866-576-6210

I've been getting calls from 866-576-6210 during the day when I'm at work but there is never a message left.  Then yesterday I got one at work and I spoke with a Mrs. Brown who said she was an investigator trying to have me served with a subpoena for a check fraud case their customer is filing against me.  She alleged that a pay day loan was deposited into my bank account on 12/22/11 and when they tried to collect payment the check bounced and they are now pursuing me for check fraud.  She flatly refused to provide me with any documentation on this loan, said I had to bring all my paperwork to court to prove I didn't take the loan BUT if I wanted to pay them $590 then, she would make sure my case was closed and positive credit reported to my credit report.  The problem was that the account number she claims was used to deposit the money was closed 6 months before this alleged loan was made.  When I asked her to please fax me the documentation on the loan with the date and account number so I could take it to the bank to research, she refused and promptly hung up.  I have reported this number to the FBI as they are in Florida and I am in California which makes this a federal scam.

Informational Post:
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/#&panel1-1
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

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:

https://800notes.com/forum/ta-86217073a9c8dad ... 077595690349410
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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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https://800notes.com/arts/Jb8EW-eDhQA/harassi ... ou-need-to-know
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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.
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Extortion Scam Related to Delinquent Payday Loans

Washington, D.C.
December 07, 2010  FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691

— filed under: Press Release

The Internet Crime Complaint Center has received many complaints from victims of payday loan telephone collection scams. Callers claim the victim is delinquent in a payday loan and must repay the loan to avoid legal consequences. The callers purport to be representatives of the FBI, Federal Legislative Department, various law firms, or other legitimate-sounding agencies. They claim to be collecting debts for companies such as United Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Net, and other Internet check-cashing services.

According to complaints received from the public, the callers have accurate data about victims, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, employer information, bank account numbers, and the names and telephone numbers of relatives and friends. How the fraudsters obtained the personal information varies, but in some cases victims have reported they completed online applications for other loans or credit cards before the calls started.

The fraudsters relentlessly call the victim’s home, cell phone, and place of employment. They refuse to provide any details about the alleged payday loans and become abusive when questioned. The callers have threatened victims with legal actions, arrests, and, in some cases, physical violence if they do not pay. In many cases, the callers harass victims’ relatives, friends, and employers.

I received calls from this number under the pretense of trying to find a "Travyon Taylor."  I returned the call to let them know I did not know this person.  I was given a fake case number, which no could find record of when I returned the call.  I hung up because it was then I realized this was either a scam or something that had nothing at all to do with me!

I just got one of those calls. Mine was from 2010. So your saying I should contact the FBI? She gave the name Piedmont Investigations. I found one listed in NC

Investigator Brown called my work one time about two or three weeks ago stating that I took out a loan with First Bank of Delaware. When I asked her then what company she worked for she said the name of her company was the  "Department of Fraud".  I asked her to send paperwork...she refused.  I asked her to never call my job again and she called again today with "dispatch" on hold, which sounds like a police scanner.  She wants me to believe they have officers on stand by to pick me up for Check fraud.  She says they need to call my boss back and schedule a time to be "detained".

They are such idiots! No law enforcement agency calls to warn you of pending "detention." These scammers try to scare people using tactics that are intimidating and against the law. It is illegal to represent oneself as an officer of the law, period. file an online claim  to the Federal Trade Commission online. Its quick simple and will ultimately put these fools in their place with a HUGE fine.

These people called from the same number calling my phone for my daughter, they contacted a relative that lives out of town and state that they she needs get a lawyer and that if they do not hear from her by today they are going to put an warrant out for her arrest in the county we live in which we live in the state of Calfornia.

I just received a phone call at work from this number and they had called my dad who lives out of state saying they needed to get in touch with me.  I called back and the lady I spoke with said she worked for Pete Mawn Investigations, which if you search it, it is nowhere online.  She claimed they were investigating a case that involved me and that I had listed my job and my father as a point of contact.  I have no idea what she is wanting.  She would not make herself clear on what it was that was under investigation.  I had submitted a fraudulent charge that was on my bank statement that was made from Belize, a country in which I had never travelled.  How these people got my information as to my job and my father is pretty scary.

A few weeks ago I received a call from an investigator Saundra Fields. She claimed that I owed on a payday loan from CashNet from about 3 years ago and that she was from a company called Piedmont. She proceeded to tell me that I had three charges pending for check fraud and that the company was going to work with the police dept to have me arrested. Then, she proceeded to tell me that I now owed the original amount plus an additional $1,000 or more in fees. I listened to her and a light went off in my head, because I vaguely remembered paying it off. I let her know that I REALLY felt that I had paid the loan off in full years ago. I informed her that I would contact my bank and investigate to make sure it was paid off then I would call her back the next morning. I didn't call her back the next morning and she contacted my supervisor telling her she wanted to come with some court papers. I talked to my supervisor and I called her back asking for company information. I promptly informed her that I had proof I paid the loan off and that I would contact the authorities on her company because they are going to be reported. She quickly hung up on me. This company is a scam and NO money should be given to them!!!! I am SO glad that didn't get not one red cent from me. I have proof that I paid that loan off years ago and I reported them to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). I advise EVERYONE to do the same thing.

For at least the last year, an illegal group of debt collectors have been terrorizing consumers, their family, friends, and employees threatening to arrest the individual of an unpaid loan or other debt (their generally don't even owe). Be aware debt is a civil matter, not a criminal matter, and you can't be arrested. They threaten a warrant if the victim does not pay a sum of money by the credit card over the phone.

Even if you do owe a debt, do not be deceived by the actions of this group.  Many of the accounts they are attempting to collect they do not own.  In other words, if you pay these people, that is not going to clear your debt with its rightful owner.  

Although when pressed the callers give the victim an address in Columbia South Carolina (usually a vacant lot) or Atlanta GA (often a parking lot near the bus station). They are actually out of the Charlotte North Carolina area. The scammers are using the following business names

Reynolds, Hill, and Associates
Berkley and Associates
Kaufmann and Associates
Sanderson Blaine & Associates
McKenzie Reid Associates
Kennedy, Kline, & Associates
Nationwide Asset and Recovery
Piedmont Investigations and Procurement

Here is a set of links to a variety of threads on this forum that document this group and its behavior. They include the experiences of victims as well as a former employee or two that quit within a week of finding out exactly what was going on. They also include responses from consumer advocates and people who are really criminal justice professionals advising victims of what to do

https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-748-8367
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-719-1725
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-676-3492
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-805-5549
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-751-1084
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-803-2349
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-775-2417
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-775-2418
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-755-3417
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-746-3946
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-676-3485
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-966-3768
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-699-9749/2
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-966-6246
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-678-5437
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-967-0061
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-746-3948
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-791-2353
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-699-6246
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-735-8624
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-751-1083
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-736-3678/2
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-966-8529
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-967-2633
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-460-1576
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-609-3074
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-866-576-6210
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-601-5849
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-866-230-1283
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-658-0438