888-256-6985

LPSG
16478 Beach Blvd.
#302
Westminster, CA 92683
888-256-6985

It's a debt buyer group.  They buy debt within the SOL and then sue right away.  They do have a problem with facts though, such as they will call you and tell you that you missed a Court Ordered Call when there was no Court Order.

Hi Terry,

I received the same call but the call came from 510-306-4989 and I was told that if I didn't pay on the debt the DA would serve me with a summons. I wish I saw your post before I sent them a payment but I did file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office.

Thanks for the info......

You probably are fortunate. They wouldn't allow me to settle out of court and my attorney couldn't stop my bank levy. Please help me. Is there a way to stop their attorney?

Terry,

My husband got the same call. Only thing is we have set up a payment plan. Will need to put a stop to that a.s.a.p. They haven't gotten any money yet.

Terry if they let you set up a payment plan you are lucky my wages are already being garnished. They would not allow us to set up a payment plan and we had to pay the court costs and attorneys fees

Nikki - Did they take you to court first?

Got this number for LPS Group, aka LPSG (which claims to be a debt buyer), from a prior collection agency that had sold the account. This is not the number they initiated contact on, and I have not been able reach anyone at this number (always busy or service not available). Haven't been able to track down much information on LPS Group either, attorney general's office doesn't know who they are, neither does the BBB, or secretary of state. Asking them to identify themselves or provide debt validation just results in threats. They seem to purchase debt that is beyond SOL and threaten to sue or do other nasty things. Do not fall for it! Do not be pressured into hasty decisions! Know your rights under the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act)!

My call came from 619-746-8458.  They claimed to be a law firm that outsources cases to local attorneys.  The lady, Laura, says the name of their firm is Parker Lee and Associates, but she refused to provide the attorney's name.  She said they represent LPSG, but would not provide their phone number or address, nor would she give me Parker Lee's address.  After hours, the recording says Office of Victoria Clark.  I found an old website for LPS Group which had the 888-256-6985 contact number, but it's no longer in service.  After finding this page, I did a search for LPSG with the address provided and found another website with current phone number and address.  Seems like they keep moving around and changing phone numbers.

http://lpsgroup.biz/index.html

If you are interested in learning more about LPSG please contact us at:

Address:  333 City Boulevard West
               17th Floor                
               Orange,CA 92868

Phone:  888.782.3660
Fax:       714.894.2787
Email:  info@lpsgroup.biz

The people at LPSG did verify Parker Lee and Associates' address, but failed to give me their suite number:

Parker Lee and Associates
1 America Plaza
600 West Broadway
San Diego, CA  92101

I received a call from "LPSG" and a lawyers office "Lebowitz and Assoc. Was told if I do not comply I will be sued. Was able to set up a payment plan having $140 deducted/month from my account from April 2013 to Jan of 2014. I was trying to call to make sure they got the last payment, as well as requesting something in writing but can't get a hold of anyone. Now I am really wondering if this was a scam and have I been taken? What do I do now? They have my checking information, will they keep taking money out of my account?????

this is a scam somebody need to stop it.Get the Feds in volved.

My original creditor charged off my account and sold it to Beacon Services.  After they received my request to cease communication with my employer, they replied and said that they sold the account to LPSG. I have not received any documentation from LPSG, but they have started calling my job and telling my employer/co-workers (whomever answers the phone) that I must call them immediately and that they are having me served by the sheriff at my job.  I called the company at the number they gave my boss and the man who answered told me that he was not interested in payments nor could he give me any supporting documentation of the debt.  He said according to my income tax return, they were going to garnish over $400/month from my checks.  He just kept repeating that he was having me served at work by the sheriff.  I told him that I did not want this company to ever call me, nor "serve" me at my job because it is causing issues and he told me that they are legally allowed to contact me at work whenever they want.  I then called LPSG back and asked for a supervisor.  I informed the supervisor that Texas is a no-garnish state and that I did not appreciate the false threats being made to me and my co-workers.  I also told her very specifically that they were not to contact me at work again.  She said she is allowed to contact me at work.  I asked her for supporting paperwork and she said "Since the paperwork is with the Sheriff, I cannot access it".  I asked her what this company gets out of these harassing phone calls since they won't take money nor set up arrangments, she flat out told me that they get court costs and fees.  She told me that they are not interested in payments once the debt crosses their desk, they just want your paycheck.   I tried to email them a letter but it bounced.  There is now a case filed with the feds.  They are unbelievable!!

http://lpsgroup.biz/index.html

If you are interested in learning more about LPSG:

Address:  333 City Boulevard West
              17th Floor                
              Orange,CA 92868

or is it

LPSG
16478 Beach Blvd.
#302
Westminster, CA 92683

Phone:  888.782.3660
or          888-782-3650

Hi Tracey
Same story here...A Mr. Castle of LPSG ph 818-861-9871  & 818-254-9621 said legal action will be taken...garnishes etc...if I don't pay Arears...I panicked ...without research ...I set up a payment plan May thru Sept 2013..paid off $1,499.75 to LPSG thru my checking acct...I asked Mr Castle before I set pymts...to send me hard documents of arrears...he said I should receive it at final payment...I have been calling ...only recordings...I left messages...I know I have been scammed BigTime....CAN SOMEONE HELP ME to retrieve fr them the $1499.75 I lost

I received a call in April regarding a debt and threaten me with court and even jail time I as well panicked and set up a payment plan. I am now trying to get a hold of them to get hard copies and that number I have no longer works! I am furious. I put a hold on my card this month and I'm hoping they get a hold of me. But if this is a scam is there any way I can dispute and get my money back? I really hope we can get these people!

Since the money was given to criminals running a scam, there is no one with whom to dispute the payments.

Everyone should think about what these callers are offering you:  You can either simply give your money away to some unknown person on the phone without any documentation, or you can wait to receive an official subpoena, complete with all the written details of the debt and the legal justification for it.

I would choose their second option!  I know they'll never send any summon because it's just a scam!  And if they do send something, I'll have some documentation.

Per the FDCPA, you should not pay any caller who refuses to MAIL - do not accept email or fax - proof of debt/proof your caller has the legal right to collect said debt.  Refusal to mail this MANDATORY documentation within five days of their first contact with you is a violation of federal law.  In other words, if they refuse to mail written, verifiable proof you owe them, do not pay!

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors

Consumers across the country report that they're getting telephone calls from people trying to collect on loans the consumers never received or on loans they did receive but for amounts they do not owe. Others are receiving calls from people seeking to recover on loans consumers received but where the creditors never authorized the callers to collect for them. So what's the story?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:

is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.
If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:
Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.

Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.
Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft – charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.
Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate – but you think the collector may not be – contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.

They are taking my money now

This company, LPSG, aka LPS is a legitimate Debt collecting company.  I traced my credit card debt all the way back to the original debt.  They were extremely helpful and very polite with me at LPS.  So if they contacted you and you were rude I suppose they could be that way too.

Did you ever find out if this is a scam? I am in the same situation!!

LPSG does indeed buy old records of debt. Usually, harassers/scammers like them will be the third, fourth, or even fifth company in a long chain. The reason they buy these old debts is to get information - names, account numbers (perhaps partial), phone numbers, etc...  in order to make them look legit. They don't have enough information (can't provide adequate proof for debt validation) or legal standing (almost always the debt is beyond SOL) to actually collect on the debt though. Their tactic is to call people at work and threaten that papers (which don't exist) are on the way, via some pseudo legitimate sounding company like "Legal Delivery Services", unless you pay them by the end of the day. Or they threaten that the Sheriff is after you, etc... These tactics are highly illegal. They are hoping you will panic (and because you're at work you wont have time to investigate) and give them a checking account number or debit card number because it is difficult to get money back with those payment methods. However, if you are quick and get to the bank within a day or two after being scammed and file a fraud complaint it is possible to recover your money. It can take a while though, up to 120 days for the bank to investigate.

You ought to go to your bank and see if you can get the transactions reversed for fraud.

Report them: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection

Report them to the California Attorney General:  http://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/collection_agencies10