8553938950

An associate contacted me regarding this number. You can add the name "Josh Ryan" to the list of these fraudsters Nom de Plume. They apparently like to rapid fire their calls. He received 6 calls in 3 minutes, all of which were blocked and sent to VM. Two VMs were left, each containing multiple violations of the FDCPA. All the calls & VMs were logged and recorded. I will be assisting him in locating these scammers.
From what I can gather it appears that we have some really desperate & amateurish frauds here. The number is relatively new to the game. The ploys being used are so dated they're moldy. The offenders are so lame in their efforts that if they were actors they couldn't get a part in a Syfy "original" movie.
The fools using this number are believed to be US based. Probably working from a clapped-out home or a derelict strip mall. Report any calls from this number to the FTC & your states Atty. Generals office. If these clowns are lucky they'll be closed down before the end of our busy season. If we find them first, they'll have to appear in court wearing nothing but their Skivvies. We will take them for everything else.
The regulars here know that I'm very pro-active in dealing with domestic frauds. The frauds know that I can, and will, find them. The consumer is being armed with ever increasing tools, penalties & methods in dealing with bogus debt collectors. Consumer Attys. are becoming a-dime-a-dozen, all working on a contingency. Meaning no money up-front. They won't make you much (the heavier fines aren't on-line...yet) but they will screw up a small-time fraud shops day. The key to really hurting a bogus debt collectors bottom line is collecting the evidence. Record & log all calls. If you live in a "Two-party" state, tell them you're doing so. Record all VMs to a separate device. VM hacking is becoming known, especially by dubious debt collectors who know they've left incriminating VMs. Know your rights and employ a good Atty. if you're able to do so. There is a maze of state & federal laws in effect. A good Atty. can turn the usual $1000 fine into a nightmare for a bogus firm. State laws regarding debt collection often carry far stiffer penalties than the federal ones currently do. The TCPA can often come into play, meaning that stiffer fines can be applied. When Civil & Criminal actions are begun a bogus debt collector will do one of 3 things. He will settle. He will run and hide. Or he will run crying upstairs to his mommy.
Pursuing a bogus debt collection outfit is not a money making endeavor. They're always broke, have no assets. The people involved in bogus debt collection are at the bottom of the heap. They're failures & sad jokes. But Damn! It's a lot of fun shutting them down! If you ever have the pleasure of meeting a feisty one in a court room you'll understand. These are the people that can't even get a job selling used cars on a commission. They're just too shady & it shows. Ex-cons, drug addicts, drunks, dis-barred Attys. etc. Nothing but losers desperately trying to gain some form of legitimacy. And failing....badly! Finding them is the hard part. They've been hiding all their life & they're good at it. But they CAN be found! I'll throw out one sure-fire method for the beginners out there. Locate the area that a bogus operator is using. Then call a local Bail bondsman in that area and offer him a couple hundred bucks if he can acquire the names and locations of your targets. In 9 out of 10 cases the bondsman will have what you need in less than 24 Hrs. Sometimes he'll have it immediately. The people in the bogus debt collection racket are invariably well known to the bail bonding industry!
I'll be keeping an eye on this thread. It's garnered my personal attention now. Which is very bad news for these scum-bags! We're almost famous now in the debt collection industry. Ironic huh? Criminals crying... "Foul"!
Live Well.
Gunnar

A neighbor where I used to live got a phone call from a woman who called herself Amanda Walsh. "Amanda" said she had a court summons for me and was trying to locate me, and asked the neighbor for my contact information. My neighbor thought it was the real deal but she is the suspicious type so she collected all the information she could. "Amanda" gave a case # and a phone number to call: (855) 393-8950.
I was curious where this call originated so went online and found this website. Thank you to everyone who has shared your experiences.
Teffie

Please do file reports with the FBI, your state attorney general and Department Of Justice,FTC & FCC..

http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
http://www.fbi.gov/
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx?panel=2

Also read up on the laws and your rights:

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:

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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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.

Thank you, Tamianth. I appreciate the wealth of information and the links.
Teffie

Your Welcome! :)

question...     so what happens when they send a legitimate validation of debt????

If the alleged debt isn't owed,  or out of Sol,  then it is not legit.   If the debt is owed,  within sol,   and the validation is complete and legitimate,  and all of the proprieties and requirements of the FDCPA have been met,  then pay it.     Simple Enough?

so that initial letter from creditor stating you defaulted on your bill is not a verification of debt???  hmmm

If the original creditor sent you a letter, it may be legitimate. VERIFY its contents! If a 3rd party collector sent you a full, complete & legitimate validation notice (by Mail, NOT e-mail or Fax.)...VERIFY its contents! Then, and ONLY then, should you so much as speak to them. If they begin to violate the FDCPA, whether the debt is legit. or not, record all the conversations & VMS. Tell them you're doing so. If the violations continue, or harassment begins, tell them to piss up a rope! Tell them an Atty. will be in touch with them & that they'd better be collecting on a debt larger than $1000 + your Atty. fees, expenses and Court costs. Otherwise, they'll be deep in the red!
Be Safe. Be Aware.
Gunnar

I just recieved a call from Jennifer Burch stating they been trying to get in contact with me to resolve a matter dealing with a payday loan. I paid off all my payday loans so therefore their lying. I blocked their number so they can stop calling me and their smart enough to use another number. These people can really kiss my [***] because unless I see actual documents their not getting another response from me and that's real talk.

Thank You this helped ALOT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please Google the number 855-332-3044 and see my comments posted there.  This appears to be the same company.  The Sheriff's office here in my town says it's a scam run out of the Seattle, Washington area.  

I got another message from Amanda Walsh threaten to serve me papers on my job or home. The telephone number she left was 1-855-332-3044.

So how do I stop this person from calling me, my family and my fiance ex- wife mother which I do not know his ex wife number

These bottom-feeders are obviously bogus or are attempting to collect on debts they know are time-barred or invalid. Don't return their calls. If you make the mistake of answering one of their calls, tell them you're aware of your rights under the FDCPA and that you'll be expecting their notice of validation by mail. NOT via fax. or e-mail. They'll give up at that point because they'll know you're not stupid & they know they can't validate any debt.
Their tactics alone are more than enough proof of the fact that they're bogus.
Be Safe. Be Aware.
Gunnar

Just wanted to add that "Kim Folger" from "RH Group" is still working the same scam as of last week.  I have filed official complaints with the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Division of Banks in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and have reported the actions to the FTC.  The way this scam has worked, in my experience, is that they call and have a very aggressive and threatening demeanor on the telephone.  They claim that there is a civil claim pending and that the only opportunity to resolve it is to call their number with a claim number immediately.  They conclude the phone call with the message "you have been served!".  In our case, these calls have been in an effort to get information regarding a family member who does not and has not ever lived at this address.  The hope on the part of the fraudulent caller is that someone will be sufficiently frightened by their message as to either put them in touch with the party they seek or perhaps try to resolve the matter on their behalf, to save them the trouble.  That is the hook.  These scams infuriate me to no end, because they are intended to intimidate family members and senior citizens can be very vulnerable to them.  This is not unlike the other scams that pretend to be a grandchild calling for bail money.  

Just so those of you who are tracking this company can update your records, the phone number associated with my recent call from them, (April 14, 2014) was 1-855-358-8251, Kim Folger, RH Group.  Not the same phone number as listed above, but it is likely that they have multiple lines or change their lines when the authorities try to stop them.

Also, Kim Folger called my home again last night (4/21).  This time I answered, even though it showed as private caller.  She denied having called me ever before.  I told her that I had filed complaints against her and her company with the aforementioned agencies.  She responded, "look who's got her panties all in a wad", and then let out a string of obscenities as I hung up.  

Please - report these calls.  Consider it your civic duty.  You will be glad you did.  

Pana

this guy named levi burch called my number and said he was a pa state trooper and worked for the steve wilkos show as part of his security,  when in fact levi burch is a violent sex offender from pa and md.  he always tries his best to call and talk to young children and tells them that he will kill their family if they report him.  in short he will call and say he is collecting bills for culpeper va hospital.  if an adult answers he hangs up.  but if your child answers watch out.  when he dosent call he has that kim folger and once the child is on the phone she gives it to levi.  only difference is she claims to be a va state trooper and also works for the steve wilkos show.  it interesting because both claim to be state troopers and both claim to work for steve wilcos.  2 times they managed somewhow to get the phone number to the pa state police somerset office to show up on my caller id.