888-975-2744

Received a call from Trisha Carter identifying herself as being a representative from Verification Support.  She claims a "complaint" is being sent to me via certified mail at a specific time and if I can't be available to accept the complaint  to call a different number she gives me with the file number she referenced in her v/m.  First of all, I work for an attorney, and complaints are typically served by a "Process Server," not certified mail.  The number to call back was a bogus number as well. I believe this is a scam of some sort that I definitely will not fall victim to this sort of nonsense!

Received the same call from the same Trisha Carter. Scam central!

Received a call from a verification service service who transferred me to Hawthorne group. I said I was being served for a old debt from 17 years ago.

Received a call from this number, which was automatically blocked by my Verizon scam detection. A voicemail was left by Vanessa Miller with "Verification Support out of Jefferson County" indicating that they were contacting me to arrange for delivery of "certified information" for a "Reinstatement due to failure of contact"; said that if I had any questions or needed more information I should call a different number (888-945-5324) and reference a case number she provided; and said that if I did not contact them today, "adverse decisions would be made on my behalf without my participation."

This definitely sounds like a scam!

The fake process server/location finder extortion SCAM 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, email, or text (postmarked in the case of a letter) within 5 days of their first contact that contains their name, physical address, the creditor’s name, and the amount of the alleged debt. Unless they have communicated it to you verbally at the beginning of your conversation.  It also must contain the “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 communication 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 communication 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

Yep got the same call. Same wording except her name was April Castro.

They've changed the number 888-984-4589 or added some variety. Vanessa Miller was from Harford County in my call so I guess there is variation to keep people guessing.