330-752-4270

The number calls several times a week and its a recording for the previous owner who owes money.

Remove my number from your list!!

They keep calling me, without leaving a message. I did pick up the call today, thinking it may be someone I know trying to reach me. Bad mistake!  They claimed they were an attorney's office- Mitchell D. Bluhm & Associates, and that I owed $57.00 for an unpaid bill from a clinic I have gotten medical care from. I do not owe anything.
They continued to claim that I owe them money, and they will turn it over to a collection agency. Turns out they are not attorneys, but debt collectors, trying to collect money, legit or not. Scammers!

This is a follow-up to my previous message. I did call the clinic from which I received care, and they did verify that I overlooked a payment due to them. How that happened, I do not know. As far as I know, they did not send me any statements for overdue amounts.
They turned it over to Mitchell Blum, which is a collection agency that collects debts. The billing dept. at the clinic did confirm that they are legitimate, and they do turn over unpaid debts to them. They are not actually lawyers -  but debt collectors, looking to collect delinquent accounts.
Trouble is, they are tenacious in getting your debt paid. They don't give up. They will keep calling you until you pay. However, they may be calling a wrong number, the wrong person, a number from a previous owner, a relative, etc... to collect the debt. Or, they may be calling to collect a legitimate debt you owe. I ended up paying it, because the clinic did verify it for me.
So, that said, check your records. Contact your hospital, doctor, clinic, to verify the debt. If you are certain that they have the wrong person, and you don't owe, be firm and explain. Hope this helps some of you.

I am so tired of getting these calls and no messages to let me know who they are and what they want.  I don't owe any delinquent accounts to doctors,hospital, stores, mail order catalogs nor individuals.  I don't subscribe to magazines nor book clubs nor movie rental sources...........I have had this current number for over a year and am on the do not call list.  I have received calls from someone everyday and in many cases, multiple times per day at all hours...........I am sick of it......I will not answer these calls unless they identify themselves.  If anyone knows how to "block" such calls from coming into my  house, please let me know.  There has to be a solution to this growing problem and to deal with these scammers who seemingly are not bright enough to make a living doing anything else but annoying people on the phone.  How sad.

The person on the phone would not tell me who they represented unless I verified the address.  I told them that they needed to verify who they were first before I told them my address. .  They insisted that they needed to verify the address first. So I hung up.  

Informational Post:

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/search ...
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf

And see:

https://800notes.com/forum/ta-86217073a9c8dad ... 077595690349410
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http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors
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http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressreleases/extortion_scam.htm
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https://800notes.com/arts/Jb8EW-eDhQA/harassi ... ou-need-to-know
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Section 809 of the FDCPA http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf requires 3rd-party debt collectors to give debtors written notice of debt (the key word is *shall*) :
"§ 809. Validation of debts
(a) Within five days after the initial communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall, unless the following information is contained in the initial communication or the consumer has paid the debt, send the consumer a written notice containing—
(1) the amount of the debt;
(2) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed;
(3) a statement that unless the consumer, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt collector;
(4) a statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such verification or judgment will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector; and
(5) a statement that, upon the consumer’s written request within the thirty-day period, the debt collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor."
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A Collection Agent May Not…

Here are the top 11 actions prohibited by the The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act:

Misrepresent Him or Herself

  A debt collector may not misrepresent himself as an attorney or law enforcement officer.

Use the Telephone to Annoy or Harass

  A collection agent may not cause a telephone to ring or engage any person in telephone conversation repeatedly or continuously with an intent to annoy, abuse, or harass anyone at the called number.

Threaten Arrest or Lawsuit

  A collection agent may not threaten a consumer with arrest. It may not threaten legal action that is either not permitted or not actually contemplated. In other words, a the threat of a lawsuit may be an empty one.

Use Abusive or Threatening Language

  A debt collector may no use abusive or profane language in the course of communication related to the debt.

Publish a Bad Debt List

  Publishing the consumer’s name or address on a "bad debt" list is prohibited.

Contact By Embarrassing Media

  A debt collector may not communicate with a consumer by post card. It may not use any language or symbol, other than the debt collector’s address, on any envelope when communicating with a consumer by use of the mails or by telegram. A debt collector may use its business name if such name does not indicate it is in the debt collection business.

Contact a Consumer at Work

  A collection agent may not communicate with consumers at their place of employment after being told this is unacceptable or prohibited by the employer.

Seek Unjustifiable Amounts

  A debt collector may not demand any amounts not permitted under an applicable contract or as provided under law.

Contact a Consumer Represented by an Attorney

  A collection agent may not contact a consumer after it learns the consumer is represented by a lawyer.

Communicate With a Consumer After Receiving a Validation Request

  If a consumer sends a written §1692g response within 30 days, the collection agent may not communicate with the consumer until it mails the consumer the requested verification of original creditor's name and address.

Communicate With Third Parties

  A debt collector may not reveal or discuss the nature of a consumer’s debts with third parties other than the consumer’s spouse or attorney. A collection agent may contact neighbors or co-workers only to obtain location information. It may contact a third party again if it has reason to believe the information the party provided previously is false.

Bills.com FDCPA FAQ

Below are questions Bills.com readers ask frequently:

Can a Collection Agent Call My Cell Phone?

  Yes. However, if you tell the debt collector it may not use that number because it is a cell phone, it may not contact you again at that number.

I Keep Receiving Dozens of Calls From Collection Agents. Is That Legal?

  No. Unscrupulous collection agents will use "block parties" or "office parties" where they contact a consumer, multiple neighbors, or co-workers telling them they need to reach the consumer on an urgent matter. This is not permitted under the FDCPA.

A Collector Says I Will Be Arrested if I Do Not Pay

  This was a true statement before the US Civil War, but has not been true since. People may be arrested if an aggressive judge files a bench warrant for a person who does not appear at a hearing relating to a lawsuit regarding a debt. However, in that case, the offense is the failure to respond to a court order, and not the existence of the debt. As stated above, it is illegal under the FDCPA to threaten a consumer with arrest if the consumer does not pay the debt.

I had the same people call and claim I owed $35 to a hospital from over 10 years ago.  I told them they have no proof unless they sent me a statement and they told me I already received an invoice from the hospital (10 years ago).  Do they really think we will just pay something because they say we owe it without any proof?  Don't you think it would have already been on my credit report, since it is over 10 years ago, but it is not!!!!  I think it is a scam.