866-355-7328

I got a call from this number. They claimed they were from Harvard Collection Services and that Sprint had sold off our debt to them for collections. At first, it sounded legit because he gave me the name of their company website, his name, and a phone # and extension where he could be reached.

However, when I asked him to verify the information he had on file for us, I grew suspicious:

1) He didn't even have our last name on file. My husband is a doctor, and he said my husband's first name was "Dr" - what an idiot.
2) The address he had on file for us was incorrect. The street number was correct, but the street name and city were not.
3) They didn't have the phone number of the Sprint account that was supposedly past due.

I looked up Harvard Collection Services online. They are a real business that is apparently in good standing with the Better Business Bureau. Harvard Collection Services does not list a toll free number on their website, yet the person who called gave me a toll free number to call him back. Therefore, I suspect the scammers may be posing as employees from Harvard Collection.

We will check our credit report just to be sure, but Sprint has already told us we do not have a balance due.

I just Got a call from Jayden at 866-355-7328 Ext 134 Harvard Collection Services asking for my wife Joan. Luckly she was at work so I had time to look this number up here and I'm glad I did. Thank you for having a place to vent. These people should be locked up. Why can't some Agency do something about this . . . pink

I also got a call from this number today. I almost fell for it because about nine years ago, I did have a dispute with Sprint and refused to pay them the entire amount they had charged me for long distance calls (they had totally misrepresented themselves when getting me to switch to Sprint and after I switched they charged outrageous amounts for international calls (one was for $227. for a 20 minute call to Israel; another was over $100. for a few minute call to Ireland). So I paid them half of what they'd charged me and told them it would be over my dead body before they got another dime. Of course, Sprint did turn me over to a collection agency, but eventually they gave up because it has been years since I heard a thing from them.  Anyway, "Sam" (I could tell from his accent that he was from India) explained that Sprint had sold their collections to Harvard, which sounded somewhat reasonable about why I would get a call out of the blue after so much time had passed. So, I did agree to pay it off just to get them off my backs and to finally get it off my credit reports.

However, when "Sam" asked for my credit card info, I told him I never give that out over the phone when someone calls me. I had no way to verify whether he was employed by Harvard Collection Services or even if such a company actually exists. I told him I would immediately call him back at the number he'd given me (866-355-7328, ext. 1338) and despite his protests, I hung up. I did call the number back several times and each time I got a very rapid busy signal. Since he'd given me an address for Harvard Collections at 4839 N. Elston Ave., Chicago, IL 60630, I decided to call directory assistance in Chicago. They had no listing whatsoever for the company or the address (they even checked the national directory and could find no phone listing for a Harvard Collections). I googled "Harvard Collections" and found their online web site. Although it looks very good, it must be a fake because they use the same address that Chicago directory assistance has no listing for. I also called the other number listed under their "Contact Us" on their website and it just kept ringing. How many legit businessess don't use some sort of answering machine or service for after hour calls?  

Needless to say, I am quite relieved I didn't fall for the scam but I want to report this to as many people as possible so that no one else falls for it. People need to remember that these days, you can't trust anyone calling you or emailing you. Never give out personal information, including your birthdate, phone number, address, social security number and of course your credit card or bank account numbers. Always check them out first, no matter how legitimate they sound. I've had calls supposedly from my own credit card company trying to sell me identity protection plans but then asking me for my birthdate "for security reasons". They called me, I didn't call them. There should be no reason why they would need personal information (which is already on file) to verify that I am the person they just called. I always refuse to give up anything personal when they call me.

If anyone knows of any other online agencies where I can report this particular phone fraud, please let me know. Good luck to all of you in the future.

Edit to my earlier post today (within a half hour ago).

I just fell for this same scam, I found this info AFTER giving them my debit card info.  They (the callers) had my name address & the last 4 digits of my SSN.  I had to call my bank, right away, and cancel my debit card.  I then called Sprint, no known past due accounts of mine, yup I feel stupid, now concerned about how else they'll use my info.  The callers seemed to have Indian accent.

I just had a call from them today.  A man with a heavy accent who butchered my name left a message about a debt and gave this number to call back.  I immediately googled it and found this information. Glad I did.
Of interest, I had a dispute with Sprint about 10 years ago, but that was resolved.  I wonder if they got records somehow.
Is there any way to report calls like this?

My colleague actually received a call from them yesterday.  Harvard Collection Agency regarding an old Spring bill for $47.23.  She did not give any information over the phone.  They also had all her previous addresses and the last 4 of her SSN.  They kept insisting and asking her to find a Western Union and pay them and that they would ruin her credit report if she didnt, she just kept telling them to send a bill, they told her they've already sent dozens and she said well send another, they told her they'd only send her a letter once they receive the payment.  Luckily she did not fall for it but I decided to look this up for her today and found that she's not the only one.

hi treed,
i dont know who are you...but the call back number u gvn below,  belong to haravard collection services india office..and its legitamate debt.if u have doubt you could pull out your credit beuro report and see it over there for sure..
and the collectors in question sam and jayden , although they are from india, they are licenced collectors with lot of experience.
Sam had worked with NCI, Bay Area Credit and now Harvard.
Jayden was with NCO financial INC , Oxford Management Services and now with Harvard.
you may think y am saying this, coz i knw them very well during my short stint in india ..!

I received a call from the same company seeking payment on a years old debt supposedly never paid to Sprint.  A quick check of my credit report and the better business bureau proved the company and number is legitimate, though my debt obligation isn't.

Collection agencies routinely buy out low level (hard to collect) debt for pennies to dollars and try to collect what they can.  Unfortunately, with time going by, it's very hard to prove what is or isn't legit if you haven't kept records for years and years.  It's easy for paperwork to get screwed up in the process on their side.

The collectors prey on that and aggressively seek repayment.  As a cautionary note, you shouldn't pay or agree to pay until you can confirm the debt is real and have also checked the legal statutes in your state.  Most State's have time limits (statute's of limitation) on how long a collection agent has to try and recover debt.  On these old scavenger calls that time period has often expired. They couldn't sue you or do much of anything to force payment (even if you did owe it) that is, unless you make payments or act in other ways to restart the clock ticking.

be careful in dealing with these agencies and if the amount is large, consult an attorney before you do anything.

DON'T YA JUST LOVE IT WHEN SOME DEBT COLLECTOR SPOUTS OFF ABOUT THEIR BACKGROUND - then lists Collection Agencies that are KNOWN FDCPA VIOLATORS at the state and federal levels. NCO IS KNOWN AS AMERICA'S WORST -

SCREAMS SCAM TO ME - IF SPRINT Says you do not owe money then you don't.  

Bay Area Credit Service
aka/ HOV Financial Services, LLC
fka/ Truelogic Financial Corp
fka/ Genesis Financial Corp.

SAN JOSE  Headquarters
97 E. Brokaw Suite 240*
San Jose, CA 95112

Phones
866-222-2097
408-392-4400
408-392-4485
408-392-4480
866-835-2939
408-392-4600

Fax:
408-392-4520
408-248-7285
408-392-4420   DENVER
10000 E Geddes Ave,
Ste 100
Englewood, CO 80112

Phones
877-337-0290
866-488-4299
877-339-7500

Fax:  
303-265-9544
702-488-4296


 


Websites www.bayareacredit.com  (not updated in years)
sales@bayareacredit.com     Web Owner: www.hovservices.com

ATLANTA
1000 Abernathy Rd.
Building 400, Suite 165
Atlanta, GA 30328
Phone:
800-386-0074
Fax:
770-698-8633
   INDIA
Call Center:
Kilpauk, Chennai
Phones:
800-697-1234
866-471-9387
866-773-9877
800-862-4187
800-454-2227
(Lots more numbers
than published)

Head Collectors

KARAN NEGI, Incorporator

PAR CHADHA , Manager

SUNIL RAJADHYAKSHA, Manager



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bud Says                         Consumer Comments Below

Bay Area Credit Service was purchased by HOV Services, a multi-national conglomerate out of INDIA and the entire organization has changed drastically. Consumers are still being called from their Englewood, CO location that still has a small staff formerly called True logic/Genesis Financial. The majority of dealings are with INDIA callers who think they can imitate American accents.

Bay Area/HOV is buying junk debts from a variety of sellers who have already diluted many of the accounts. Expect the typical reaction from the INDIA collectors (with bad accents) who are easily frustrated in their attempts to make you understand their dialect. I strongly oppose any U.S. company sending accounts to INDIA call centers where your personal information is at risk for anyone to steal your identity or use that information for illegal purposes. It is unbelievable these organizations are allowed direct access to our most personal information and that of our families without our consent or knowledge. An attorney who represents the collection industry and travels to INDIA told me these collectors are highly educated, many with MBAs, reduced to a trivial hourly rate to work in a debt collection call center for some scavenger who is taking American money on debts they bought for pennies.  As I told the attorney, it is just a matter of time until some crime organization figures out how to gain access into these organizations and American are in a nightmare of identity theft throughout Asia and Europe. It is not a matter if ‘IF’ but ‘WHEN’ it will happen, with no one to accept responsibility.

When dealing with these organizations, make them work and work hard. Use the law, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) the way it was intended. Make them prove each claim with documents that give validity to their (alleged) claim. I am not talking about the bogus affidavits churned out by the junk debt buyer mills either; I am talking about legitimate documents that likely no longer exist.

I also think that Congress should be pressured to reign in information that is freely given to foreign owners without our consent or knowledge. It is appalling to me that organization such as HOV Services can buy these accounts, and then use the purchased debts to gain access to our personal information. Surprised? Experian, Equifax, Trans Union, Accurint and others will sell to anybody who can sign a check. Is your medical information floating around some INDIA call center because you did not realize you owed a deductible on your claim? It may be. Did you know that your social security number and those of your family members could easily be obtained by these foreign collection organizations? Of course, you realize they have full access to your credit reports and those of your spouse and perhaps other family members. The real scary part is that you have no say in who sees it, where it goes and who may be able to steal it.

Bay Area Credit Service is one of many organizations that buy our charged off debts, ship them overseas, and then attempt to collect at highly inflated profits. Many use the same lies, threats and bully tactics so pervasive here in America. Bay Area is not alone; this practice was started because labor in INDIA is far less than what they would pay an American worker. The hourly wage in INDIA for debt collectors starts at around $3.00/hour with no taxes or benefits paid to the employee. One thing that U.S debt collectors and their INDIAN counter parts have learned is the lesson of greed and it is all at the expense of the American consumer.
CAUTION: I recommend you NEVER disclose your bank account or credit card information to a debt collector, as you risk them emptying your account, or maxing out your credit card. If you feel they are reporting on your credit bureau files in error or need assistance in dealing with them, email  the details w/your location.  Assistance and referral to a consumer legal specialist may be available

Details NCO Financial Systems, Inc. ( Also goes by the name of
NCO Portfolio Management)
TRANSWORLD?
507 Prudential Rd
Horsham, PA 19044-2308
Phone: (215) 441-3000
Fax: (215) 441-3923
Web Address: www.ncogroup.com 
866-287-2543

Check out the CBS4Boston Report on NCO:  Link



   

other Offices:
150 Crosspoint Pkwy
CrossPoint Business Park
Getzville, NY 14068-1602
Phone: (716) 404-2100
Fax: (716) 404-2120
And many more...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bud Says              Consumer Comments Below

ONE OF AMERICA'S WORST

COLLECTION AGENCIES!

While NCO Financial has earned what seems to be a permanent slot in our exclusive list of America's Worst Collection Agencies, it's really difficult to classify them when held up to others in the industry.

On one hand, NCO aggressively peruses and takes over other collectors in a bid to be the world's largest.

Meanwhile, corporate collection policy seems to sway daily, depending upon the wind.  One call might bring threats to our active duty military personnel and their families, on a level reserved for terrorists.  The next call will be gentlemanly, helpful and not-at-all like the NCO of old.  You never know which one you'll get.

On some occasions, NCO takes the debtor into court, scratching and fighting for pennies and spending thousands to get it.  On others, they fold like a paper tiger at the hint of consumer counter activity.  

Perhaps the giant is learning from the mistakes of the past.  Perhaps the sting of some many fines and penalties caused stockholders to crack the whip.  We do know that two years ago, our email box and phone were overflowing with NCO complaints.  At that time, every other complaint was about NCO.  Now they just trickle in.

What's lacking in this big agency is a resolution department.  If they had a team of 3 people to handle consumer complaints, put out public relations fires and resolve problems - someone with the authority to make decisions - they'd not only disappear from our list of America's worst, they'd do themselves much good.

CAUTION: I recommend you NEVER disclose your bank account or credit card information to a debt collector, as you risk them emptying your account, or maxing out your credit card. If you feel they are reporting on your credit bureau files in error or need assistance in dealing with them, email  the details w/your location.  Assistance and referral to a consumer legal specialist may be available

I got a call from "Harvard Collection Services" around noon today. They were obviously Indian with very thick accents so they were kind-of difficult to understand.
They claimed I owed on an old Sprint account from 2003. I interrupted the guy's script reading to inform him the last Sprint account I had was in college and that was back in the mid to late 90's. He seemed insistent on reading his scripted spiel and not so much on having a dialog. I finally had to raise my voice and speak angrily to get him to listen. I insisted he send me some sort of paperwork on the supposed debt and that I would look it over and if it checked out I would then send in a money order for the payment. I thought this sounded like a rational compromise to just blindly giving financial information over the phone. However, he kept insisting that I supply a payment over the phone then and there. I refused and asked to speak to a manager. When the manager came on the line he did the exact same thing as the first guy.
I'm not sure if these people are legit or not but there's no way I'm blindly giving some guy in Indian (or any place else) my credit card or banking info. If they are unwilling to send paperwork through the mail to make their case then they are either fake or just belligerent.

I never received a phone call or bill but I checked my credit report and it said I owed a Sprint bill from O7 for $96. I immediately disputed the bill because I am a current sprint customer and have been one for 8 YRS and everyone knows that you will not have continued service with Sprint unless YOU PAY THEM! I called sprint and they confirmed what I already knew which is that I did not owe them any past due money! Beware! I worked for a collection agency and kknow first hand that most times you can pay the original creditor money even if the account was sent to collections. If you have serious doubts about a collection account, always check with the ORIGINAL CREDITOR!

Here's the thing -- I've never in my life been a Sprint customer. Bogus.

Got this call and when I answered no one was there.  This type of call really annoys me because I have entered my home number on the do not call list and feel sure they were up to something.

I have been receiving calls from this number for several weeks now and due to it being an "866" number I never answer. This morning they called at 8:20, which again I didn't answer. Not sure if they are actually looking for me but I know I have never had an account with Sprint. So now that I looked this up I think I might answer and see what they have to say and then give them a piece of my mind.

I just received a call (one of many) from this number.  I always ignore it, but decided to call it back and see who answered.  The gentleman, with a very heavy Indian accent, said he was calling from Federal Bond Collection Services (FBCS) about an outstanding debt I supposedly had with MCI.  He used my maiden name, which I have not used since I was married 9 yrs ago.  

I hung up on him.

Do not call list

These guys collect for other agencies as well, I got a call for an old Comcast debt from 2004. This debt was paid a long time ago and I have had a current (and in good standing) account with them in all the years since then.

When the man from this collection agency called, all he said in the beginning was that he wanted to verify my address. I had to ask three times for him to tell me what company he was even calling from, and that I didn't confirm my personal information with random strangers who called me: each time he kept repeating "I have this address here, can you please confirm?" He finally said he was with FBCS (also known as Harvard, also known as NCO) and that he was collecting this debt for Comcast. I immediately Googled the company while he was on the phone, and saw all the complaints about personal information being leaked.

I told him I'd already paid it and I would contact Comcast to get the confirmation number and call him back. He wanted to conference them in and listen to the conversation, and I said I wasn't comfortable with someone else listening in while I verified my personal information on another company account (since they ask for your full name, address, last four of your social, etc). He was really pushy about it, but I shut him down and said if he'd give me his number I would call him back after I made my own personal confirmation call separately.

At least he was reasonably polite, but I don't appreciate people being pushy about getting my personal information. Especially when the debt isn't even a valid one.

Also, here's this website talking about FBCS and their history of leaking personal information and trying to collect on debt that is out of statute.

http://fbcs-inc.blogspot.com/

My recommendation: when dealing with debt, ALWAYS call the original company you owe and see if you can work out payment directly with them. Sometimes they won't do it, but more often than not they would rather get the money from you because they'll get the debt paid in full (collection agencies pay them pennies on the dollar for their old debts).

just received a call from this number stating that my wife had a debt of 4800, owed to Wal--mart!  my wife doesn't have any cards what so ever, they have all been paid off almost a decade ago, and now she's clean. but all of a sudden this call comes in.