. Untraceable. They use mail drop boxes as a business address so they can't be served. All of this is assuming they are even located in the USA. They KNOW they can't be found to be sued which is why they violate all over the place. Even if you did somehow manage to sue them and get them served they will simply close up shop, change the name, relocate to another county or state and start over. You won't collect because Scammer A has now become Scammer X and is not the same business.

 

Consumer lawyers won't even waste time on it because they are virtually untouchable. Your two options are to ignore them (eventually they do go away) or toy with them like I did until they figure out you aren't an easy target.

 

I mean if it is a overdrawn bank account there would have to be a chain of custody somewhere, right? Some legit collection agency had to have bought it at some point.

[OnlyUp]

This account was in my husband's name and due to his brain injury money was a major issue, something we (I) didn't figure out until to late with this account. The balance is $700 and will be paid off in the next few weeks. We have been in contact with the bank and from my understanding they didn't nor had plans to sell the debt.

 

BUT, they keep calling. I am at 8 times tonight. The last time I lost my temper and just went off on them. Not 10 minutes later the guy called my husband's phone and said is this Megan (last name) and is your SS # (gave the whole thing) and then proceeded to give me a list of my credit history and tons of personal information (family member's names, ex names, etc), called me named, and said if I ever speak to any of his crew again the way I did he will rain down a sh!( load or=f terror on me and if I learned to pay my F*(&en bills they wouldn't be calling me.

 

Not 30 minutes later I got a call from my mom saying someone was calling to say I am a debtor and need to take care of my bills and then a nasty FB message from my ex husband saying that I need to take care of my crap because he doesn't appreciate getting calls for my crap.

 

How do I get this to stop? I am mortified beyond any means right now and I don't see any end in sight.

[IndyPoolPlayer]

if I ever speak to any of his crew again the way I did he will rain down a sh!( load or=f terror on me

Sounds like a threat of violence ...

[RedHairedLady]

 

if I ever speak to any of his crew again the way I did he will rain down a sh!( load or=f terror on me

Sounds like a threat of violence ...

 

I agree, that's horrible and inexcusable! Maybe time to get the police involved, if possible, and an attorney as well.

[bboyd]

I've had the same thing happen to me a couple of times. I always enjoy pulling their chains back. It's never been for anything factual or anything close. One was that I was defrauding the US Government by sending money to an offshore bank account and he was going to burn my house down while I rot in jail and rape my wife. I told him go ahead because I'm not married and already am headed to hell lol. You can try and fight them but they bounce around with VOIP lines and are obviously out of the county.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gnarlywood]

If you follow up with your bank and they still own the debt and have not referred it to anyone, and you still can't track down who these clowns are to file complaints against and sue them (because you really should), then you should block the number(s) they are calling from. These calls are to your cell phones, correct? Follow up with your cell service provider and report the number(s) as a scam with the fraud department, while also blocking the numbers.

[OnlyUp]

I just wish they would stop calling other people about my husband and I. That is beyond embarrassing to have to try and explain.

 

A thought occurred though, could this be related to the Target Security Breach? A friend of mine a few weeks ago had this exact same thing happen to her and they were calling her work and everything. I did sign up for their year long credit monitoring service (saw it on another thread just a few minutes ago, that is what made me think of my friend's issue) they are now offering.

[CG in TX]

This is beyond bad...if it were me, I would contact the bank and find out who they referred the account to for collection. I would let them know, in no uncertain terms, that banks are now being held accountable for the actions of their vendors, and that you intend to file a CFPB complaint.

[JunkBuyersWorstNightmare]

 

 

if I ever speak to any of his crew again the way I did he will rain down a sh!( load or=f terror on me

Sounds like a threat of violence ...

 

I agree, that's horrible and inexcusable! Maybe time to get the police involved, if possible, and an attorney as well.

 

 

[JunkBuyersWorstNightmare]

This is beyond bad...if it were me, I would contact the bank and find out who they referred the account to for collection. I would let them know, in no uncertain terms, that banks are now being held accountable for the actions of their vendors, and that you intend to file a CFPB complaint.

 

[JunkBuyersWorstNightmare]

I just wish they would stop calling other people about my husband and I. That is beyond embarrassing to have to try and explain.

 

A thought occurred though, could this be related to the Target Security Breach? A friend of mine a few weeks ago had this exact same thing happen to her and they were calling her work and everything. I did sign up for their year long credit monitoring service (saw it on another thread just a few minutes ago, that is what made me think of my friend's issue) they are now offering.

 

This definetly sounds as if it could be a stolen ID situation.

 

Did you shop at Target during/around that time using a credit or debit card?

[OnlyUp]

 

This definetly sounds as if it could be a stolen ID situation.

 

Did you shop at Target during/around that time using a credit or debit card?

 

 

Yes we did, several times with several cards. We fill our prescriptions there so I know for a fact I had 3 different pick-ups during that time, maybe 4. Plus I shopped online for a gift and probably shopped in store a few times for gifts between birthdays and Christmas gifts.

[shifter]

This sounds like ID theft where they saw your bank debt and are trying to scare you into paying them some money because you know the debt is real. But they have no relationship to the bank. You need to start recording the calls if you haven't already and contact the police.

[garcias06]

Ask them where to send a money order to pay your past due obligations. Get some sort of address and attempt to work your way back from there? Done that before with salamanders who don't want to reveal who they really are.