800-864-3830

went un-answered to voice mail. No message was left.

They left message on my phone, so I called back and they said I owed a debt that had been paid 18 months prior.

I got a call from a different # asking to call the 800-864-3830 #. I didn't return the call back because I am 100% positive I do not have any debt to be collected.

I also got a call, purportedly from this number, leaving a message that asks me to call them back. Says they are Eastern Collections Corporation and gives my "account number" in the message. Have not tried calling them back. How have others determined this is a bogus call? I can't think of any unpaid debts I have...

called and left no message

I received a call today from Eastern Collection Corp. They left a message on my voice mail telling me they are trying to collect a debt. I don't have any debt that would be going to collection. Do to the fact they are closed today, which makes me wonder why they called, I will call the 1-800-864-3830 number tomorrow, Monday, and see what they want. I am also on the Do Not Call List.

I too just received a call from this number.  Once about 12 days ago and now.  It is a recording telling me I had a debt from Eastern Collection Agency with a referrence number.  It states to call back this number.  
They are calling my cell number using Mr.&Mrs.(fill in name).  
Creepy.  We don't have any debt in collections.

Recording using Mr. & Mrs. to my cell phone.  States I owe a debt in collections with a reference number.
Fact is I do not owe anyone any debt in collections.
This is call number 2 tonight in the last 2 weeks.  
I did look up the name of the corp and it's a real corp, but that does not mean the call is real.  
I have charges on my PayPal from Skype.com -- it's a real company, but it was a 3rd party usage of my PP acct.  I had Match.com charge my debit card, real company, again 3rd party usage.
Don't call, don't give them information they can use to scam you further.  It is in all likelihood a fishing call.

bogus call for someone i do not know

called back, they said if it was important they would call back and hung up on me.

Be very careful this is looking like another collection scheme. If you try to call back they are always unavailable but the harassing phone calls keep coming despite the fact that you owe nothing! I am trying to advise the authorities regarding this company.

No this is not a bogus call. I used to work for this company. They are a debt collection agency. If you are being called by this company you may have a debt you are not aware of. This collection agency has over 200 companies they collect debt for. They collect for book clubs, exercise equipment, vitamin companies, beauty care product companies, bath and body works, medical labs, infomercial purchases, internet purchases and many many other products and various companies. 90% of people in collections with this company purchased an item from someone that has not been paid for. About 2% of the time they have contacted the wrong person or the phone # no longer belongs to the person they are looking for. When you are being called by Eastern Collections you have been placed in collections by some other company and they are trying to collect the debt owed to their clients. Also when Eastern Collections gets an account the account comes into the office with the contact information. If they are leaving a message for someone other than you simply call and ask to have your # removed, make sure you tell them the # otherwise it can not be removed from the data base. Incoming calls are not displayed on their phones or computers. Also be nice to the Debt Collectors they are only doing their jobs and have families to support like the rest of us. It's not a job I cared to do but it put food on the table and paid the bills !!

If your on a Do Not Call List that only pertains to sales or telemarketing calls. Debt Collection Agencies have a legal right to call you when you are in collections for a debt.

Simply fax over the proof of payment and you can be removed from the collection. Sometimes the collection agency has no idea you have paid, sometimes one of their clients made a mistake and just need proof the debt was paid.

I have a debt... and they are trying to tick me by saying some made up name so I can call them back and see my caller ID. Like the person said above... they don't have caller ID... bullshi. Just change your number... problem solved...

Well, they shouldn't be calling my 8 year old daughter on her phone.  This is a private number and they should know who they are contacting and not wasting her few minutes that we buy her for an emergency.  She is scared when they are calling her.

That is if you have debt.  They shouldn't be allowed to call an 8 year old on their cell phone with limited minutes.

I am constantly harassed by these phone calls on my home voice mail. I am NOT Toshiba H. and do not owe any debt! The call assumes if one stays on the line that you are that person. However it is an automated call and picked up by my voice mail. I just want these calls to stop!

it is not your responsibilty to prove the debt was paid - it is the collection agencies responsibility to prove it is owed by the person they are contacting.

THEY CAN'T PROVE ANYONE OWES ANYTHING!

great post - NOT

Quit lying - you cannot meet any of the legal requirements for validating debt - because all you BUY is WORTHLESS LEGALLY UNCOLLECTABLE DEBT!

You cannot meet the legal requirements for validation at all.

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

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

Dealing with Debt Collectors
http://www.budhibbs.com/start.html


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