The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:

is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.

If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:
Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.

Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.

Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft ? charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.

Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate ? but you think the collector may not be ? contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.

Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.>

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt076.shtm

I just got a call from.someone at 716-632-1449 claiming to be filing a lawsuit against someone in Ohio with my social.security number and they just needed to confirm that it wasn't me by comparing the last four numbers of my social security number!!!! He said his name was Mr.Brown, like the color. The minute I said I wouldn't discuss my social security number with anyone on the phone he hung up. This scam has gone well beyond what is on this website.This was a Phishing.expedition.

Keeps Calling and leaving brief message and they call all hours of the day and weekends......

Received a call today, asking for my first name, and my MAIDEN last name - which has not legally been my name since 1997.  So if they're debt collectors, and if there was any debt that would be in that name, it is from over 14 years ago?!!  And honestly, I had no credit cards back then that were not paid off and closed years ago.  Sketchy.  Very sketchy.
The man in the message left no information other than he'd only be in teh office for an hour MAX and i must call him back in that time.  Creep-o.

This company is now called Niagara Credit Solutions.
716-632-1449; 1445; 1616; 1558; 716-631-0631; 0615; 716-681-6816; 800-381-0416; 0418; 0417.

I notice the post from 16 Aug 2008 with Bud Hibbs comments.  Seems all these bottom feeders have to do is change names and keep up the same 'ol garbage.

They are now also using 800-381-0416.  They called for someone who doesn't live at this address.  They called from 716-632-1449 but left the 800 # to call back.

Consumer Recovery Associates
aka Consumer Credit Association
aka CR & Associates
and the world's most grating phone numbers:

866-857-3916
866-499-6608
888-253-9713
866-563-9556
888-413-8823    800-913-4915
757-368-3622
757-368-8004
757-368-8331
757-271-8788
866-418-3360

2697 International Parkway # 4   Suite 270
Virginia Beach, Virginia  23452
PO BOX 2916, VB, VA 23450

Head Debt Collectors:
Christine Spruill      
Mr. Parker          
Mr. K C Scott
Peter Brunson          
Conrad Grey      

Bud Says                        

1-866-857-3916 is one of those irritating numbers that show up on your caller ID that can never seem to be identified.   When you return the call, you get the ominous "Can I help you?" or "Case number please."  They refuse to identify who they are when questioned, will not state they are debt collectors, and by tone imply you have committed some illegal act and are in great trouble or they would not have called you.  It is a violation of FDCPA.  It took quite a bit of research and cunning to discover whom the voices were behind the lawbreaking 866 number were...but it's coming together now and they are without excuse.

Give us your stories on CRA and let's put together some useful information to bring these folks down.  Record their calls where legal and save the tapes for future use.  We'll post 'em here if you have something of interest.

In the meantime, hold them to the law; make them put everything in writing, validate the debt.  Use the cease-communication letter.  Violations of the law should be pointed out to the Virginia Attorney General.

http://www.budhibbs.com/debtcollectorpages/consumer_recovery.htm

I asked them to quit calling and they did for a while and once they are calling asking for a Ben and I am getting really sick of it.  And they are calling from other numbers, not just this one.

These will keep calling over & over again -- even when told that they must have a wrong number, that the party they are calling for does not live at your location & the phone number that they have is incorrect. They will harrass over & over again just because they have your # in their file & they refuse to take it out !!!  Then they get their little feelings hurt when someone is "rude" to the poor little creatures !

Call intended for George Rodriguez with an 800 number of 3810416 given, ext. 208

I am a business cell number and this is illegal. Plus I am on the do not call list.

Thx.

wondering who they are...