The national pandemic of telephone terrorism perpetrated by desperate criminal collection agencies and scam artists of every despicable sort is because they are trying to terrorize people who are naive enough to answer and submit to unsolicited telephone calls or written "collection" letters that have no legitimate legal debt associated with them or any of the companies, universities, or whomever else they claim to represent. Because most "little guys" were bankrupted by the criminal Wall St / Congress / Big Oil / Big Bankers / Big Business / Military / Robber Barons, so the desperate collection agencies are attempting to collect unpaid debts from innocent people by terrorizing them into submission. News reports claim that some of these nefarious rogue calls are originating from overseas, where the caller claims to be a relative down on his or her luck who needs hundreds or thousands of dollars to get out of trouble, a policeman or government agent threatening their unwitting victims with lawsuits, fines, garnishments, seizures of property and imprisonment, and any other unconscionable tactic they can use to terrify and swindle the unwary out of their life savings.

Word of advice. NEVER answer any calls you don't recognize or are not expecting. Use selective call rejection service if available, or switch to an Internet-based telephone service which provides comprehensive call rejection options. If rogue calls become chronic, turn off all the ringers on all of your phones except one, and set its volume to the minimum setting. Digital hardware call blockers, the popular "DIGITONE Call Blocker 10" for example, could help or do harm depending on how high-tech and aggressive the rogue callers are against your phone number. The more technology you use against them, the more likely they will use technology more aggressively against you to the point where your phone could ring more frequently from rogue calls and in middle of the night hours. So staying lower-tech could actually help to keep your phone a bit more under their unrelenting predatory radar. If you don't answer the call and the caller is legitimate, they will usually leave a voicemail after the first or second try. Rogue callers almost never leave voicemail messages because that could be used as evidence against them if it came to a lawsuit, albeit spoofed calls are backed by governments and corporations, so there is nothing the little guy can do against such illegitimate activities but to block and ignore them. If you receive a rogue letter in the mail warning you of some "collection" action against you, if you don't actually owe it, reply with a short letter stating that you don't owe it. Or if you do owe all or part of it, reply with something like "You claim I owe you a debt. Under §809 FDCPA, I request validation of this debt."

Only give them your name as THEY have written it to you (e.g. ?John Doe? not ?Jonathon Q. Doe? or however you normally sign your own name), address, and the account number they report. But if you do not owe the debt (zombie debt, aged debt, mistaken or stolen identity, forgery, etc.) state that you have never done any business with them or with the (alleged) original creditor of any kind and you expect the collection agency to close the matter, stop harassing you and take any bad credit marks they've caused off of your credit rating, and furthermore, that any further contact from them must be in writing on their official business correspondence letterhead. Send your letter to them a.s.a.p., always within thirty days, first class certified mail return receipt requested. If they refuse it and you get the letter back unopened, leave it unopened and save it in your files as evidence against them should they pursue legal action against you. If they did receive it and continue to pursue action against you, let them. The judge will throw it out of court. If the rogue collection agency sells your account to another rogue collection agency just tell them the claim has been proven invalid and offer to send them a copy of your letter to the previous rogue collection agency.

Warn all your friends about this rash of desperate collection agency terrorism, and how to combat it. Knowledge is power. The more you learn how to combat rogue collection agencies, back-taxes scammers, phishing scammers, "faith and family" scammers, political action committees and other low-life flimflammers, the more you will learn how easy it is to do.

Above all, keep a record of everything, of every rogue call w/ caller ID information displayed including time and date of each call. Maintain a complete file on any snail-mailed intimidation from rogue collection agencies, including copies of all correspondences and postal receipts. Reporting rogue calls on sites like 800notes.com, whocallsme.com, phoneowner.info is a great idea too, because many people find these sites by googling for the rogue number(s) after receiving calls from them.

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Start Here:
http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs3-hrs2.htm
http://www.google.com/search?num=50&q=%C2%A7809+FDCPA
http://www.google.com/search?num=50&q=zombie-debt
http://www.google.com/search?num=50&q=slander-of-credit
http://www.google.com/search?num=50&q=limited-liability-company+collection-agency
http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs27-debtcoll.htm
http://www.ehow.com/way_5849463_do-up-certified-dispute-letter.html
http://www.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Defeat-a-Collection-Agency
http://www.hubpages.com/hub/Battling-Consumer-Debt-Collectors-Part-2-I-Do-Not-Owe-This-Debt
http://www.hubpages.com/hub/Sample-letters-for-disputes-to-creditors--collectors-and-credit-bureaus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FDCPA
http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/Disputing ... ute-letter.html
(most say the above sample letter is too long and should be much shorter)
http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/statue-limitations.html
http://www.spooftel.com/

Credit Report:
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

USPS:
https://www.usps.com/send/insurance-and-extra-services.htm

Other links:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/02/29 ... tors/index.html
http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Defeat-a-Collection-Agency
http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/category/12/103/358/
http://clarkhoward.com/topics/drop_dead_letter.html
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Information for filing complaints against rogue telephone calls, telephone harassment, false "bill collector" harassment, etc., in the United States and Canada (pursue legal action only as a last resort):

UNITED STATES

US National Do Not Call Registry, file complaint: https://www.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx

Federal Trade Commission
http://www.ftc.gov 1-877-382-4357
File complaint online: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en
that is at www.ftc.gov

Federal Communications Commission
Telephone toll free:  1-888-225-5322
http://www.fcc.gov/contacts.html
File complaint online: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumers.html
http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm

FCC Abandoned Calls Complaint form:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/1088D-R.pdf
email:  fccinfo@fcc.gov

Better Business Bureau, Check out a Business, find owner, contact info; file a Complaint:
http://www.bbb.org/us/


INTERNET CRIME:
File report for Internet Crime at:
Internet Crime Complaint Centre
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx


CANADA

RCMP Phone busters
Telephone toll free: 1-888-495-8501
Mon-Fri 8:30-5:20 pm (Eastern Time)
E-mail: info@phonebusters.com
RCMP Website is at: http://www.phonebusters.com  
File complaint online:  https://www.recol.ca/intro.aspx?lang=en
(Register with a password and then can continually file complaints)

Canada National Do Not Call Registry:
Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
Telephone toll free to File A Complaint: 1-866-580-3625
(to withdraw a complaint is 877-249-2782)
CRTC online complaints form: https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/pfplin-fccoin-eng
that is at  www.crtc.gc.ca

Better Business Bureau, Check out a Business, find owner, contact info; file a Complaint:
http://www.bbb.org/canada/

10:04 A.M. on a Sunday. Children's Cance ... did not answer the call. No voice message left.

Asked for my spouse and gave no response when I asked who was calling.  Caller ID said "Childrens Cancer."  Why wouldn't they want to speak to me?

NEVER give money to a charity over the phone that calls you (just like you NEVER give out personal information to someone who calls YOU) no matter how legitimate they might sound.  Whatever sad-sack story they give, you're not a bad person to say 'No thank you.'  Investigate organizations (charitywatch.org is good) and then YOU initiate a donation yourself if you choose by seeking out the charity via their website, etc.

like clockwork these voip scammers call on Sunday
I guess having an active phone means we are open season for any fool who wants to bother and fish for credit cards to steal
off the grid?
see 1-678-918-4908 for more calls from "CHILDRENS CANCE"
seems like the voip spoofers got wiser a few months ago and began spoofing from the local area codes
I will NEVER answer your criminal war dialing, ever
these people are probably tied to Breast Cancer S and Free Disney Vacation and Free Bahamas Vacation and CARD SERVICES and Vehicle Processing Center auto warranty and Medical Alert and Burglar Alarm and all the rest of the Fake Microsoft Repairmen that call and call and call...
too bad they are thieves and aren't really trying to help sick kids, special place reserved in hell for the lot

I got a call from this number and she asked for my given name not the one I go by, which should have been a clue. She said I was harder to get a hold of the last pickle in a pickle jar. She said she was from Childrens Cancer something or another. I told her I had no money for charity and that I couldn't even pay my own bills. I told her I needed charity. The phone was silent... I said, Did you hang up. She said no I am here, I understand. Then I hung up. I got a similar call a few months ago like this one from someone claiming to be from Women's breast cancer.... I told them the same thing. I don't know if they are scammers or not but I am not picking up my phone unless I know who is on the other end. Thank God for caller ID.
\

still at it, they love to call on sunday morning
they must not be in church?

They are still at it...

Reading all the posts here made me laugh. "Vanessa" called me as well. I told her to send me something in the mail. Then I got the robot verification "lady". They both called me an angel. HAHAHAHAHA!

We actually run a real childhood cancer foundation. These scumbags are nothing more than the lowest of the low. Been trying to shut these types down my whole life. Less than 1% of donations are actually passed through to any form of cancer support. These a***oles know exactly what they are doing. No excuse for them. They will be judged eventually and hope they rot in hell.

"Childrens Cancer...."  
SCAM!!!!!!!  
Google them - it's all bad!
Calling at 7pm on a Sunday evening tells me they aren't legitimate.

Since they call themselves charities they are exempt from DNC.  What needs to happen is our lazy a** Attorney General start investigating and prosecuting them.

This is a scam.  They are professional fundraisers who raise money for phony charities.  Tonight it was Children's Cancer Recovery Foundation.  They dress up as clowns and bring balloons to kids in hospitals once in a blue moon.  I knew a woman who did this.  She had her own business as a party/event clown but when she was out of work she work she registered as a charity and got paid for being a clown and making balloon animals.   It's also been the Children's Cancer Fund of America, and the Cancer Federation.  These are totally bogus charities.  I've told them to take me off the list but they still call back.  Shame on them for running a scam like this.

Another phony charity.  Scammer, I never answer these.

yep, yep
stupid scammers yet again
when are all of the phone terrorists gonna realize this is a new century and their tired ol tactics are from the 1950's?
does anyone really answer their incessant calls?
if so boo hoo on them
they are only earning better seats in the bottomless pit right below the lake o fire
one ringy dingy

Received a call from this number and didn't answer as I didn't recognize it.  Listened to answering machine to see if maybe I knew who it was.  They asked for me by name but then left no message.  Interesting to find others who are getting this "scam" call.  Waste of my time!  Can't we stop them?!

Called this morning.  I didn't talk to them, just picked the phone up and then immediately hung it up.  I get dozens of these calls every week, different numbers, same scams.  Of course, I'm on the DNCL, and Colorado's DNCL as well.  It doesn't seem to do any good at all.  I'm so frustrated.  I guess I'll have to purchase a call blocking device.

same song and dance as above

This number shows up with no information on caller ID. They always just hang up Once I've said hello.  

childrens cancer wants funds

This is a tricky one. The message starts out with "is the lady of the house there" and sounds like a real person. It is obviously designed to get you to start talking and doesn't care about the answer.

Caller ID says Childrens Cancer.  It only takes a few donations to keep these people robo calling.

Number shows up on Caller I.D. as "CHILDRENS CANCE." Some lady called me at 9:33 this morning, asking for "David." I told her no David has lived here. She then commenced reciting to me some spiel. I thanked her but said, "No thank you" and hung up. I googled the number and landed on this site. Then I googled legitimate cancer organizations for the local Denver area. One organization that came up was the University of Colorado Cancer Center. I called them and told them about calls coming from 303-731-4252 that may be scamming people and thereby misdirecting people's money because of their sympathy and desire for a cancer cure. The bad people thereby misdirect much needed funds for cancer research to their own personal and selfish use. The legitimate Cancer Center should know better than I how to stop these bad people. The person I talked to said, "Yes" and said she'd make sure this information would be passed on to the proper authorities.

now this number has called again, along with 303-653-9190, Vanessa is now Darlene, same distinct voice, calling for the breast cancer foundation, rather than the kids cancer foundation!
do these people not have any thing better to do than cause unnecessary trouble for all of us honest people!
these people should be ashamed of their horrible actions & scams, pathetic!!!!
they got an earful from us!

303-731-4252, called at 8:00 p.m. on sat night, asked for my husband, I asked who was calling, she said she was actually calling for both of us, said she was calling for children's cancer, I told her to remove our number from her list, as we are on the do not call list & we pay for an unlisted number, she kept talking over me, I told her to listen to me & to remove our number & name, she finally said ok, she would, & hung up.
I feel badly for kids with cancer, I am a cancer survivor myself, how ever, we do NOT contribute to any foundation, legit or NOT, I NEVER received any support or help from any cancer foundations through my illness, either we make too much money or I was not in active treatment, huge discrimination & no kind of moral support when a person really needs it!
over the years we have learned to take care of ourselves, no one else has!
I do believe this gal was a scam, she did not give me a name.
I will report her to the local cancer chapter, I ndid this after many, many, many, many, many annoying phone calls from the march of dimes, they were very rude & forceful & nasty, we were receiving many calls EVERY day & in to the evening hours, once I called the local chapter, the calls stopped.
if every one would do this, may be this nonsense would stop for evey one & these so called foundations can be grounded!

Same as the others.....she "doesn't hear you" when you try to interrupt.  When you say you are on the no caller list, she apologizes and hangs up.  Yes it could be a robot....if not a robot, at least a live person without a soul.  Total scam.  Totally ignoring the no call rules ...on purpose.  

I received a call this morning.  She was a fast talker and said she was from the Children's Cancer Recovery Fdn.  When she was done with her spiel she asked if she could send me an envelope which I could return with a contribution.  I said No and not only that I didn't want them calling me.  She apologized and said she would put down not to call me.  Glad to read other posts to know they are scammers.

This is an automated call pretending to be a live person. If you ask it if it's a human, it'll do a really creepy laugh and say, "Do I sound that bad?"

Anyway, the group they're calling for is the professional telemarketers at the Children's Cancer Recovery Foundation, which in previous years has spent less than 1% of their proceeds on direct aid. (See details here: http://www.tampabay.com/americas-worst-charit ... tion-of-america)

So their telemarketing tactics are fraudulent (evading direct questions about being a human), and their 'charity' is fraudulent as well.

To be clear: Their entire business model consists of stealing money intended for kids with cancer.

still at it

Call, whether or not you are on NNCL! Waste your time with a con for children's cancer funding. Don't even want to think about their karmic destiny.