866-824-0255

Got a strange call from that number today, What was your experience with that number?

Got a strange call from this number yesterday, claiming to be a package delivery service, knew my name, one of my addresses, claimed to have a package to deliver to me. The number they called from was not real, and the toll free number they left for me to call, which I did, had me enter a tracking code, then a guy got on who had left the message. Said driver was near, would drop off the package within a half hour, wanted to leave it outside. No package came. Every time we try to call the 866 number again, we get no ring, no answer. Reported it to a friend in the US Attorney office, reported it to the local police. Reported to them the one person who ever threatened my life 7 years ago, who recently resurfaced, just in case it has something to do with him, or if anything happens to me or one of my homes or my family. The authorities are now investigating, and so is a very experienced private investigator, former law enforcement. Even more strange is I replied to this string that someone else started yesterday, her comment was the first, but now today, her comment is gone! Anyone know anything about this fake Package Express service? Or about the 866-824-0255 number? Or how a comment from someone else yesterday, the first in this post, is no longer seen above, please reply with that info as well.

It sounds a bit like the fake process server scam.

Can you explain what you mean? Is a process server pretending to be someone else?

What I mean is someone pretending to be a process server. Real process servers don't call in advance.

Thank you. Police said could be a scam when they have stolen someone else's credit card, order expensive things, need an address not theirs to ship to and they try to have someone grab it before you do, so they try to ship it to you, your name, your address, and then steal it from outside. We found the whole thing very strange. Happy to have a friend from childhood who is an Asst US Attorney looking into it with FBI, and the local police as well, and the PI. Who knows. Will see what they all find. Curious if you try to call that number, does it ring? Anyone answer?

Very well known around here.

The fake process server extortion attempt 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 (US MAIL ONLY) postmarked 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.  If and when you get that letter 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

Turns out it is identity theft, the early stage of it. A Federal crime. So, I have updated the authorities. Found a recent article at the BBB that describes exactly what happened to me. BEWARE everyone! Protect yourselves!

} her comment was the first, but now ... is gone

It's a long running phenomenon across many threads. Possibly Admin is removing some lead posts, but often these bear no obvious rule violation and their loss appears random. I've regarded it as a site bug, never confirmed.

Hi. Happy to report that I am not a drama queen or troll.... if you google package express scam and BBB, https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/202 ... e-delivery-scam, you will likely find the article. Next day, I got a letter from a medical records storage firm who had been hacked... informed me the hacker got my name, social, and more. With all the facts, law enforcement agrees was an attempted identity theft... for their own use, or for sale on the dark web... locked down all info with all the credit agencies, and the SSA... law enforcement is on the case... the whole thing was very strange...

But that doesn't explain how the identify theft conclusion was reached from the alleged delivery of a package.

Parcel delivery as a phishing pretense appears less likely given that the courier dispatcher character did nothing to take advantage of your return call. You weren't pumped for sensitive data, only notified of a delivery. This of course is suspect on its own. The major parcel couriers are supposed to politely leave delivery status notices when they have trouble. Their drivers don't have time to place phone calls all day to their consignees. (Though another thread here suggests that poorly trained Amazon Prime drivers and their consignees don't grasp this concept.)