these guys are calling my number on average 19 times per hour looking for the person that used to have my phone number. i have told them the person they are looking for no longer has this number and they told me they will continue calling me until the person they are looking for changes their contact info.

A R O  sends automated messages saying they are calling on behalf of the ministry of finance.
They are trying to collect on a credit card debt over 7 yrs old that can no longer be taken to court
as time has run out,  BTW if you pay a token sum or otherwise "acknowledge" a debt your CLOCK starts over  
from that moment on.  

I heard ARO, on the voicemail, they said it had something to do with Ontario minister of finance. I live in BC, and have nothing to do with Ontario minister of finance. I think calls like this get people wondering about who they owe money too. But it stinks like scam to me.

This company calls everyday before 8:30 am.  They're trying to collect a debt that isn't mine (equifax and my bank can second that).  One morning a woman was on the other end asking me to clarify my address.  I reminded her that she called me, therefor she should already have it.  Phishing is more like it!  Just through phone instead of e-mail.
She calls everyday saying she only wants to help.  With what exactly?  There's nothing to help me with.  Our lame duck government has to do something about companies like this.  Its ridiculous and its harassment, especially when I have no clue as to what their calling about as it has nothing to do with me.  They have no reason to call every morning and day.

I get calls from them EVERY DAMN DAY and want this to stop

Spoken like a true collector on commission .

Best suggestion is look up the collections act in your province , your claim may be stat barred and they have no right to harras you any further.. You can put a stop to the calls if you are in a protected position  under statutes of limitations .. Educate yourself first before making mistakes and get a copy of your credit report and look at dates the claim became collectible ..

Keeps telling me I owe money for an old Bell account but not the case I just got a line of credit and obviously the banks go through your history with a fine tooth comb however I entertained there phone call making the mistake of verifying they had the person they were looking for on the phone. MISTAKE now no matter what they just keep calling you can change your number etc. won't matter they find you. Be weary of ANY information being given.

6477241007..... Same lady just called me but I don't trust anyone on the phone ( as you can see I'm researching her ) she asked me address, name etc... I said my  street name and then i asked her " if you are from the dept of finance and you're calling me, you should have this info already so if you really are who you're saying, send me  a letter and we'll take it from there...... very very shady

Today a woman called from that number and said she was from A.R.O. (O not C) on behalf of the Ministry of Finance!?  She gave us this phone number to call 18664273655 ext. 3134.

Her tone was quite abrasive and wouldn't give me her name.

Well everyone is not an a***ole like you.

I have no loans and have a perfect credit score that the bank reps are always surprised when I go in to deal with them to discuss finances. I have had my number for over 11 years so I assume either someone gave my number by mistake on a debt or this is clearly a scam. I only received an automated message to call their toll free number but it was so quick I couldn't even write it down. Glad I came here to read this. I will ignore them as they either have the wrong person or clearly a scam.

Ever since I changed my number to a local one after moving, I've been getting a bunch of calls.  Each time I look it up on this website, it's the same company - ARC.  The annoying thing is that I don't owe any money at all.  None.  My parents payed off my student debt (OSAP) on their line of credit, so I pay them back at prime + 1% interest, rather than prime + 3% interest that OSAP charges.  I literally don't owe the gov't any money.  I'm so sick of these calls.  I've ignored all of them so far, but maybe I should just answer & let them know it's the wrong person...

I get calls from ARC between once every 3 days to 3 times a day for about a year now.
I'm convinced it is a scam. They claim I owe bell Canada because I defaulted on my account.
I informed them that the number they called me on IS my bell account.
How could it be defaulted if I'm using it? I pay my cell phone bill in advance, for over 2 years I have been running a constant credit between 100-300 dollars per billing cycle. Always ahead.
So I called bell... They told me; "Your account is fine, better than the vast majority of accounts, you don't even need to make a payment for a few months. I'm sorry I don't know why they would say that, we don't even deal with that company, we send our defaults to some one else."
They don't even deal with ARC according to billing at Bell.
I told ARC this about... 12 times? They still call on a regular, I recognize about 5 of the numbers they use randomly.
PURE SCAM. And you cannot stop it. You can't even block the numbers, they will call with new ones.
I'm labeling this a chronic prank call, that's really what it is.
Simply ignore, don't even bother engaging them, they are not capable of understanding anything, it's not in the job description.

I am appalled by you lack of compassion and understanding for people. Perhaps you are a collector or you think ....you do not know what other people are going thru. perhaps you should have kept your stupid comments to yourself.

Calls me everyday. Leaves messages that are threatening. Tonight the message said I was facing immediate eviction.  My rent is always paid on time.  Always leaves a long distance number for me to call.  Not the same number that shows up on my caller ID.  Not even the same area code. Before when I used to answer them I told them they had the wrong number.  Now when I answer all I get is a threatening automated message. Don't know what to do next...

So ive been getting the same calls, the company is call "accounts recovery corp" there a collection agency

where is the government when we need them? harassing calls from unknown people

You are a heartless j*** off. My husband and I paid our debts for 30 years, without fail. My husband ran out of work and because we live on a small island, it had dried up. We own our house but the market crashed so if we sold it, we would walk out of here with nothing. Don't ASSume you !@@#*#* that it is always black and white. Try to find some compassion!

I get these calls all of the time, if they were a legitimate collections agency they would send documents stating that you owe them and for why you owe them. These guys are scammers. Don't pay them a cent, well send them a penny only because pennies are now obsolete and worthless now in this country. lol

They are probably Scammers. I don't owe anybodyelse but I get the same messages.

I've been getting the same messages in my cp and its cost me money everytime they left me messages, exactly the same messages" this call is from ARC, this is not a solicitation" computer female voice". Does anybody else know how to block them. They're filling up my voicemail.

I don't owe anything to unemployment and they said I owe sen me letters with revenue logos printed I contac the unemployment canada and revenue and they said they don't deals with collection companies if you owe the contact you directly so this is this ARC company ia a scam so don't be afraid don't answers because is anoint that they call every day

got a call on my cell from this number ... was driving, so did not answer .... went to answering machine, but no message left ... 3rd call in recent days from ARC (and/or IRC - according to 800 notes) ... other numbers for same company include (not limited to, as this list was copied to my cell, and this is a new one)
647-724-1007
519-900-1415
877-717-2513
416-482-7690
800-769-9272
905-639-6990
877-582-4840
289-271-1389
647-383-2333
647-724-1006
250-999-1107
Some of the numbers on this list are courtesy of other using 800 Notes ... Thank you!

Other Scam / Unknown origin recently received:
503-213-0469 (Portland Or area - won a cruise)
702-705-5229 (LV Nevada - won a cruise)
800-266-3939 (telemarketer Supposedly Direct Energy, but NOT)
509-209-6671 (Spokane Wa area - won a cruise)
Location and reason for this group of calls also courtesy of other 800 Notes users.

For those who are 'afraid of collection' agencies.. I have a good one for you..

Years ago.. I had a credit card with Radio Shack who since sold to the Source.  Nothing but problems with them (Radio Shack) and we too were in dire straits since the company we (both he and I) worked for closed it's doors.

Years later.. I mean 'years' later.. I get a letter from a Collection agency for this credit card debt.  Problem is.. it's just a letter with an outrageous amount.. They had tacked on at least $2,500.00 more (for their services) but probably bought the debt for pennies on the dollar.  Of course I'm not going to pay that.

I asked for a detailed account of what this amount was for.  They didn't have it.  Of course they wouldn't.  They just bought the amount.. not the details.

Their calls were rude.. obnoxious and each time.. I told them ... take me to court.  Nope.. they weren't interested.. just wanted to harass me.

I called the consumer and corporate affairs.  I told them.  There is no way I'm in agreement with the amount and when asked to provide some detail..they can't.  She said.. give them nothing.

They can't do a thing with your credit rating or report.  They are  NOBODY but brokers with nothing.
Do NOT be intimidated by them.

Google about credit reporting and bankruptcies...they will tell you what you should and should not do when you owe money.

To date.. I have heard nothing.  Con. and Corp. got in touch with them and told them unless they could provide me with a detailed statement, that I was under NO obligation to pay.

Maybe if you owe money you should pay your debts. Then you wouldn't have "A HEART ATTACK EVERYTIME I SEE THAT NUMBER.."

Not everyone has your attitude.  Last time I saw the reports.. our economy is not the greatest in Canada nor are our jobs.  so yes.. some people fall into hardships.  For those people.. I can only hope you can find a way to move forward.  

As for YOU.. keep paying those interest payments to the big banks and make sure the Unemployment Insurance fund is at the top for people 'unlike' you who lose their jobs due to corporate takeover or outsourcing.

Get a life..

ARC is a joke, send them a notice of intent to file a lawsuit for harassment letter

I've recently started dealing with ARC, and they have actually been really fantastic and flexible with me, as I have actually shown an interest in paying my debt. I work in soft collections, and the amount of people who call in screaming, claiming they don't owe anything, often do.
Call in and talk to these people like it is a normal business matter, and you will get somewhere with them. Since my first conversation with ARC they have called me twice, once to ask me when my next payment is, and another time to tell me not to worry so much as they see my debt is getting paid off. Definitely not what I expected from collections.
That being said, they have been calling me from an (866)#, not this one.

Account Recovery Corporation
these slimeys have been calling me for three years, sometimes every day.

It is always a recorded message and as such constitutes criminal harassment.
It is occasionally 647-724-1007, but is mostly 877-582-4840.

when they use the 877 number, it only shows as "out of area" on your call display, so your call blocking feature doesn't see it.

You can call this number and speak with a slime; they don't answer my calls any more;just divert me to an answering machine. Just recently, I have been calling them and instructing them repeatably to "fornicate elsewhere" and informing them to never call me again. The 877 number is toll free and most payphones will allow the call without any coins

They have to pay for any call you make to them, even if they divert you to an answering machine

The recorded message keeps instructing me to call their 877 number; so every time I get that message, I will run up their toll fee. Perhaps we should all get in the habit of calling their toll free number. I inform them to "fornicate elswhere" 4 times, then state "don't ever call me again", then "fornicate elsewhere" one more time, then hang up. I record these phone calls so they can never claim that they were confused about my request that they stop their harassing calls. If enough of us record these calls, it may be possible to bring a class action suite and obtain injunctions and restraining orders.

I'm thinking about starting a website to deal with these slime.

got a message from this company to contact them. it must be a scam as there was no mention of whom i might owe money to. i don't owe money.the solution might be to pass a law stating a collection company may only telephone three times. if the callee does not respond.then three letters will be permitted. finally, the last recourse is to a court. three voice mail records would be proof to penalize with money paid to court as fine and the court orders the debt satisfied. trust this can be called KEN'S Law. thank you for reading.

The government uses ARC for Student Loans. If you want them to stop calling, send them a registered letter with your name and account number, requesting that you only be notified / contacted in writing. They have to stop bothering you by law if you do that. You can also write and formally request that they take you to court - they have to stop contacting you at that point as well.

Record conversations if you can, otherwise keep detailed notes about times called, from whom, etc. If they keep bothering you, contact:

Consumer Services Bureau
33rd Floor, 250 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M5B 2N5
Tel: 416.326.8800
Toll Free: 1.800.889.9768
Web: http://www.cbs.gov.on.ca/english/welcome.htm

They WILL stop once they hear from the government about it. When they sell your debt to another company, it begins all over again, unfortunately.

It's always best to just pay or arrange for a payment schedule if you can and get EVERYTHING from them in WRITING.