239-401-6921

Debt Extortion Scam

An interesting find! This number is being used to make robocalls by a debt scammer outfit:
Transcript from n ̶̶o̶̶m̶̶o̶̶r̶̶o̶̶b̶̶o̶ 21 days ago:

Quote:

Hi, this is Janice with the county process service department. We are making an attempt to deliver legal documents to Stephen Richardson. If you are the defendant or know this person, please have them contact the issuing firm that is handling the case immediately to not jeopardize missing important court documentation. Their phone number is 888-270-9142 or you can call this number back. Failing to contact the issuing firm will result in further legal proceedings to take place. Utds. Yes, you have been notified.

A BBB Scam warning was posted about this call back number:
https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/lookupscam/818823

Transcript from n ̶̶o̶̶m̶̶o̶̶r̶̶o̶̶b̶̶o̶ 4 days ago:

Quote:

This call will notify you that we're attempting to serve you in order to appear. A preliminary investigation against your social and your active assets. For further detail or to change the status of the lawsuit, please immediately. 888-694-7320.

Carrier Services and Process Servers do not know what is contained in the documents they are paid to serve/deliver. They don't cold call a recipient to inform them of a "failed attempt to deliver", as that would alert the recipient someone is attempting to Serve them. Anyone explaining what they are delivering, saying "matter attached to your SSN", "you have officially been notified", "deliver legal docs and to have ID ready"  or offering an alternative "solution" to avoid delivery is a scammer. Real process servers don't need to set a time to deliver any documents nor do they threaten legal action if you don't call them.

The vague scare tactic message is designed to panic a victim into calling back.

Most debt collectors will use a certain amount of pressure to convince you to pay the debt. After all, they often don't get paid unless you pay. Be suspicious of a debt collector who uses an unusual amount of pressure to get you to pay immediately, particularly if they also use scare tactics to get you to pay right away. For example, a debt collector is scamming you if it :

• threatens you with a lawsuit and tells that you can avoid the lawsuit by paying right away
• Says a Process Server  or Courier is coming with papers to sign
• Threatens to call / go to your place of employment
• Insists you have been notified, served or are non-compliant via phone message(s)
• Refuses to give a company name or verifiable Contact source
• Refuses to send proof of debt via US mail

A sure sign of a debt collection scam is a collector that wants to you to pay via wire transfer or another method that can't be traced. If the payment method can't be traced, you'll have a harder time getting the authorities involved.

If the creditor sounds completely foreign, or you know you never had an account with that business, there's a chance it's a scam. Never pay a collection you don't recognize. You have the right to request written proof of the debt from the debt collector before you send payment.

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/fake-abusive-debt-collectors
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer ... ollection-scams
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/Publications/PhonyDebtCollectionScams.asp
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/02/ftc ... llection-scheme
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/08/pha ... onate-law-firms

Quote:

Here are some ways to find out if a debt collector is legitimate.
•You received a letter in the mail. ...
•The agency is licensed in your state. ...
•The collector can verify your personal details. ...
•You can request information about the debt. ...
•There's more than one method of payment. ...
•A company works with you, not against you.

Source: https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/deb ... ctor-is-a-scam/

File a complaint:
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/