240-764-4255

special investigator joe fergerson,i think he is a phony he never returns a call this is a scam

Referring to one's self as "special investigator" or "investigator" or "officer" is a typical crooked debt collector tactic. The plan is to scare you into believing that he's a law enforcement officer. And if "Special Investigator Joe Ferguson" is like most other outlaw debt collectors, he'll call back and imply that you'll be arrested if you don't give him the money he wants. That's laughable of course because no debt collector has anything to do with law enforcement and cannot have anyone arrested for any reason. And if they imply otherwise, they've broken the law. A debt collector has as much authority over you as your mechanic, barber and pizza deliveryman do. :)

A good rule of thumb: if a debt collector is contacting you about a legitimate debt, he won't have to resort to lying, phony job titles and breaking the law to collect.

If he calls back, don't give them any information about yourself or anyone else. Better yet, don't answer the phone. If it the matter is legitimate, they'll contact you in writing.

Here are some good websites that are helpful in dealing with wayward debt collectors:

http://www.budhibbs.com/First.htm
http://www.fairdebtlawyers.com/
http://www.naca.net/debt-collection-abuse/
http://www.myfairdebt.com/
http://fair-debt-collection.com/

This works out on an apartment building in Buffalo, NY. I was told to send a check to Lawrence Johnson, 167 Langsfield Drive, Buffalo, NY 14215. It is not listed, but there are other people listed at the address and they are all apartments....so I assume that it is just people working out of an apartment, although it could be a legitimate business underneath apartments I suppose. I asked for a verification of account and was never sent one. They said that Lawrence Johnson is the attorney for the debt collectors.... and they are Litigation Consultants, Inc. working with "Morestar."

Anne Whitman called my SISTER (who has another last name and lives in another town!) and requested information about me.  This is bogus!

ITS BOGUS IF THE DEFINITION OF BOGUS MEANS "LEGAL WAY OF TRYING TO LOCATE ME WHEN I HAVE SKIPPED OUT ON MY BILLS AND OWE PEOPLE MONEY"  IF YOU WERE CURRENT WITH YOUR BILLS THEN YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PEOPLE CALLING YOUR RELATIVES

Hey assmunch Rank Frank. Why don't you call relatives FIRST before lending
any money and find out first if they reliably pay back?? But then again,
YOU can't even find the CAPS LOCK KEY. FRIGGIN MORON

I've had a series of scum sucking debt collectors continually call me for the past 10 years, including one today from bob young at 240-764-4255.  For the record, it's not my debt, but I happen to have the same name as someone claimed to owe someone some money.  I have continually told them to get my name off their list since it's not my debt, but was told all I could do would be to change my name.  They keep transferring my name & phone number around their related companies (new business name each month?)

Most seemed to have worked out of the Amherst NY area, but some reportedly called from CA and FL.  Guess I'm doomed to hear about their court threats for the rest of my life.   It's much like an internet scam since they always ask for social security number, names of family members, etc.  Oddly they never seem to understand my address (as noted by the area code) is no way related to the place they claim to be filing their law suites.

According to Whitepages.com and GoogleMaps, that address doesn't even exist. How did you figure out it's an apartment building with several other names residing there?

You probably won't be surprised to learn that these people are frauds; they're crooks posing as real debt collectors. If any of their calls involve threats -- such as arresting you or suing you or any other false threat -- or posing as law enforcement officers, report them to the FBI at http://tips.fbi.gov and your state's attorney general. The contact info for each state's attorney general is at www.naag.org

Also, you can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01

And file these complaints each time they call.

You may also want to consult with an attorney about any legal remedies there may be to this ongoing.  Check out these websites for attorney referrals and advice on protecting yourself against outlaw debt collectors:

http://www.budhibbs.com/First.htm
http://www.naca.net/debt-collection-abuse/
http://www.fairdebtlawyers.com/
http://www.myfairdebt.com/
http://www.consumercounselgroup.com/

they called me today but from a differnt number 240-235-5615 but wanting money sent to Lawrence Johnson same address as above. told me they dont have anything they can send me untill after i have paid them, in my case its an old cell phone bill that i am makeing payments on right now and when i told him that ihe told me to stop makeing payments to the collection company and his company would give me credit for what i have paid. but what gets me is he askes ME what the total amount of my bill was and how much i have paid on it, and gave me a final payment amount,based only on what i told him. How did they get my SS# and personal Info.
the guys name is David Bell

hey barnaby-i'm guessing hooked on phonics didn't work for you huh?

dummy, it sounds like he was helping you out-  he asked how much you paid to give you credit towards your balance and found out what the payment that you were making was so he could give you a better amount to settle for.  dont you like saving money??  c'mon chris tell me you see the deal in this. please tell me you took the lesser amount too. you'd be an idiot not to.  he asked you what you were paying the other company so he knew what a deal would be 4 you.  im sure hes not gonna try making you do payments all over again for an amount that is higher than what you are paying right?  gimme a break.

same here.  scam.  called.  send them 3,000.00 via western union to lawrence johnson 167 langfiled drive, buffalo, ny 14215.  looked at google map and looks like apts.  the buffalo housing authority is on 200 block.  this might be public housing.  anyway, they are apts.  If money is not sent, they will send police to pick you up tomorrow.  this is a scam.  report.  the 240 number is a maryland number.  the scam spooks out illegal immigrants.  fbi might need to get involved.

See also reports for the number: 240-483-4254 - See ec's post, and see also this link from www.budhibbs.com:

http://www.budhibbs.com/debtcollectorpages/NAAIB.htm

Escaped OH to set up shop in MD. Seems to be working with the 'Rent out your law office to the debt collectors' group in Buffalo, NY.

From phoneinfosite.com:    240-764-4255

Area Code 240
Area code 240 is in Maryland (Hagerstown, Rockville, Cumberland and western Maryland, overlays with 301).


Exchange 240-764
Exchange 764 is in or around Washington, MD. (District of columbia County, Zipcode 20008)

From whitepages.com:

(240) 764-4255Type: Land Line
Provider: XO
Location: Washington, MD - Scrabble Rd. - Hmm, same location as the above mentioned number. Coincidence? Not at all.

Same story, different name...

Okay so received a message from my father that someone was issuing a summons for my wife . My interest was to say the least piqued. So I called and talked with the "Civil Investigations" unit. The investigator was Karen Di Martino. Anyway long story short we have no information for you regarding this debt, but If you don't accept the offer that I can give you , because I have some influence with the laywer , we will be forced to issue a warrant for your wifes arrest. I asked for them to send me any info on this supposed debt, but that wasn't something we're able to do.
So we did some investigating of our own and discovered that this supposed debt was already settled.

This is a fishing expedition.

Hope this helps.

My wife was arrested and detained yesterday and our bank account frozen.  I contacted Arizona state police after she was released from custody and they claimed there was nothing they could do because they had a legitamate complaint. I made several attempts to contact Karen Di Martino to no avail.  I keep getting her answering machine and no one else in the office can help me because she "signed off" on the complaint. I contacted the BBB here in Arizona and Maryland and the State Attorney Generals office, I will give an update on this mess.

Karen Di Martino calls late evening telling me she has a "deposition warrant" issued for my arrest. I haven't dealt with the company she called about since @ '98. She's telling me they are pressing criminal charges that I falsified info (didn't). But wouldn't give me acct# and refused to communicate email. Thing that confuses me...my phone was just hooked up last week and not even my family knows it..plus it's under my roommate's name....how??? Before we hung up, I tried to verify that there was a warrant and she "side stepped" just said "I can show you better than tell you." then hung up.

my name is Christy Brewer account ssn # 25049x240 Received visit today from spartanburg county sheriff department, in regards to a complaint that I contacted Karen about last night. She promised to handle this after allowing me to speak with my dad to enlist his help.  Apparently American general was attempting to pursue me for a judgement.  i told her i will try to take care of it outside of court, instead i was served a supeona to go to court, do i need to hire a attorney?

Tried to tell me I was going to go to jail for bill that is my exhusbands!!! Would not give me any information about their office or the supervisors name. Have not dealt with them since 1999. Scam!