866-333-4120

FEMALE ASKING TO VERY MY NAME & SAID MAKING PROCESS SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS, GAVE ME THIS PHONE # TO CALL HER BACK AND MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE ME SERVED, AND GAVE ME CASE #0023118-TRT.

These people are nothing short of scammers.  They will tell you that they are filing a lawsuit against you due to an old (in this case, 9 year old) debt and are NOT.  We asked for proof and got a bogus letter (an Excel spreadsheet no less) that was poorly typed, full of errors, and nothing was attached proving a filed suit.  They will push you into making arrangements with them, of which part of the amount owed will be a "filing fee".  FIled for WHAT?  Lastly, they are not searchable on Google by way of name (WCG & Associates) or address.  No website either - simply a parked page by GoDaddy.  Move on, people.  Try that with someone else.

I just got a call from them and they said I had a court date in 8 days and they were trying to serve me papers. I called back and they tried to work with me and give me till the 30th of October to pay a $499 retainer fee on an old debt. If my court date is on the 30th, why are they giving me till the 30th to pay? Is this a scam?

My parents got a call a couple weeks ago from a Marvin Smith from WCG & Associates claiming that he was given their phone number by local authorities so he could contact them about me. Stated that they needed my parents to call when I got home so they could get a summons served on me for fraud. Gave a phone number of 951-837-4923 for them to call.  I did a reverse lookup and found this is an unpublished cell phone from Murrieta, California. I haven't committed any types of fraud so we let it go.   Yesterday a Victoria from 866-333-4120 ext 2858 called claiming she was a Fraud Investigator and that a formal complaint had been filed in her office and I needed to contact them within 24 hours. No company name was given, etc. We called to find out what this was about but they wouldn't give any information, also said they couldn't send any info because it was with a different department (but wouldn't give a number or connect to them), kept asking for my social security number (or at least the last 4 digits), asked for my mailing address & husband's name, etc. She never would give her name, the company's name, or what this was about BUT did say I knew what it was about (NOT!!!). She said to have a family member call back to get more info.  On the next call, we finally got the company name, WCG & Associates, from the operator before the call was transferred. They still wouldn't give any information without us giving the ssn & address --- but they wouldn't say what it was for us to verify they had it right. Told us to have my husband call & verify my ssn to get more info.    This is SOOOOO wrong on many accounts -- it has to be a scam from all that the other posters have gone through and what I have too.  I know banks won't give any info without a power of attorney even if it is your spouse and you have their ssn, yet these people supposedly will if you just give them the ssn ---- bologna!!!!!!!! Don't get suckered in. I'm reporting this scam to the authorities and media ---- we just got a new Attorney General who said he'll come down hard on people like these so I've got this case for him with all sorts of info. Here's hoping he can stop these people.

They're a bunch of scam artists. Do not give them any of your information. Since they called you, they should already have it on their files. Ask them to give you the name, social security number and address of the person they're attempting to collect from, but do not confirm that information to them, if it does belong to you. They're fishing for the correct information so no matter what, DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR INFORMATION. If they're legit,. they would have given you written confirmation 30 days prior to any phone calls. They're crooks. Do not let them intimidate you.

Caller announced her name was Mrs. Coe;called to say I was being served by the Sheriff on my Job.....I had 3 hours to call back 866-333-4120 and speak with Ms. Price or they would start the process, also asked if was going to be home between the hours of of 8 and 4:30pm if not they would serve me on my job.

I had a message on my answering machine saying" I am looking for ......." " My name is Mrs. Williams and I have had a complaint that I need to talk to you about. I need you to call me asap and use reference #26060-RAC. If I do not hear back from you, I will contact your place of employment." What kind of crap is this? First I own my own business. If they had my information like she plays to have, she would know that. To me this seems like a scam and I AM NOT calling them back. I am not even sure I have an old debts out there.... Damn crooks!

This man said that they had made 3 attempts to contact me and if I did'nt return a phone call back to them in a alotted time then they would proceed will legal papers being served to me.  I did a reverse search on phone # and found all of these other people with same type phone calls. It's quite clear that this is some scam artist trying to rip people off.

Colleen - Unemployed for going on 2 yrs.

I just received a voice mail from these same people, wanting me to call them before they served me w/ papers.  This woman claimed her name was Shapiro.  This got me thinking about the Legal Zoom comercials.  And got me wondering if she was using the name of a well known lawyer as some sort of scare tatic.  After searcing the phone number on Google, I found all of your posts. Thank You all for confirming my suspicions.

i been getting them to did they serve you at work

I just got a call from 951-837-2846 also telling me to call 866-333-4120.  I called the number but gave them NO information.  I also called the California Attorney General and they advised me to file a complaint with them.  anyone else having this problem, PLEASE file a complaint so the Attorney General can go after this company!!

Thanks for the info. I've been receiving calls also. I filed my complaint today!

They are also targeting documented and undocumented immigrants threatening to have them deported if they do not provide information.  Do not give them anything at all!  They have no website or verification method.

i called them back and talked to a lady who was a little bit rude however i did tell her i thought she was a scam artist so :) she told me it was for a debt in 05 that was deliquent in 06. she told me to call the company and they would tell me that it is WCGs debt now. i asked her what she wanted from me she said to call and if i wanted to to work it out with them or they could serve me i told her to serve me and if she does i would see her in court with a lawyer. so i guess ill see what happens.

also i believe that your debts if they havent been used or promised to be paid in 4yrs then they cant come after you so if it became deliquent in 1-4-06 then its been 4yrs but i dont know

how to deal with illegal collection calls -

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

received call from wcg associates from a marvin smith, stating he was a fraud investigator and that he was going to have papers served on my husband at work
for a hsbc credit card debt.  He said we could work something out and he would not have them serve the papers.

very upset got a phone call from 1-866-333-4120 and they told me my husband
owed 1,200 dollars for a Ge bank/walmart card they told me i had to send 2 payments of $687.00 or the case would be sent to the district attorney and
this would be fraud this makes no sense.Help Me please they called everyone i knew ex wife ex father in law and my husband at work.

i just got that and it is the sec. time that thay told me i had 3 days lol five days a go .
go a head and serve me i lost all my house my savings and my job so what are going to get,nothing lol the joke is on you dumb ass you should check  the people you are going to scam be for you call to see if they have money.

Got a voice mail from a gentleman stating he was doing and investigation and that I needed to call him at 866-333-4120 ext 2849 today between 8 & 5 PST.  If he didn't hear from me today he would look into my assests, funny I don't have any :-)  planning on calling back to find out what it is all about but I sure as all getout am NOT giving him any of my personal info!  Thanks to everyone who has posted on here.  I do have some past due accounts but this sounded a little too hoakey to me.

If anyone comes across 866-333-4120 with the name of Marvin Smith,do not be alarmed. Especially if they happen to go to a neighbor's house or to your door looking for you.Like they did today.They went to my neighbor's house asking for me,then got directed to my home.Being that i was not there they told my neighbor they were Fraud Investigators and will send an officer to my home later.They had my neighbor's old address and phone number,and now found their new address looking for me.this is totally a scam from possibly old debts they are trying to collect from by using a scare tactic of fraud.This is from a first party collector,who can use any tactic to collect.If they call again tell them to not call again or you will seek Legal council.