716-256-1716

Got a voicemail on my cell on 10/31/14 at 8:44am. Did not give his name or company name, no file number or debt amount. My name was prerecorded but the other parts were spoken by a live person. He said there was a situation where my bank accounts could be frozen for 6-8 weeks if I did not call him back to take care of this. He said he would fax something to the National Banking System. I filed a complaint with the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. I believe this is M & S Recovery calling based on others reporting the exact same wording (but a different phone number in the 716 area).

Got a call from this number and the message that was left for me was from some guy. He didn't tell me what his name was or what company ether. Just said that this was for check systems and that If I did not settle it as soon as possible then they would freeze all open bank accounts that I have. I don't have this debt any longer and haven't for a few months, so this is a scam and just ignore it.

Calling my family members home and asking for me.  Telling them they were attorney for M&S or something and that a lawsuit was pending and my banking status would be interrupted.  Family member told them to never call their home again.  This is harassment by someone I don't even know. It's embarrassing and should be stopped!

Same here called and said I would have my account frozen also. Its a scam the address for the place is a ups store in ny . talked to lawyer and better business bureau problem solved.

Other threads on 800 notes suggest that M & S is actually:

TGK Services
Categories:
Collection Agency Services  
3435 Harlem Rd Ste 5
Buffalo, NY 14225
(716) 931-5331

_________________

BBB:

THIS BUSINESS IS NOT BBB ACCREDITED
TGK Services

Phone: (800) 764-3056
3806 Union Rd #141, Buffalo, NY 14225
BBB® F Rating
On a scale of A+ to F

__________________

NYS Department of State
Division of Corporations
Entity Information
The information contained in this database is current through October 31, 2014.

Selected Entity Name: TGK & ASSOCIATES, LLC
Selected Entity Status Information
Current Entity Name:    TGK & ASSOCIATES, LLC
DOS ID #:    3135742
Initial DOS Filing Date:    DECEMBER 09, 2004
County:    NEW YORK
Jurisdiction:    NEW YORK
Entity Type:    DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
Current Entity Status:    ACTIVE

Selected Entity Address Information
DOS Process (Address to which DOS will mail process if accepted on behalf of the entity)
TGK & ASSOCIATES, LLC
20 EAST 74TH STREET, APT. 5D
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, 10021
Registered Agent
NONE

I got the same call. Should I call a lawyer as well? How did you solve the problem?
Thanks!

I also get daily calls from this joker,he has changed his name several times,bob stanton,david jenkins,,or no name,,another caller used  angel martinez and the m&s assoc,,but used same phone numbers and "claim numbers" and has used different stories...said something about 1099c ,,forwarding to my work or home...never get any mail from them,,,recent comments are check systems and freezing bank accts....i am pretty sure they cant do any acct freezing unless it goes thru court first and have not seen any certified mail or any mail for that matter regarding anything. even asked to return call with name and ss number!! the latest call i just received was almost identical to your call,,except he mentioned the check systems baloney also as the other poster. they have used many numbers,,to call and different ones to return calls....this one was same for both,,and as u posted..im sick of it but i dont want to answer for fear it will continue worse.

An F rating by BBB? How are they still in business?

Threat to freeze bank accounts ps most recent message. Earlier ones threatened arrest for past due accounts. My lawyer says it is bulls**t.

Constantly calling and these people have been calling on all different type of numbers and saying the same thing! I've answered once and they tried so hard for me to give them my ssn and address and birthrate and where I work but every time I told them if they were a legit company they wouldn't need to confirm anything over the phone and they would already know what to do. A debt collector doesn't verify anything over the phone anymore these days. I worked for one and they send letters to the known addresses! These people are Scammers and need your info to use it  for their own personal gain! They are NOT legit and they are looking to access your accounts to take your money out by making fake cards and such!  DO NOT GIVE ANY INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE EVER!

Additional info connected to my first post: On 10/29/14 @ 11:32am, a guy calling himself David Jenkins left a voicemail on my cell indicating I was the "sole respondent" of a complaint and that it was in my best interest to call him back at 866-927-1304. Later that night, I called the number he called from (920-545-1125) but the phone rang many times without answer. Finally it forwarded to a different number and again rang many times before I finally got a recorded message saying it was the office of M & S.  What is interesting is that the 920 number is a landline supposedly from Watertown, Wisconsin but M & S is based out of New York. Something surely isn't legit here. I believe this is the same company who has been calling and leaving the same types of messages on my parents' and brother's answering machines, saying I am in debt trouble. I have made complaints with FTC and BBB.

Get tired of threats. Limited minutes on phone. Too bad can't turn it around on them and freeze their acct or WHOOP SOME BUTT!!

Parents received a call from John Harris from M & S Recovery indicating there was a complaint against me, case number W16425**, and left a callback number of 866-927-1304. This has occurred several times - my family members being called, case numbers being left, saying I'm in trouble. Have told my family this is a scam and they need to report it too. I don't know which is more annoying, the calls from M & S or the calls from family members telling me M & S called them again. *sigh*

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:

•is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
•refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
•asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
•exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.

If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:

•Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.

•Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.

•Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft – charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.

•Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate – but you think the collector may not be – contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.

•Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors

Unfortunately, when making complaints to the FTC, BBB, etc, they require your name, address, phone number,  and even ask for your email address and social security number (optional) and forward the complaint to the company you complained about. This is not an issue with a legit company, but is bothersome when the company is trying to scam people. They may be making random calls and/or not have quite the correct info on you, but once a complaint is sent, they now have verification of name, address, phone number, email address, and even part of your social security number. There needs to be more protection of info or some other way to report scams/fraud/extortion for folks who simply don't have the means to legal representation in these cases.

Thats a bit strange, I've never had them ask for a SS number when filing a report/complaint.

The FTC as well as the BBB, do not ask for your SSN.  I've filed several complaints and not once have they asked for this.

BBB of Upstate NY received a response from M&S Recovery about my complaint. They said they talked to my parents who said they knew me but that I didn't live there so M&S deleted their phone number and will no longer call. This is a false statement as my parents were not home at the time of the call and it was recorded on the answering machine. M & S further said they were closing my filke and sending my "debt" back to the creditor and that there must be more than one debt collector calling because they have only made one call. Since I have several calls from them on my phone and my parents have several calls from them on their answering machine, this too is a false statement. The person responding to BBB was Scott Murawa giving his company contact number as 855-471-4258. There are other similar complaints on this site from that number too.

The CFPB asks for a partisl SS # as an optional item to send to the company complained about as a way to help them identify the proper account. My state's attorney general office also asked for it as an optional item to process the complaint. Can't speak for anyone else, of course, just based on my experience the last few days.

keep calling elderly mother - scaring life out of her, i finally called today, they said i will go to court and my bank accounts, assets, etc, even if i own a watch over $35 wll be frozen .