877-209-5454

I got a call from someone named Jacob Roberts telling me that I need to appear in court about something I am being sued for. I didn't answer the phone, so I just got what he left on the answering machine. He told me that there is a "Court ordered summons being filed against you. It is being formalized through Yamhill County (which is the county I live in)." If I were a lot younger and way less experienced in life, I would be intimidated by this. Instead, I googled "Jacob Roberts Investigator" and a whole lot of info came up for him, including the phone number he used to call me and a few other phone numbers as well. I plan to turn him in to all the authorities I can think of. I can't believe how aggressive debt collectors are becoming! The debts these people are trying to come after me for are old ones from 12 to 15 years ago. They have been uncollectable for years now. They get sold over and over to different collectors who all try some tactic or other to get me to pay them. This is a new one on me. Just remember that when you get one of these people off your back, keep all documentation so you will have it when the next vulture tries to collect on the same old debt.

That is why they are so aggressive - they don't stand a chance in court because
1) it worthless debt they bought for pennies- they cannot prove you owe it. They cannot validate it!
2) its beyond on statute of limitations and they cannot sue you for it.
and you are not legally obligated to pay it.
3) discharged in bankruptcy
4) discharged due to identity theft
4) already paid to original creditor

So they call and make ILLEGAL threats of lawsuits and arrest to scare you into paying a debt that YOU DO NOT OWE.  All of these complaints are in violation of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.

file complaints with
Federal Trade Commission
Your state Attorney General
The state Attorney General where they have offices  if offices in  more than one state - file with all states!  

COLLECTION AGENCIES DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION!
FROM www.budhibbs.com  A CONSUMER ADVOCATE WEBSITE that specializes in Debt Collections and offers assistance to consumers.  THEY ALSO EXPOSE THE WORST FDCPA VIOLATOR IN THE COUNTRY

Dealing with debt collectors
http://www.budhibbs.com/start.html

Statute of limitations by state – always double check directly with your own State Government Website
http://www.budhibbs.com/statute_of_limitations.htm

Recording calls from debt collectors – always double check with your own State Government website
http://www.budhibbs.com/record.htm

From FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION WEBSITE
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre18.shtm

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.


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.

I had a message on my machine for my brother from Gabriele
Critachi with a civil suit against him in Travis County. the thing that got us was that he lives in Austin. so we thought the worst and I gave him the message. he called the next morning. they asked for his address and he asked them to hold and when he came back to the line they had already hung up. I'm sure he lost sleep over it the night before, I did.

Same thing happened to me. I have filed a complaint with the FTC and the Georia Atny Generals office and if I can ever get anyone on the phone at the Marietta Ga police department I will complain to them too. All of their practices are illegal and I advise anyone whom this has happened to COMPLAIN and have them shut down.

Address is:

1640 PowerFerry Rd.
Building 2 Suite 300B
Marietta GA 30067

(this could be false of course as they refused to give me a fax number)

My harasser is Noelle Lucas at this number. My "debt" is from MBNA and is from 1997 !!!!! My state statue has been up for a long time on this debt and this company is a HUGE FRAUD !!!!Report them to all agencies. If ANYONE files a lawsuit, please include me. My email is lgarrett@srhs.com. Thanks!

Recieved the same call from the same guy! I was very glad I looked this up and there were so many others with the same bogus calls. Thanks for the heads up!

This person call and left a threathing messenge about I would be arrested by my county an there were trying to contact me so they could help . I call them back and told them I was the county and that they were working out of boiler rooms and if they did not crease calling me they would be investigated most of the people are straight out of prisons and are running scams most of this company business is from stealing our private information from companies that are hurting for money and donbt care about the agreements we sign 10 plus years ago. SO PEOPLE PLEASE REPORT THEM TO THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSIOM SO INNOCENCE PEOPLE WONT FALL VICTIM TO THESE SCHEMING LOSER'S They wont give you any infor. they ask for your ss# they wont even give there company name are who they are collecting for but the person that answer use gabby to id themself which probably is bogus too.

Make sure you also report them to the Attorney General's too

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

Clearly, you dont understand what you were told. this is not a collection agency. Since you did not pay your bill, And I am sure you are well aware of the bill, you are to be taken to court to be forced to pay. Stop crying and do what you said you would and pay the money back. It's people like you that make taxes fees and interest rates go sky high. get it now dead beat?

Wow, Out of stats? Sounds to me like you are a professional debtor! If you would just pay your bills, you would never get a call from these people! You want to file a lawsuit because you did not pay the money you owe. You are a pure real dead beat! DO you remember the contract you signed? that was telling mbna that you would pay the money back. Who is the real criminal? You are the fraud!!!!! loser!!

First off, Nobody said you would be arrested. Second, You should be arrested for stealing the money you never paid back and Third, learn to spell.These are valid debts. You took money and never paid it back. Ask yourself, Who is the real criminal? Amazing how you want to file a complaint because YOU did not pay your bill. Get a life loser.

For all the people out there who do not understand what is going on, This company has been paid to locate you.  Locate you for the purpose of filing a complaint against you for money you never paid back. Most of you act like you have no idea what they are talking about when in reality you are well aware of the debt. The people calling you are not making this stuff up, these are valid debts that people signed an agreement to pay back but never did. Stop all your whining and handle your obligations. Stop trying to blame other people for your own neglect. If you had just paid the bill like you said you would, Nobody would have to locate you to sue you. All these statements about reporting this company because there criminals is a joke!!!! You are the criminal. In my book, If you take money. You have to pay it back and if you dont, Then you are a thief!! Again, Get a life loser's!!!!!!!!!

I received a call today from Kasey Porter stating I had a civil complaint in my county concerning a 1994 debt with Discover Card. I have never had a Discover Card and told them so.   I was transferred to an idiot named Ted who was rude as hell and threatened me.  I called Discover and they verified that I have never had an account with them.  Discover tried to call them but was told by Ted to never f------ call their office again.  It is scary how much info these people have on you. THEY NEED TO BE STOPPED!!!

My parents (that I haven't lived with for 12 years) received a call today from a person named Roland.  He told my dad that he was calling regarding a complaint against me and that there had been legal action taken and that I needed to call him @ 877-209-5454 ext. 110 case # GN6571.  I called and spoke with "Roland" and he said I had a debt from a payday loan company from 2002 and that I owed approx. $1000 but that I could settle for $650.  I told him that I did not know anything about this and he transfered me to the "manager" who was extremely rude, called me a liar and said that I could not hide from my debt and that he spoke with tons of people just like me every day and that I would be taken to court which would cost me $7000 for attorney fees......LOL.  When I started questioning them, they couldn't answer anything, they said I did not need to know any information.  They had the last 4 digits of my SS# but nothing else was correct, address, name (I have been married for 6 years, had the same address and phone # for 6 years) or anything else.  My parents were terrified that I was in some kind of legal trouble since we live in different states.  I am furious that these people are doing this.  There has to be some way to stop them.  This is ridiculous.

apparently "bill" you must work for LAR.  You guys are scumbags that should rot in hell.  You take advantage of poor people and scam them out of what little money they have.  Unfortunately for you the people on this site were smart enough to know better.  This company has not been paid to locate any of us, more like you guys bought our old credit information.  If you were really paid to locate someone, you would have all of our current information instead of calling family members and telling them this load of crap.  And if you have valid information, why can't you provide us with any of it?  Why can't you give us any information about your company?  Because your lying sacks of sh*t, thats why.

Well pissed off joke of a moron, if you had paid your bill you would never have recieved a phone call now would you? The reason you have calls made to relatives is because you have done everything to avoid paying your bill and change addres so many time that you dont even know where you live yourself. All you are doing is trying to justify the fact that you are a dead beat and dont pay back the money loaned to you!! Face it, the more you talk, The more you prove you are the scumbag. PAY YOUR BILLS!!!! Maybe you didnt understand the agreement, When you get a loan you have to pay it back!!! Not hide from it. Get a life and stop crying because you are a dead beat loser....

Whatever you do, don't ignore them; they are predators and they will take you to court and attach every thing you have.  Bank accounts, etc. even if you don't own anything.  What they are doing to you is illegal and harrassing.  It is against the law and YOU are entitled to compensation for their deceptive practices.  I suggest you go to the yellow pages IMMEDIATELY and contact an attorney who specializes in handling cases against DEBT COLLECTORS.  Don't let these creaps scare you.  You are entitled, under the Fair Creditors Debt Protection Collection Law to at least $1,000.00, plus attorneys fees!!!  If you have written them a letter and asked them to provide you with PROOF, meaning a signed contract with your signature on it, (which I'm sure they do not have!!!!) and which they must provide in five days, then PLEASE CONTACT AN ATTORNEY!!!!

Bill, Not only do you need to get a life, you need to get a conscience.  Half of these people owe these companies nothing because they had the misfortune to have their names stolen from a "list"; the others may have owed a couple of hundred dollars fifteen years ago, tried to keep up with the payments to your scumbag company, found themselves way over their heads, and now, YOU, years later, like a freak in the night, start harrassing, calling and threatening them, (illegally I might add) telling them you'll take them for all their worth to get not only the small amount that was once originally due, BUT NOW YOU WANT THE INTEREST OVER THE LAST FIFTEEN YEARS, OR SO, AMOUNTING TO SOMEWHERE IN THE THOUSANDS???  SO, BILL, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO MAKE A COMMISSION AND LIVE OFF THE SUFFERING OF YOUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS???  SLEEP WELL ROBOT MAN!!!

Bill I APPLAUD you! As a fellow collector who's been in this business for many years, I know exactly where you're coming from.

I too am sick of the incessant WHINING from these goddam DEADBEATS trying to avoid RESPONSIBILITY. "Oh I have to feed my kids" for example, well shoulda thought of that before you HAD KIDS or RAN UP BILLS YOU COULDN'T PAY.

"Oh I'm trying to make my rent payment", well go live with your family or friends, if you OWE THIS BILL and you can't afford to pay both, SOMETHING GOT TO GIVE dammit and we are gonna get what you OWE, so deal with your housing situation AFTER YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES.

"Oh, I have all these medical bills now and no insurance".  Well scumbags like you voted for goddam democrats and now you're WHINING about HEALTH CARE? That is NOT the problem of your OTHER CREDITORS. You need to get that money from friends or relatives or whatever because WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY and this BS about OTHER BILLS doesn't mean ANYTHING to ANYBODY but YOU, and YOU are a DEADBEAT and YOU DON'T COUNT. Hell if you could count, shoulda been counting your MONEY when you HAD IT and you wouldn't be in this MESS NOW.

We don't need to GET A LIFE because we already have one, and it involves GETTING THE MONEY YOU OWE. We don't need to get a CONSCIENCE because we already have one, we are AT PEACE because we in this business are trying to SAVE this SCREWED UP ECONOMY from being DESTROYED by DEADBEATS like YOU. Save your time, save your energy, and save your GODDAM PREACHING for some other CLOWN who GIVES A CRAP, it ain't good people like BILL and ME, we are trying to HELP your sorryass whether you LIKE IT OR NOT.

What's next, somebody gonna start quoting the FDCPA or some other GODDAM CRAP, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT DEADBEAT. It doesn't mean CRAP to the real PROFESSIONALS who are SAVING THIS ECONOMY and not letting the GODDAM GOVERNMENT tie our hands behind our back while we're doing it.

I hope this clears things up. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK BILL, I'm with ta all the way BUDDY!

I had a message on my office answering machine from an Investigator Fox who was representing Prince Georges County Court in Maryland.  At first I was worried because I felt that someone from the county courts was calling me about something civil.  I also felt something was funny that they left a toll free number instead of a local contact number.  Then she gave me two different direct extensions.  I researched the phone number and came across this site.  She was fraudulantly representing herself as a representative of the court.  I believe that that can be construed as misleading and illegal.  Thank you for the heads up.