888-817-2781

i recieved a call but i didnt answer and they left a message saying i had a summons and that i need to contact them immediatly. He said his name was Frank Richards. Sounds pretty funny to me

I also got a call from here, but it was not the place i called, it was someone in my city serving me with court papers that iam being sued, but i called the phone number and they told me why i was going to court. iam having trouble getting it squared away but i dont know if theres another way.

i got a call from that place i should of listened they served my at my friends birthday party..
they gave me a chance to pay.. i should of listened..

that guy is a process server he got me..

this is a collection company. scare tactics!!!!!!

They are a collection company. There is no court summons as far as I was aware. When I returned the call they are very vage of the company name then I asked what company this was? After receiving an explaination it is a collection company people don't let them fool you.

Received a call today at work from "PSD" (supposedly "Process Servers") asking how to serve me here at my office. Why would a process server call to ask how to serve someone? I asked him, 'So you're with the county? At the courthouse?" His reply: "Well... not exactly." Gave me the number 888-817-2781 to call. This is "AF Group" supposedly out of California. They do not answer the phone with a name, you have to grill them for it. They insist I have been filed upon (I checked my county e-court website - I haven't been) for an old credit card from 1st Bank Delaware that I now supposedly owe $2K on. The guy I talked to claimed to be a paralegal. They said they are not a collection agency, they prepare litigation and send items to attorneys for filing. They said I have been placed with an attorney in Texas. They would not provide copies of any information or documentation, and would not provide me the attorney's name until I asked repeatedly (Scott Hobbs, btw - not listed in the Texas State Bar directory, interestingly enough). Also said the attorney could not talk to a defendant until the case was filed. The guy I talked to offered to "dismiss the case and settle out of court." After I told him I knew nothing had been filed, he put me on hold for like 10 minutes, comes back saying if I pay $625 by 5 PM today (yea right) everything will be dismissed. Again I asked for documentation and was told nothing would be sent to me unless I set up a time to pay it off. I was told that I would be filed upon and a judgment collected if I do not pay. The guy I talked to did seem to know some law and seemed legit, however, it is very fishy that a lawyer would be so secretive about things. A lawyer's primary concern would be to get the debt paid off.

Possibly legit, but I seriously doubt it. The whole thing comes off as just yet another collection agency scam.

LOL, definitely a scam! After my post a few minutes ago, I received an emailed letter from them. Yeah, with an "americanfg.biz" return address. LOL! Also ran across this number:  888-667-4004 - google it. Apparently nothing but a scam artist collection agency trying to buy up old credit card debts and scare people into paying. I am a smart person and I know a fair amount about the law, and this still freaked me out a little bit.

Consider the facts:

#1: A real process server would never, ever call you beforehand and let you know he's coming!

#2: A real process server CAN see the papers he's serving, and could tell you what is in them. "They're sealed" is BS. Also... if I had never been filed upon - as "AF Group" later claimed - how would a process server even have papers? This brings me to #3...

#3: A real process server wouldn't be serving jack squat if something hasn't been filed in your county (they told me I had been filed upon, then changed their minds when I told them I'd checked the county records and nothing showed up.)

#4: A real attorney WILL talk to you. Give me a break! An attorney wants the money and the easiest way out. Why risk going to court for a nonpayer when you could potentially get paid without having to deal with filing? A legit attorney will talk to you. Also, a legitimate attorney will gladly give you the name of the attorney handling your case. I'm guessing a real attorney would also be listed in your state bar registry. Just sayin.

#5: This person signed their email letter "Director of Litigations." Never heard of a paralegal rockin' that title, but whatever.

#6: A real, legitimate attorney will provide you with copies of requested documentation. When I was told 'absolutely not' unless I agreed to pay $625 by 5 PM - I knew they were full of BS.

Um, process servers don't call you before they serve you, dipsh!t.

Suuuuuuure....because collection agencies know our social schedules, right?

pam you dont know what your talking about iam from TX and i spoke to the attorney in TX that filed the case, i am paying the bill and they served my post commander, iam in the army and in violation of the UCMJ. they are trying to get me kicked out of the military, your an idiot. this is for real, i have to pay $6000 in 3 months or iam being kicked out of the army you dumb ass. have you ever thought for a second if you even owe them money. why dont you just pay your [***] bill. you need to call the bank thats suing you that hired them and they will tell you that they are filing a law suite to call the local office for arrangments but than you call that same people and they dont want to work with you cuz their attorney tells them not too cuz he does not get his commission, pam you dumbass

I got Serve with my paper work today... i call the same office they called you i try to settle this  out of court because i got serve they wont take my money and know i have to go to court on 12/16/2010. What can I do.....

I am an attorney in the state of California for AF Group. You may look up my bar license, I am out of Los Angeles. The company is completely legitimate and any negative blogs are from defendants not happy about being sued. We do work with people named defendants in these law suits in some cases, not all. Just depending on the level of litigation. You may look up our corporate office in riverside county and verify we are licensed to do business. We are a private company and do not advertise to the public. If we have filed against you in Los Angeles superior court than I am most likely to be the attorney representing the plaintiff on this case.

If you've been summoned to appear in court, you must appear to stop an automatic default judgment against you if nothing else. Prepare your defense if you've one between now and then. If the collector has violated the FDCPA http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf you can tell the judge and bring along documentation if any. For example, the collector has to send you written documentation:
"§ 809. Validation of debts
(a) Within five days after the initial communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall, unless the following information is contained in the initial communication or the consumer has paid the debt, send the consumer a written notice containing—
(1) the amount of the debt;
(2) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed;
(3) a statement that unless the consumer, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt collector;
(4) a statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such verification or judgment will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector; and
(5) a statement that, upon the consumer’s written request within the thirty-day period, the debt collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor."
If the statute of limitations has run out on the debt, you must bring proof on court day, or failing that, ask the judge for a stay of judgment and to grant you additional time to obtain the proof (though the judge may not grant you that). If you owe the debt, you'd very likely lose in court (most debtors lose in court) and have to pay your debt which would likely have increased from interest, penalties and collection costs.

If you're in the mil and you owe debt, you must already know you're in violation of the UMCJ (I really don't know if you are, am just taking you at your word), so knowing that, why did you not pay *your* bill to avoid being kicked out of the mil, just like you told Pam she should have paid hers? Why did *you* let it get this far? Obviously, if you owe debt, you run the risk of being taken to court every day, and by dodging your bill, you have to run the gauntlet of determining whether *any* collection call is legit, abusive-but-legit, or scam. Pam's reasoning regarding the mechanics of process serving appears sound and she says she "checked my county e-court website - I haven't been [served]." No one is encouraging debtors to avoid paying legal debt. Seems to me Pam acted with due diligence, checked up on several things, and concluded this is a scam. Refusing to send paperwork and "pay $625 by 5 PM today" is scammy in any language. I may check up on your statement that personnel can be kicked out of the mil for civil debt. This is suspicious because what I hear about the mil is they're trying to retain as many as they can because we're fighting 2 wars. Your security clearance might be at risk because of this debt but if you lose it, you'd simply be moved to to a position that won't require clearance but certainly not kicked out.

Sidney Howard Mickell Bar#120027 has been licensed to practice law in CA since 1985. The Law Offices of Sidney Mickell, 5050 Palo Verde Street Suite 113, Montclair, CA  91763, 909-568-0750 provides "collection services" and has an F rating with the LA BBB for 18 Unanswered Complaints and 1 answered response of "Agreeing to perform according to their contract."
Folks, if you owe debt, you are in the uncomfortable position of determining whether any collection call is legit, abusive-but-legit or scam. Pam thinks they're scam for the simple reason she cannot find a case filed against her in her local court while being told she will be served but that doesn't mean they won't file on you in the end. Refusing to send paperwork is scammy for this violates the FDCPA which states:
"§ 809. Validation of debts
(a) Within five days after the initial communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall, unless the following information is contained in the initial communication or the consumer has paid the debt, send the consumer a written notice containing—
(1) the amount of the debt;
(2) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed;
(3) a statement that unless the consumer, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt collector;
(4) a statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such verification or judgment will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector; and
(5) a statement that, upon the consumer’s written request within the thirty-day period, the debt collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor."
You need to document when you got called, what was said, etc. and call them and ask for paperwork like Pam did. I'm not telling you to avoid paying your legal debt. Debt doesn't go away until the statute of limitations run out and you have to get documentation that it has, and collectors can continue to sue in court even after the SOL has run out (the SOL does not forbid collection attempts even after the SOL has run out) so you can be theoretically sued forever though I doubt that really happens in the vast majority of cases. FWIW, here's another 800notes page on this company that Pam has also posted on https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-667-4004 which is worth a read.

you guys are all scum, just be responsible. I just got a summons and complaint in CA and called the company. they gave me a chance to settle for just what i owed originally. There really is a court case dumb bugs. I have perfect credit and this is the only thing on there derogatory. I ran this phone number on google to find a company website to get a mailing address or phone number to pay off the settlement and here i find all you dumb [***]. just pay your [***] bills and stop crying. I am an orange county firefighter and my wife pays the bills. this one just slipped and we moved so i did not even know. but just pay the damn thing! mine is $4700 and they settle for $3800. they are cutting me a break, might as well just pay it.

You may be in the tiny minority of debtors who don't know they owe money (so you claim). Isn't it amazing how one can "forget" $thousands in goods or services? All debtors know they owe money and constantly risk being sued in court every day so "There really is a court case" seems abundantly unnecessary. It's a bit weird that when you moved, you didn't provide a forwarding address so mail (including the "slipped" bill) could reach you? Were you trying to evade creditors and debt collectors? How could you have "perfect credit" when this missed bill would have been put on your credit report as a default? I'm not yet ready to believe you and alphamike and jeremy pham, especially jeremy pham (LOL)!

BTW, I forgot to mention earlier that if a debt collector threatens court action, he has to go through with it. Threatening court action but not going through with it is *ILLEGAL* as stated here http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre18.shtm 
"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."

My Question is why wont they take my money then if im trying to settle they just telling me to go to court?? Just cause i got serve with my papers and my court day is next month can i still settle in court or do i have to pay all the fees