8668231678

I have never picked up when this number calls.  I am glad I haven't after reading what everyone who has picked up has gone through.  It only has the number on the caller id....I never pick up this phone to begin with unless I know who is calling because I get a ton of wrong numbers (my number is one digit off from one of the local banks).  I always tell people that it is my message phone and that they need to leave a message for me to give them a call back.  This number never leaves a message!

THIS NUMBER 866-823-1678 IS FOR EASTERN COLLECTION CORPORATION ... A GROUP OF [***] THAT WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ALONE!

I answered the phone and the person they asked for first of all is not in his name and never has been and second he's been dead for almost 6 years!

I get called by these guys almost nightly.

They call and ask to confirm my name and address.  I refuse to confirm until  they identify their company, they say ECC.  I ask what ECC stands for, they refuse to say.  I ask to speak to their supervisor.  They refuse until I confirm my address.  I demand to speak to their supervisor. They refuse.  I ask their name, I get some generic 'American' name from what I assume is a boiler-room in India or Pakistan.  I ask to speak to their supervisor again. rinse repeat.

Eventually, after wasting about 10 minutes of their time, to which they keep responding they need to confirm my name and/or address, they tell me the conversation is over and hang up.

A refusal to allow me to speak to their supervisor or tell me the general nature of the call (aside from 'personal business') leads me to believe they are not legit.

Hi All,
Try using the following information to keep these idiots from harassing you:

Facts for Consumers

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Fair Debt Collection

If you use credit cards, owe money on a personal loan, or are paying on a home mortgage, you are a "debtor." If you fall behind in repaying your creditors, or an error is made on your accounts, you may be contacted by a "debt collector."

You should know that in either situation, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act requires that debt collectors treat you fairly and prohibits certain methods of debt collection. Of course, the law does not erase any legitimate debt you owe.

This brochure answers commonly asked questions about your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
What debts are covered?

Personal, family, and household debts are covered under the Act. This includes money owed for the purchase of an automobile, for medical care, or for charge accounts.
Who is a debt collector?

A debt collector is any person who regularly collects debts owed to others. This includes attorneys who collect debts on a regular basis.
How may a debt collector contact you?

A collector may contact you in person, by mail, telephone, telegram, or fax. However, a debt collector may not contact you at inconvenient times or places, such as before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you agree. A debt collector also may not contact you at work if the collector knows that your employer disapproves of such contacts.
Can you stop a debt collector from contacting you?

You can stop a debt collector from contacting you by writing a letter to the collector telling them to stop. Once the collector receives your letter, they may not contact you again except to say there will be no further contact or to notify you that the debt collector or the creditor intends to take some specific action. Please note, however, that sending such a letter to a collector does not make the debt go away if you actually owe it. You could still be sued by the debt collector or your original creditor.
May a debt collector contact anyone else about your debt?

If you have an attorney, the debt collector must contact the attorney, rather than you. If you do not have an attorney, a collector may contact other people, but only to find out where you live, what your phone number is, and where you work. Collectors usually are prohibited from contacting such third parties more than once. In most cases, the collector may not tell anyone other than you and your attorney that you owe money.
What must the debt collector tell you about the debt?

Within five days after you are first contacted, the collector must send you a written notice telling you the amount of money you owe; the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money; and what action to take if you believe you do not owe the money.
May a debt collector continue to contact you if you believe you do not owe money?

A collector may not contact you if, within 30 days after you receive the written notice, you send the collection agency a letter stating you do not owe money. However, a collector can renew collection activities if you are sent proof of the debt, such as a copy of a bill for the amount owed.
What types of debt collection practices are prohibited?

Harassment. Debt collectors may not harass, oppress, or abuse you or any third parties they contact. For example, debt collectors may not:

   * use threats of violence or harm;
   * publish a list of consumers who refuse to pay their debts (except to a credit bureau);
   * use obscene or profane language; or repeatedly use the telephone to annoy someone.

False statements. Debt collectors may not use any false or misleading statements when collecting a debt. For example, debt collectors may not:

   * falsely imply that they are attorneys or government representatives;
   * falsely imply that you have committed a crime;
   * falsely represent that they operate or work for a credit bureau;
   * misrepresent the amount of your debt;
   * indicate that papers being sent to you are legal forms when they are not; or
   * indicate that papers being sent to you are not legal forms when they are.

Debt collectors also may not state that:

   * you will be arrested if you do not pay your debt;
   * they will seize, garnish, attach, or sell your property or wages, unless the collection agency or creditor intends to do so, and it is legal to do so; or
   * actions, such as a lawsuit, will be taken against you, when such action legally may not be taken, or when they do not intend to take such action.

Debt collectors may not:

   * give false credit information about you to anyone, including a credit bureau;
   * send you anything that looks like an official document from a court or government agency when it is not; or
   * use a false name.

Unfair practices. Debt collectors may not engage in unfair practices when they try to collect a debt. For example, collectors may not:

   * collect any amount greater than your debt, unless your state law permits such a charge;
   * deposit a post-dated check prematurely;
   * use deception to make you accept collect calls or pay for telegrams;
   * take or threaten to take your property unless this can be done legally; or
   * contact you by postcard.

What control do you have over payment of debts?

If you owe more than one debt, any payment you make must be applied to the debt you indicate. A debt collector may not apply a payment to any debt you believe you do not owe.
What can you do if you believe a debt collector 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, you may recover money for the damages you suffered plus an additional amount up to $1,000. Court costs and attorney' s fees also can be recovered. A group of people also may sue a debt collector and recover money for damages up to $500,000, or one percent of the collector' s net worth, whichever is less.
Where can you report a debt collector for an alleged violation?

Report any problems you have with a debt collector to your state Attorney General's office and the Federal Trade Commission. Many states have their own debt collection laws, and your Attorney General' s office can help you determine your rights.

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.
March 1999

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Last Modified: Thursday, 08-May-2008 17:01:00 EDT

Wouldn't tell me who they were

They have started to call me as well. There must be something that can be done. Ive never bought books from scholastic. Nor do i owe on anything, infact i just paid off my credit card, AND ON TIME!, they call every night around 7:45 and wake up my sleeping child. this is getting [***] stupid and ive had enough!....

I have had 2 missed calls a day from this number to my cell phone.

I have not answered (never answer an un identified #)

Call at very inappropriate times - never leave a message.

I was actually in the Doubleday Book Club and the club charged me for books I kept returning back. They would send me books even though I checked the box 'no'. I ended up owing them a really large bill. I ended up paying for a book and they said the bill was gone and they wouldn't bother me anymore.

They still have my name on a debt collecting agency and no matter what I tell these idiots they don't believe I paid it off. These people need to learn to communicate with the company they represent. They'd realize the debt has been paid already!

I keeping getting calls from this number they never leave a number or who they are calling for. This is getting old really quick is there someway to stop this freaking calls.

Wants a $1,000.00 for a Gym set which we never bought. I told him to send me a bill with the conpany name on it so I can contact and them know about the scam. He started yelling and I hung up.

they keep calling my phone im about ready to call them and tell them to stop calling my phone!! I refuse to answer the phone because i dont know the number so why am i going to answer it.

Said "Hello, X?" "X" being my name. Bizarre, because creditors usually call saying it's important busines or some BS like that, never just ask for me by my first name, sounds strangely personal for a call from an 866 number. Thanks for the postings, they explain what this is.

This is a collection agency that claims that they are collecting a debt for Scholastic. They further explained that I automaticaly signed up for a book club by ordering out of a scholastic magazine sent home with my daughter. However they refused to document any of their information as to the book, teacher or date. All they said was it was a $5 book that we owe $38 for from 2007. I asked them why they had no information to send me and they said it was because they already sent it "too many times" and couldn't do it again. I did get ahold of some REALLY nice people from Scholastic to verify any debts I might have had and unfortuanly they could only go back one year but this is NOT a collection agency they use. I did show them this website to colaberate my problems with them and they are looking into it.

They did know my name and address just by giving them the phone number they called. But something is REAL fishy about it! I will not be ignoring this at all and hope to stop this company from scaming anyone else again!  Because what collection agency has no information to back their demands up!?!?