866-304-2962

I got a call from a man claiming to be a courier from Maricopa county (where I live) who needed to deliver documents to my home. He verified my address and asked if I'd be home to sign for them. I asked what the documents were regarding, and he said the documents were from A&S Associates. He said I could call them at 866-304-2962 to get more details. He was very professional and had an "official-sounding" tone to his voice, which made the call seem legit. But, I know better! I Googled the company name and discovered that A&S Associates is a collection agency that is no longer in business. Total Scam!

Not to mention that real process servers do not call ahead nor do you need to sign for anything.

On 9/26/22 i received a voicemail from this # saying they have an urgent message regarding myself and my home property. The documents require a signature and if i do not contact them back, they will have to turn the matter over to my local jurisdiction. I did not call them back. Any time these callers resort to threats, i ignore them.

On 9/26/22 i received a voicemail from this # saying they have an urgent message regarding myself and my home property. The documents require a signature and if i do not contact them back, they will have to turn the matter over to my local jurisdiction. Then he called my husband and I finally called back the 866 number he left. She said she was calling with A&S Associates and I had an outstanding debt from some company I’ve never even heard of.

Got a message stating they had questions in regards to me and my property ( I live in an apartment) that they need me to sign documents & if I didn't, those documents would be handed over to local authorities. I called the 866#, some A&S Associates, never heard of them. Saying I owe a debt to a company, that I never heard of. I told them they had the wrong person, & the guy said, well we'll keep calling, call your job as well(jokes on them, haven't worked in 28 years)

Debt Extortion Scammers

Carrier Services and Process Servers do not know what is contained in the documents they are paid to serve/deliver. They don't cold call a recipient to inform them of a "failed attempt to deliver", as that would alert the recipient someone is attempting to Serve them. Anyone explaining what they are delivering, saying "matter attached to your SSN", "you have officially been notified", "deliver legal docs and to have ID ready"  or offering an alternative "solution" to avoid delivery is a scammer. Real process servers don't need to set a time to deliver any documents nor do they threaten legal action if you don't call them.

The vague scare tactic message is designed to panic a victim into calling back.

Most debt collectors will use a certain amount of pressure to convince you to pay the debt. After all, they often don't get paid unless you pay. Be suspicious of a debt collector who uses an unusual amount of pressure to get you to pay immediately, particularly if they also use scare tactics to get you to pay right away. For example, a debt collector is scamming you if it :

• threatens you with a lawsuit and tells that you can avoid the lawsuit by paying right away
• Says a Process Server  or Courier is coming with papers to sign
• Threatens to call / go to your place of employment
• Insists you have been notified, served or are non-compliant via phone message(s)
• Refuses to give a company name or verifiable Contact source
• Refuses to send proof of debt via US mail

A sure sign of a debt collection scam is a collector that wants to you to pay via wire transfer or another method that can't be traced. If the payment method can't be traced, you'll have a harder time getting the authorities involved.

If the creditor sounds completely foreign, or you know you never had an account with that business, there's a chance it's a scam. Never pay a collection you don't recognize. You have the right to request written proof of the debt from the debt collector before you send payment.

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/fake-abusive-debt-collectors
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer ... ollection-scams
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/Publications/PhonyDebtCollectionScams.asp
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/02/ftc ... llection-scheme
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/08/pha ... onate-law-firms

Quote:

Here are some ways to find out if a debt collector is legitimate.
•You received a letter in the mail. ...
•The agency is licensed in your state. ...
•The collector can verify your personal details. ...
•You can request information about the debt. ...
•There's more than one method of payment. ...
•A company works with you, not against you.

Source: https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/deb ... ctor-is-a-scam/

The fake process server/location finder extortion SCAM usually consists of the following:

They mention that they have received a Fax document or some sort of complaint and that there is a pending legal matter or action about to filed against you to create the sense of urgency. They tell you that they are a “process server” and cannot give you the particulars of the case since the file is sealed. This is simply ruse to get you to call another number (often with a made-up case number) where they will ask for money to “make it go away” (this is actually the same place, they work in teams, one pretending to be the server, and the other usually pretends to be a lawyer). They threaten to serve you at home or at work. They tell you that if they serve you at work then they will need a supervisor, security, or HR person there as a witness, hoping that will cause you to panic over the alleged embarrassment of being served at work. They also tell you that you will need two forms of ID. None of which is true. Process servers do not ever call ahead so that you can dodge them. Process servers get paid to serve papers, nothing else. They certainly are not going to pass up a paycheck by telling you that you can avoid being served, they are not going to give you an extra day or even a few hours to get a “stop order”. Court documents are time sensitive and must be served within a certain amount of time. Remember that you can always call the local courthouse to see if there really is a lawsuit that has been filed against you.

It is incumbent upon them under the law to prove that the debt exists and that you owe it, and (this is the important part) that they have the legal right to collect it. You are not obligated under the law to prove that you don’t owe or that it is paid.

Federal law (FDCPA) requires them to send you a letter, email, or text (postmarked in the case of a letter) within 5 days of their first contact that contains their name, physical address, the creditor’s name, and the amount of the alleged debt. Unless they have communicated it to you verbally at the beginning of your conversation. It also must contain the “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 communication 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. If and when you get that communication you should immediately send that debt validation letter by certified, return receipt mail.

First, you should make a complaint at this Federal Agency, and while there you should also read up on how debt collection is supposed to work as well as what your rights in this matter are: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/

Also file complaints with the FTC: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1

Also file a complaint with your State Attorney General's office.
List of State AG’s offices: https://800notes.com/faq/attorney-general