888-512-3292

called me earlier today

A woman called and left a vm on my cell stating that she's an investigator and I need to call the plaintiff back within 24 hours or they will file with my local superior court. I'm assuming this has to do with the same payday loan scam that has been harassing me for over 2 years now. I have filed with the FTC and attorney general, but they keep changing numbers. I believe it is "NCS" which is a fake company of bottom feeders trying to use scare tactics. It has been said before, they cannot threaten jail and anyone who is attempting to serve a "warrant" would simply serve it and be done with it. So, that being said, this is a bogus scam and their goal is extortion of people who are uninformed of their rights as consumers. Don't be fooled...

Mine was the same as above-- There idiots! Ignore them!

Just received a call from them. They are a scam. But they had my account info. Ugh.

Ok, it's a little funny, a little sad, and a little annoying what these people are doing.  My mother just called me and asked "why is somebody investigating you?"  When I asked her what she was talking about, she said that somebody keeps calling her from 888-512-3292 and asking her for information about me.  I told her not to worry about it because I've been targetting by people like this before.  I called the number just out of curiosity and the person that answered didn't identify themselves at all (according to the fair debt collections act, debt collectors are legally required to identify themselves by first name as well as the company they represent.)  All they said when they answered was "Investigations," and then waited for me to respond.  The first time I asked, "what company exactly do you perform investigations for?" the person that answered immediately hung up.

Red Flag #1:
When asked to identify themselves, a debt collector is legally required to do so.

So I called back and was greeted by "Investigations" again.  Again I asked, "what company do you perform investigations for?"  This time the person told me they are working for Berman Maxwell Associates.  Ok.  

Red Flag #2:
A quick Google search revealed that this company is well known for debt collection scams.

I then asked what kind of case they thought they had against me and provided my name.

Red Flag #3:
They asked for my SSN.  

When I told them I would not give them any information until they told me why they were harrassing my mother, the individual I was speaking with said "Dispatch, proceed with (my name)!" and then disconnected the call.

Red Flag #4:
I've never heard of any debt collector that has a direct radio line to police dispatch.  It's been about 20 minutes.  Still no cop cars.  I think I'm safe.

So, I called back one more time and asked them to explain themselves again.  This time, the person I was speaking with thought they would intimidate me by asking if they had the last 4 of my social correct.  Ok, not so bad.  I can google the last 4 of anybody's social if I'm patient and thorough enough.  That doesn't mean they have anything solid on me.

That individual then proceeded to advise me that they have a law suite out against me for a payday advance that I took out against my Fort Sill National Bank account in July 2012.

Red Flag #5:
I've never had an account with Fort Sill National Bank.  

And I had absolutely no need to take out a payday advance loan (which I've never done anyway, even when money WAS tight) in July 2013, because I was drawing a fat unemployment check and living at my sister's house rent free while searching for my new job.

My response?  "Ok, you've told me everything I need to know.  I've never had an account with that bank so you obviously don't know as much about me as you want me to think you do.  Have fun with whatever it is you're trying to do.  We will never speak again.  Dispatch, proceed with random debt scammer!"  and I disconnected the call.

As an entertaining side note, they tried calling me right back.  When I answered their call with "Investigations, what's your case number?" they hung up and have yet to call again.

CORRECTION:
They advised me that I had taken out a payday loan in July 2013.  Not 2012.

This....

"Dispatch, proceed with random debt scammer!"  and I disconnected the call."

....just made my day.  Seriously, I'm stealing this and using it the next time these jokers call me.

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.

Some of the people they are calling do not owe a debt.  Others they are calling have already settled their debt with the organization who owns the accounts. 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 or a Peachtree Road Address). They are actually out of the Charlotte North Carolina area. The scammers are using the following business names (and there are many others, and they seem to create new ones daily).  They will normally answer the call back number as “Investigations”

Reynolds, Hill, and Associates
Berkley and Associates
Kaufmann and Associates
Sanderson Blaine & Associates
Blaine and Associates
McKenzie Reid Associates
Kennedy, Kline, & Associates
Nationwide Asset and Recovery
Piedmont Investigations and Procurement
Raffino, Garrison, & McCoy
Greenman, Schwartz & Associates
McCoy Law Group
Salem Associates
Reynolds and Associates
Ryan, Carter and Fields
Berman, Maxwell and associates

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
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-510-9327
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-509-0338
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-866-803-0755
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-511-0627
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-509-3033
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-509-0339
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-511-0631
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-866-883-2350/2
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-244-3381
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-512-0269
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-295-9550
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-966-6277
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-511-4248
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-725-5312
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-756-9997
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-512-1278
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-512-0531
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-512-0273
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-719-5041
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-791-9102
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-512-400-2637
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-585-730-6153
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-512-1712
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-800-657-1430

I received that call today. I did however owe a debt, BUT I paid the previous collectors that called and had all the proof. I informed Mr. Jason Anderson of the dept of legal services (that's what he said) and informed me that that only took care of the interest and not the principal and he'd be happy to fix that for me today. I told him that I have a settlement offer and a copy of the money order and proof that it was cashed. He said that I could bring it to court and that somebody will be here to detain me in 2-3 hours. When I laughed and said you can't arrest me for a civil matter he said he could. I told him it was illegal and I would be glad to see them in court. He transferred me to a Mr. Stevens, and after holding for 10 minutes he asked me for the other company's info and asked me to call them back with it. I told him that I was under no obligation to do so. Of course, he said he'd take care of it. BUT now I wonder. The company I paid, Unified PS Group, sold it to these bozos AFTER I paid...can you say shady???
I just laughed at him.

When they called the number they were using was 678-368-4233 and there was a womans name then a voice name of another woman then saying it was Berman Maxwell Associates

CORRECTING THE IDIOT....THEIR IDIOTS! IGNORE THEM!

Thank you for the information ShillKill. Do you have any information about this company? An address for their office in Charlotte, NC? Names of the owners? I want to file a complaint, but I am struggling to find accurate information.

i recieved a message from a company named berman&associates, they claim that i had previously mad arrangements with them, anddid not keep my aggreement so now they say i will have to go tocourt in tacoma washington, i live in louisiana, i dont have money like that. the agent name was mr. stevens, he was a rude, disrespectful man, not a people person at all.

I just received one of many calls from them as well, indicating they're representing a check cashing company that I never utilized. The woman that called me used so many slang thug-like terminologies in her misrepresentation cookie-cutter dialogue, whereas, I had to tell her to call me from an office phone versus being at home or on a corner pay phone. She sounded like she was at the 7-11, and maybe calling from her pre-paid cell phone. Really! These people are ridiculous!

I just received one of many calls from them as well, indicating they're representing a check cashing company that I never utilized. The woman that called me used so many slang thug-like terminologies in her misrepresentation cookie-cutter dialogue, whereas, I had to tell her to call me from an office phone versus being at home or on a corner pay phone. She sounded like she was at the 7-11, and maybe calling from her pre-paid cell phone. Really! These people are ridiculous!

my mom just received a call from them and it scared her. They have no respect and need to be stopped.  How can we stop them? I filed a report with the Better Business Bureau.