888-865-4968

Had a call from a woman who known as Mrs. Peirse. Traced my mother, and told her, who is 80 years of age and living in elderly housing, she was from the Justice Department, and had a warrant for my arrest, my mother did not know my new cell number and gave my sons, same story, who is this person, and do you know what it is about?

Its a scam debt collector

I got a call from that 888 number too from a Miss Sovie, they blocked the call and said they were from a legal department or something, do you know what company they are with??

I got a call from the same number, saying that a sheriff was trying to serve me papers and that they were sueing me for a credit card I had from 2005.  It's a scam don't believe them and DON'T give them any personal information!

Left a messagestating the count clerks office is trying to reach me. What do these people want

received a call from Donna Buck stating that she is a Litigation officer.

Got offended when I asked for hard copies of papers and when I asked for their company information. She then proceeded to tell me that I will not find anything on their company if I googled them and also suggested that I googled their phone number (in a sarcastic tone).

Luckily I did.

This is the information that I have on WC GROUP.

27315 Jefferson Ave Suite J-190 Temecula, CA 92590
Number: 888 865 4968 fax: 951 200 8278

I got the same call at my place of employment. They only said that if i did't call them back on the 3rd they would just serve me anyway. I work from 8pm to 5am. No time to call since i sleep dureing the day.
The company name they left was WCG and associates....I Looked them up and found it to be a scam also only useing 866 888 and many other numbers...

I got the same call at my place of employment. They only said that if i did't call them back on the 3rd they would just serve me anyway. I work from 8pm to 5am. No time to call since i sleep dureing the day.
The company name they left was WCG and associates....I Looked them up and found it to be a scam also only useing 866 888 and many other numbers...

I just received a call on my machine from them as well.  Sounds very authentic, but I still didn't believe them.  The sheriff's department serves papers - not someone from the Process Service Verification Division, as he said.  I wonder if we can file a complaint with someone.  This guy even had my roommate terrified!  :)  Needless to say, I don't find this type of harassment effective.

Got a message from MS Walsh saying that she had important legal documents to serve me and that I should call this number and reference my case file. So I did call and talked to Mr Turner. He looked through whatever information he had on me and was able to reference several other items that had been settled in 2004. The original debt is no longer showing up on my credit report and hasnt been for the last few years. My problem is that I can't find any documents saying that I did pay but I could swear I took care of it years ago. I just want proof that I owe. I don't want to go to court. UGH!

for those who are receiving calls claiming to be ready to serve you a court summons!

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL COURT HOUSE - you cannot be served if no one has filed a lawsuit against you with your local COURT.  

YOU WANT TO PROVE THEY ARE LYING BEFORE/IF you call them back.

ITS ILLEGAL TO THREATEN A LAWSUIT they have not FILED, have no intetion of filing or CANNOT FILE.



1) Never assume they have a VALID DEBT OR LEGAL RIGHT TO COLLECT
 
2) Debt collectors MUST FOLLOW your STATE laws regarding licensing.  Check your Secretary of State for licensing requirements for ANY collection agency that contacts you

Debt Collectors DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION!    
The INFORMED CONSUMER IS THE DEBT COLLECTORS WORST ENEMY!

THE CORRECT WAY TO HANDLE COLLECTION CALLS AND ILLEGAL TACTICS

READ DEALING WITH DEBT COLLECTORS, RECORDING CALLS AND STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS BY STATE

You can also post your questions here http://www.collectorsexposed.com/forum/   NEW URL!    

These links are to attorneys for those being scammed www.naca.net or http://www.consumerjustice.com/consumer/searchattorneys.aspx


Dealing with Debt Collectors
Http://www.budhibbs.com/First.htm    
    
Statute of Limitations by State – always double check YOUR OWN STATE Government Website
http://www.budhibbs.com/statute_of_limitations.htm

Recording calls from Debt Collectors - always double check YOUR OWN STATE Government Website
http://www.budhibbs.com/record.htm


From Federal Trade Commission Website – FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT
Debt Collection FAQs: A Guide for Consumers
If you’re behind in paying your bills, or a creditor’s records mistakenly make it appear that you are, a debt collector may be contacting you.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices to collect from you.
Under the FDCPA, a debt collector is someone who regularly collects debts owed to others. This includes collection agencies, lawyers who collect debts on a regular basis, and companies that buy delinquent debts and then try to collect them.
Here are some questions and answers about your rights under the Act.

What types of debts are covered?
The Act covers personal, family, and household debts, including money you owe on a personal credit card account, an auto loan, a medical bill, and your mortgage. The FDCPA doesn’t cover debts you incurred to run a business.

Can a debt collector contact me any time or any place?
No. A debt collector may not contact you at inconvenient times or places, such as before 8 in the morning or after 9 at night, unless you agree to it. And collectors may not contact you at work if they’re told (orally or in writing) that you’re not allowed to get calls there.

How can I stop a debt collector from contacting me?
If a collector contacts you about a debt, you may want to talk to them at least once to see if you can resolve the matter – even if you don’t think you owe the debt, can’t repay it immediately, or think that the collector is contacting you by mistake. If you decide after contacting the debt collector that you don’t want the collector to contact you again, tell the collector – in writing – to stop contacting you. Here’s how to do that:
Make a copy of your letter. Send the original by certified mail, and pay for a “return receipt” so you’ll be able to document what the collector received. Once the collector receives your letter, they may not contact you again, with two exceptions: a collector can contact you to tell you there will be no further contact or to let you know that they or the creditor intend to take a specific action, like filing a lawsuit. Sending such a letter to a debt collector you owe money to does not get rid of the debt, but it should stop the contact. The creditor or the debt collector still can sue you to collect the debt.

Can a debt collector contact anyone else about my debt?
If an attorney is representing you about the debt, the debt collector must contact the attorney, rather than you. If you don’t have an attorney, a collector may contact other people – but only to find out your address, your home phone number, and where you work. Collectors usually are prohibited from contacting third parties more than once. Other than to obtain this location information about you, a debt collector generally is not permitted to discuss your debt with anyone other than you, your spouse, or your attorney.

What does the debt collector have to tell me about the debt?
Every collector must send you a written “validation notice” telling you how much money you owe within five days after they first contact you. This notice also must include the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money, and how to proceed if you don’t think you owe the money.

Can a debt collector keep contacting me if I don’t think I owe any money?
If you send the debt collector a letter stating that you don’t owe any or all of the money, or asking for verification of the debt, that collector must stop contacting you. You have to send that letter within 30 days after you receive the validation notice. But a collector can begin contacting you again if it sends you written verification of the debt, like a copy of a bill for the amount you owe.

What practices are off limits for debt collectors?
Harassment. Debt collectors may not harass, oppress, or abuse you or any third parties they contact. For example, they may not:
    use threats of violence or harm;
    publish a list of names of people who refuse to pay their debts (but they can give this information to the credit reporting companies);
    use obscene or profane language; or
    repeatedly use the phone to annoy someone.

False statements. Debt collectors may not lie when they are trying to collect a debt. For example, they may not:
    falsely claim that they are attorneys or government representatives;
    falsely claim that you have committed a crime;
    falsely represent that they operate or work for a credit reporting company;
    misrepresent the amount you owe;
    indicate that papers they send you are legal forms if they aren’t; or
    indicate that papers they send to you aren’t legal forms if they are.

Debt collectors also are prohibited from saying that:
    you will be arrested if you don’t pay your debt;
    they’ll seize, garnish, attach, or sell your property or wages unless they are permitted by law to take the action and intend to do so; or
    legal action will be taken against you, if doing so would be illegal or if they don’t intend to take the action.

Debt collectors may not:
    give false credit information about you to anyone, including a credit reporting company;
    send you anything that looks like an official document from a court or government agency if it isn’t; or
    use a false company name.

Unfair practices. Debt collectors may not engage in unfair practices when they try to collect a debt. For example, they may not:
    try to collect any interest, fee, or other charge on top of the amount you owe unless the contract that created your debt – or your state law – allows the charge;
    deposit a post-dated check early;
    take or threaten to take your property unless it can be done legally; or
    contact you by postcard.

Can I control which debts my payments apply to?
Yes. If a debt collector is trying to collect more than one debt from you, the collector must apply any payment you make to the debt you select. Equally important, a debt collector may not apply a payment to a debt you don’t think you owe.

Can a debt collector garnish my bank account or my wages?
If you don’t pay a debt, a creditor or its debt collector generally can sue you to collect. If they win, the court will enter a judgment against you. The judgment states the amount of money you owe, and allows the creditor or collector to get a garnishment order against you, directing a third party, like your bank, to turn over funds from your account to pay the debt.
Wage garnishment happens when your employer withholds part of your compensation to pay your debts. Your wages usually can be garnished only as the result of a court order. Don’t ignore a lawsuit summons. If you do, you lose the opportunity to fight a wage garnishment.

Can federal benefits be garnished?
Many federal benefits are exempt from garnishment, including:
    Social Security Benefits
    Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits
    Veterans’ Benefits
    Civil Service and Federal Retirement and Disability Benefits
    Service Members’ Pay
    Military Annuities and Survivors’ Benefits
    Student Assistance
    Railroad Retirement Benefits
    Merchant Seamen Wages
    Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers’ Death and Disability Benefits
    Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Benefits
    Compensation for Injury, Death, or Detention of Employees of U.S. Contractors Outside the U.S.
    Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Disaster Assistance
But federal benefits may be garnished under certain circumstances, including to pay delinquent taxes, alimony, child support, or student loans.

Do I have any recourse if I think a debt collector has violated the law?
You have the right to sue a collector in a state or federal court within one year from the date the law was violated. If you win, the judge can require the collector to pay you for any damages you can prove you suffered because of the illegal collection practices, like lost wages and medical bills. The judge can require the debt collector to pay you up to $1,000, even if you can’t prove that you suffered actual damages. You also can be reimbursed for your attorney’s fees and court costs. A group of people also may sue a debt collector as part of a class action lawsuit and recover money for damages up to $500,000, or one percent of the collector’s net worth, whichever amount is lower. Even if a debt collector violates the FDCPA in trying to collect a debt, the debt does not go away if you owe it.

What should I do if a debt collector sues me?
If a debt collector files a lawsuit against you to collect a debt, respond to the lawsuit, either personally or through your lawyer, by the date specified in the court papers to preserve your rights.

Where do I report a debt collector for an alleged violation?
Report any problems you have with a debt collector to your state Attorney General’s office (www.naag.org) and the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov). Many states have their own debt collection laws that are different from the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Your Attorney General’s office can help you determine your rights under your state’s law.

For More Information
To learn more about debt collection and other credit-related issues, visit www.ftc.gov/credit and MyMoney.gov, the U.S. government’s portal to financial education.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad
February 2009

File complaints with

Federal Trade Commission  https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en

Your State Attorney General
State Attorney General is every state they have offices

Link to all State Attorney General Websites www.naag.org

If you or they are located in NY – use this SPECIAL Link  www.NYDebtHelp.com
This special website was created by NY AG Andrew Cuomo specifically for reporting illegal debt collection practices.  HE’S CRACKING DOWN AND SHUTTING THEM DOWN!
    
Also report your calls and contacts with debt collectors at http://www.budhibbs.com/index.html  If the company is listed under agencies – report there. If not on the list YET, click on Watchlist! and add to the list.   You can also post here http://www.collectorsexposed.com/forum2/index.php?board=2.0




Time-Barred Debts
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt144.shtm

There’s no doubt about it: you are responsible for your debts. If you fall behind in paying your creditors — or if you dispute the legitimacy of a debt — a debt collector may contact you.

“Time-barred” debts are debts so old they are beyond the point at which a creditor or debt collector may sue you to collect. State law varies as to when a creditor or debt collector may no longer sue to collect: in most states, the statute of limitations period on debts is between 3 and 10 years; in some states, the period is longer. Check with your State Attorney General’s Office to determine when a debt is considered time-barred in your state. You can find contact information for your State Attorney General at www.naag.org.

Federal law imposes limitations on how debt collectors can collect debts, including time-barred debts. Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), a “debt collector” generally is any person or organization that regularly collects debts owed to others. The term includes lawyers who collect debts for others on a regular basis, but it does not include creditors collecting their own debts.

The FDCPA prohibits debt collectors from engaging in any unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices while collecting debts. It does not erase any legitimate debt that you owe. To learn more about your rights under the FDCPA, click on www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm.
Collecting Time-Barred Debts

Most courts that have addressed the issue have ruled that the FDCPA does not prohibit debt collectors from trying to collect time-barred debts, as long as they do not sue or threaten to sue you for the debt. If a debt collector sues you to collect a time-barred debt, you can have the suit dismissed by letting the court or judge know the debt is, indeed, time-barred.

Whether a time-barred debt — or any debt for that matter — can appear on your credit report depends on how long the debt has been delinquent: debts that have been delinquent more than seven years cannot appear on your credit report, with certain exceptions. In addition, a debt collector may not try to collect a debt that has been discharged in bankruptcy, no matter when it was incurred. To learn more about credit reporting, click on www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fcra.htm.
Contact with Collectors

Can a debt collector continue to contact you about a time-barred debt you don’t think you owe? According to the law, if you send the debt collector a letter stating that you do not owe some or all of the money within 30 days after you receive written notice of a debt, the collector must stop trying to collect until you’ve been given written verification of the debt, like a copy of the bill for the amount you supposedly owe. The collector can renew collection activities once you’ve gotten proof of the debt.

You can stop debt collectors from contacting you about any debt, regardless of whether you owe it, by writing a letter telling them to stop contacting you. Once the collector gets your letter, it may not contact you again — except to say there will be no further contact or to let you know that the collector or creditor intends to take some specific action. Sending a letter doesn’t absolve you of the debt if you actually owe it; the debt collector or creditor still could sue you for the debt.
Future Collection Efforts

The best way to protect yourself from future collection on any disputed or partially settled debt is to get a form or letter from the creditor or collector that releases you from further obligation. To make sure the release is valid, you may want to consult an attorney. If you believe that a debt collector violated the law, you have the right to sue in a state or federal court within a year from the date the law was violated. If you win, you may recover money for the damages you suffered, plus an additional amount up to $1,000. You also may recover court costs and attorney’s fees. You also may want to report any problems you have with a debt collector to your State Attorney General and to the Federal Trade Commission.

The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Watch a new video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
October 2004

888 865 4968
miss's tilby with the process service verification center asking for ROSIE HARDROW and has legal documents trying to be served and that it is noted in the courts records that they Have Tryed to serve me the documents and will later be trying to serve them again
i had my (prepaid)phone NOT IN MY NAME  and on the voice mail i had used Another fake name "ROSIE"
my case number ends up being ******/ROS
that alone made me suspicous
Then i get an unknown call a month later asking for me by my REAL 1st name so i say Yes.. then they say is this ******* HARDGRAVE?? and i say No this is not then they hang up
what is this anyone??????? how would they find out my Real 1st name but Another wierd last name??

this number is constanly calling me statng that they are trying t serve me papers for legal action. if i don't respond within so many days they will send it to the courts stating contempt to serve documents.

I received a call from 888-865-4968, asking for my daughter in law, telling me to get in touch with her imm. to tell her to call them back with in 2hrs, or a summons would be served at her home this very day. she was very Rude. I checked this phone no,,,on Google, & found out it is a scam. thanks to Google,.

Got this call the other day, looked here and ignored it and yesterday I got a court notice to appear but was just left at my door. Checked with my local courts and this is a pending case. Do know it was for an old credit card I had for a couple hundred dlls. Now will see what happens after my court date. If I had the money I would have settled a long time ago. They didn't scare me when they called I just told them I had no $ because I didn't. Now hopefully I can make arrangements in court.

someone called looking for person I knew years ago claiming they want to bring over some legal docs  They left a call back number and case number

i am getting calls from this number. they are very rude. won't identify themselves. won't send me papers clarifying the debt. they just want their money. i can't even pay what i want only what they say i have to pay. they are threatening to sue me and have me papers served. finally i got an e-mail from them and its a place called WC Group. but it don't tell me anything except for the case number and payments they want me to make. non sence!!!! they call from a private number. they mentioned to me fraud, abatration, and sueing me, garnashing my wages....amogst other things. holy cow they have me nervous. i called a lawyer and he said not to send them a nickle. i told them i was willing to pay the bill if it's mine but i want to see a bill first. i want them to send me something clarifying the debt. one of the ladies from the place said that that isn't their responsibility. what in the world!!!!!! guess i'll wait to see if i get served papers or not. these people are amazing.....

I just received a call from a processor stating that someone tried to serve me papers today and wanted to know if I would be home on Friday between 10 and 4. I asked what this was about and who wanted to serve me papers. The response I received was to call 1-888-865-4968. When I called the number I received a voice mail box for a Ms. Walsh. The voice message asked that I leave my case number and a call back number. I don't have any debt and nothing negative on my credit record. I'm not really sure what to do.

I got the same call twice now. Checked with my local county court, no legal action pending. Thanks to Google here I am. Next time you get a call give them the local sheriff/police dept address so that they can "serve" those "legal documents". What a bunch of doucebags!

Received a harassing phone call from W.C Group with a message about getting served on the third day. Yet, I have no outstanding Debt nor did they want to give information regarding the"legal" company.