866-229-3521

Caller name richard from phone # 866-229-3521 left a message that he needed my home address to serve me papers he has tried 3 times to get me he gave me a reference # f1515
i did not call this guy back because i feel this a scam

Beware this a scam call the cops they use fake case numbers they try put fear in people and want people to in money gram Weston Union red flags. Use common sense this a spoof number

A lady call my job # after office hours and stated that she needed my home address to serve me papers case # sb1515 i deleted message and i google this number i felt that this was a scam.

Got a message from these people to call them.  Called and they said they are a debt collector addressing my old SPRINT account which I do owe money to. They claimed that they settled out of court for the amount of $923. They said they mailed me a court summons and that I didn't show up.  Never got a letter with a court summons. Usually if court summons is sent its a certified letter that you have to sign for.  There were multiple red flags with this call.  Told them I couldn't pay $923 so they said they would take $350. 1st red flag.  Told them I don't have a debit card or credit card and they wanted me to get a pre-paid card to pay debt 2nd red flag. Oh and the supposedly court summons that wasn't a certified letter that you have to sign for to prove you received such a letter, 3rd red flag.  Just didn't feel right. Hung up on them after talking for 10 minutes.

A court summons comes from the court, not a scummy debt collector.  It is delivered one of 2 ways, by certified mail, or by a court approved server such as a sheriff.  I would check with the court and make sure they didn't "sewer serve" you and obtain a default judgement when you didn't show up because you didn't know about the hearing.  They are required by law to do certain things, the most important of which is:
Federal law (FDCPA) requires them to send you a letter (US MAIL ONLY) within 5 days of their first contact that contains their name, physical address, the creditor’s name, and the amount of the alleged debt.  It also must contains “mini-Miranda” telling you that it is an attempt to collect a debt and that all information will be used for those purposes.  The one other important thing that this letter must also have in it is that you have a right to dispute the debt within 30 days of receipt of the letter and if you do so, all collection activity must be stopped until the debt is verified.
Read up on your rights here, get template letters to send and also make a complaint at this government site:  http://www.consumerfinance.gov/

Also file a complaint with your State Attorney General's office.
List of State AG’s offices:  http://consumerfraudreporting.org/stateattorneygenerallist.php

The fact that the only payment they would take was over the phone doesn't sound right.  I offered to pay what they were asking for only if they send me a bill so I could have copy's of this debt being paid off for proof. They said they would not send a letter and would only take a payment by phone.  Sounds like a scam to me.

It is a scam which is why I posted what they are required to do by law.  Read it, and use the links to file a report of this criminal activity and to learn more so that you don't become a victim of a crime.

I will look into filing a report against them. Thanks for the links.

Richard, Can you tell me what this call is about, I got a call from your number from some woman and I couldn't even understand her name or the name of the company she works for because she speaks very fast and un clear. My gmail address is josiemaria50@gmail.com Do you know anything about file #ac2838? My phone number is 727-249-6484 please let me know what is going on and why this girl threatened me.

What is going on?  It's a scam, that's what's going on.  No real process server calls you to give you a heads up - he just shows up, unannounced!  Nor will he call and tell you to contact someone else.  It's not a good idea to post your phone number on a public forum like this.  No doubt you'll receive more scam calls since scammers and spammers do read these forum posts too.  I've asked Admin to redact your phone number.

More info:

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

Consumers across the country report that they're getting telephone calls from people trying to collect on loans the consumers never received or on loans they did receive but for amounts they do not owe. Others are receiving calls from people seeking to recover on loans consumers received but where the creditors never authorized the callers to collect for them. So what's the story?

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.

Also good info at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau:
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/1699/h ... legitimate.html

I received a call from phone number 866-229-3521 file # AC 2838  I could not understand what this girl said she did not tell me what this file is about. I tried to call back I could only leave a message. I don't think I got anything in writing from them or I would have responded.

I want to know what your call is about. What is file number AC 2838 about?

I have to laugh at these people........I paid everything off my credit In the past 2.5 years and my score is 796, I don't owe anything to anyone. do these people really think we just this dumb to pay something over the phone that we don't owe and haven't received anything by mail that we owe. seriously why do you need my address, if you legit you should already have all that info since I owe you money..........I download this app MRNUMBER very easy app to you......YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN BLOCKEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD.................I WILL NOT BE YOUR VICTIM