I'VE BEEN GETTING HARASSED BY A STEVE, WHO CLAIMS TO BE OUT OF A LAW FIRM TRYING TO SICKER ME OUT OF MONEY FOR THE SAME THING, I BET IT'S HIM!!

These people keep on calling with threatening calls are they legit. Please give me some answers because they are saying they are going to sue me.

I just received a harrassing call from a man stating that he is from a collection agency. I hate these calls because I believe that this call is from a con artist or a telemarketer. Anytime I will receive this call, I will delete the answering message along with caller ID.

Calls from 716-210-8024 at my work. Person with Middle Eastern/Indian accent says it's urgent but won't leave a message or company that he is calling from. It's creepy and invasive and seems like a scam.

They are probably getting the connections between friends and coworkers from places like facebook and linkd-in.  I can't imagine how else they can contact coworkers and friends.  Thanks for the info guys.  I was like, who would be calling me from NY?  Legal papers I didn't respond to?  I thought she said IRS and I was like, in NY?  Is that where they would call California from?

lol

Maybe because like me their debts are not VALID and they are being harassed. You should be so proud of yourself "super collector" for bullying people into paying debts the may or may not even owe to collect your 7.50 and hour paycheck.

this is an illegal collection call - they are implying they have filed a lawsuit against you when they have not filed at all.  

ITS INTENDED TO MAKE YOU PANIC AND PAY A DEBT YOU PROBABLY DO NOT OWE.

DO not let them intimidate you - you have the right to dispute the debt and they are attempting to deny you that right.  



File complaints with

Federal Trade Commission  https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en

Your State Attorney General
State Attorney General is every state they have offices

Link to all State Attorney General Websites www.naag.org

If you or they are located in NY ? use this SPECIAL Link  www.NYDebtHelp.com
This special website was created by NY AG Andrew Cuomo specifically for reporting illegal debt collection practices.  HE?S CRACKING DOWN AND SHUTTING THEM DOWN!

Also report your calls and contacts with debt collectors at http://www.budhibbs.com/index.html  If the company is listed under agencies ? report there. If not on the list YET, click on Watchlist! and add to the list.   You can also post here http://www.collectorsexposed.com/forum2/index.php?board=2.0

Debt Collectors DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION!    
The INFORMED CONSUMER IS THE DEBT COLLECTORS WORST ENEMY!

Dealing with Debt Collectors
http://www.budhibbs.com/start.html


Statute of Limitations by State ? always double check YOUR OWN STATE Government Website
http://www.budhibbs.com/statute_of_limitations.htm


Recording calls from Debt Collectors - always double check YOUR OWN STATE Government Website
http://www.budhibbs.com/record.htm


From Federal Trade Commission Website ? FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT
Debt Collection FAQs: A Guide for Consumers
If you?re behind in paying your bills, or a creditor?s records mistakenly make it appear that you are, a debt collector may be contacting you.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation?s consumer protection agency, enforces the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices to collect from you.
Under the FDCPA, a debt collector is someone who regularly collects debts owed to others. This includes collection agencies, lawyers who collect debts on a regular basis, and companies that buy delinquent debts and then try to collect them.
Here are some questions and answers about your rights under the Act.

What types of debts are covered?
The Act covers personal, family, and household debts, including money you owe on a personal credit card account, an auto loan, a medical bill, and your mortgage. The FDCPA doesn?t cover debts you incurred to run a business.

Can a debt collector contact me any time or any place?
No. A debt collector may not contact you at inconvenient times or places, such as before 8 in the morning or after 9 at night, unless you agree to it. And collectors may not contact you at work if they?re told (orally or in writing) that you?re not allowed to get calls there.

How can I stop a debt collector from contacting me?
If a collector contacts you about a debt, you may want to talk to them at least once to see if you can resolve the matter ? even if you don?t think you owe the debt, can?t repay it immediately, or think that the collector is contacting you by mistake. If you decide after contacting the debt collector that you don?t want the collector to contact you again, tell the collector ? in writing ? to stop contacting you. Here?s how to do that:
Make a copy of your letter. Send the original by certified mail, and pay for a ?return receipt? so you?ll be able to document what the collector received. Once the collector receives your letter, they may not contact you again, with two exceptions: a collector can contact you to tell you there will be no further contact or to let you know that they or the creditor intend to take a specific action, like filing a lawsuit. Sending such a letter to a debt collector you owe money to does not get rid of the debt, but it should stop the contact. The creditor or the debt collector still can sue you to collect the debt.

Can a debt collector contact anyone else about my debt?
If an attorney is representing you about the debt, the debt collector must contact the attorney, rather than you. If you don?t have an attorney, a collector may contact other people ? but only to find out your address, your home phone number, and where you work. Collectors usually are prohibited from contacting third parties more than once. Other than to obtain this location information about you, a debt collector generally is not permitted to discuss your debt with anyone other than you, your spouse, or your attorney.

What does the debt collector have to tell me about the debt?
Every collector must send you a written ?validation notice? telling you how much money you owe within five days after they first contact you. This notice also must include the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money, and how to proceed if you don?t think you owe the money.

Can a debt collector keep contacting me if I don?t think I owe any money?
If you send the debt collector a letter stating that you don?t owe any or all of the money, or asking for verification of the debt, that collector must stop contacting you. You have to send that letter within 30 days after you receive the validation notice. But a collector can begin contacting you again if it sends you written verification of the debt, like a copy of a bill for the amount you owe.

What practices are off limits for debt collectors?
Harassment. Debt collectors may not harass, oppress, or abuse you or any third parties they contact. For example, they may not:
    use threats of violence or harm;
    publish a list of names of people who refuse to pay their debts (but they can give this information to the credit reporting companies);
    use obscene or profane language; or
    repeatedly use the phone to annoy someone.

False statements. Debt collectors may not lie when they are trying to collect a debt. For example, they may not:
    falsely claim that they are attorneys or government representatives;
    falsely claim that you have committed a crime;
    falsely represent that they operate or work for a credit reporting company;
    misrepresent the amount you owe;
    indicate that papers they send you are legal forms if they aren?t; or
    indicate that papers they send to you aren?t legal forms if they are.

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.

Debt collectors may not:
    give false credit information about you to anyone, including a credit reporting company;
    send you anything that looks like an official document from a court or government agency if it isn?t; or
    use a false company name.

Unfair practices. Debt collectors may not engage in unfair practices when they try to collect a debt. For example, they may not:
    try to collect any interest, fee, or other charge on top of the amount you owe unless the contract that created your debt ? or your state law ? allows the charge;
    deposit a post-dated check early;
    take or threaten to take your property unless it can be done legally; or
    contact you by postcard.

Can I control which debts my payments apply to?
Yes. If a debt collector is trying to collect more than one debt from you, the collector must apply any payment you make to the debt you select. Equally important, a debt collector may not apply a payment to a debt you don?t think you owe.

Can a debt collector garnish my bank account or my wages?
If you don?t pay a debt, a creditor or its debt collector generally can sue you to collect. If they win, the court will enter a judgment against you. The judgment states the amount of money you owe, and allows the creditor or collector to get a garnishment order against you, directing a third party, like your bank, to turn over funds from your account to pay the debt.
Wage garnishment happens when your employer withholds part of your compensation to pay your debts. Your wages usually can be garnished only as the result of a court order. Don?t ignore a lawsuit summons. If you do, you lose the opportunity to fight a wage garnishment.

Can federal benefits be garnished?
Many federal benefits are exempt from garnishment, including:
    Social Security Benefits
    Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits
    Veterans? Benefits
    Civil Service and Federal Retirement and Disability Benefits
    Service Members? Pay
    Military Annuities and Survivors? Benefits
    Student Assistance
    Railroad Retirement Benefits
    Merchant Seamen Wages
    Longshoremen?s and Harbor Workers? Death and Disability Benefits
    Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Benefits
    Compensation for Injury, Death, or Detention of Employees of U.S. Contractors Outside the U.S.
    Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Disaster Assistance
But federal benefits may be garnished under certain circumstances, including to pay delinquent taxes, alimony, child support, or student loans.

Do I have any recourse if I think a debt collector has violated the law?
You have the right to sue a collector in a state or federal court within one year from the date the law was violated. If you win, the judge can require the collector to pay you for any damages you can prove you suffered because of the illegal collection practices, like lost wages and medical bills. The judge can require the debt collector to pay you up to $1,000, even if you can?t prove that you suffered actual damages. You also can be reimbursed for your attorney?s fees and court costs. A group of people also may sue a debt collector as part of a class action lawsuit and recover money for damages up to $500,000, or one percent of the collector?s net worth, whichever amount is lower. Even if a debt collector violates the FDCPA in trying to collect a debt, the debt does not go away if you owe it.

What should I do if a debt collector sues me?
If a debt collector files a lawsuit against you to collect a debt, respond to the lawsuit, either personally or through your lawyer, by the date specified in the court papers to preserve your rights.

Where do I report a debt collector for an alleged violation?
Report any problems you have with a debt collector to your state Attorney General?s office (www.naag.org) and the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov). Many states have their own debt collection laws that are different from the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Your Attorney General?s office can help you determine your rights under your state?s law.

For More Information
To learn more about debt collection and other credit-related issues, visit www.ftc.gov/credit and MyMoney.gov, the U.S. government?s portal to financial education.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad
February 2009

Received a message from Allison with a "very serious matter" with "a case number!"  They tried to call my old number from 4 years ago and, of course, no one will take a message for me there.  "That's not a good thing," says this Allison person on the message.  
This is the number that I was called from, which shows a residential area listing when I searched in Bing.com.  She told me to call back at 877-752-0150.  I'll send the cease and decist letter as suggested so they stop calling.

Thank you!

ofcourse not it's a scam....check out www.zeitgeistmovie.com

you must work for these crooks

WE GET YOUR NUMBERS FROM A PAID WEBSITE, ALL INFO IS INFACT GIVEN TO US FROM YOUR ORGINAL CREDITOR, YOUR NAME, DATE OF BIRTH AND SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, NEXT TO KIN.....THINK PEOPLE WHEN YOU FILL OUT A CREDIT APPLICATION ALL INFO IS ASKED AND IF NUMBERS CHANGE, ADDRESS CHANGES WE HAVE TOOLS TO FINDING YOU AND THE MOST ACCURATE INFO IS ALWAYS ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT, WHICH WE HAVE ACCESS TO AT ANYTIME..... BY THE WAY THEY DO EVEN FILE CLAIMS AGAINST ANYONE ITS A SCARE TATIC....AND FURTHER MORE FOLKS IF THE BILL IS OUT OF STATS MEANING REALLY OLD DEPENDING ON YOUR STATE NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT....AND YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IF ITS NOT ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT DONT EVEN BOTHER TO PAY IT.....AS A MATTER OF FACT...DONT PAY IT AT ALL...SIMPLY SEND A LETTER TO STOP THE CALLS A CEASE AND DECIST LETTER...AGAIN ITS JUST A SIMPLE COLLECTION AGAENCY.....AND THEY CANT EVEN SUE.....I WAS A EMPLOYEE THERE AND THE ATTORNEY ...WELL I DONT THINK ITS EVEN ONE TO TELL THE TRUTH.....ONE MORE THING IF YOU REALLY WANNA PAY YOUR BILLS DO SO BY ALL MEANS BUT DONT LET THEM DICTATE ON WHAT YOU SHOULD PAY...IF YOU CAN PAY 1 DOLLAR A MONTH OH WELL 1 DOLLAR IS ALL THEY WILL GET....I WAS NOT TERMINATED FROM THERE I QUIT AFTER MY BOSS A HEARTLESS WOMAN FORCE A WOMAN ON HER DYING BED TO EMPTY HER LIL SAVINGS TO PAY A DAYUM BILL...THE WOMAN IS DYING COME ON NOW HAVE A DAYUM HEART....AND IF THE DEBTOR IS DEAD THEY HAVE THE NERVE TO ASK ABOUT THE NEXT TO KIN TO COLLECT ON A DEAD PERSONS BILL....PEOPLE THIS COMPANY IS NOT A LAW OFFICE ITS A SIMPLY COLLECTION COMPANY AND CANT DO NOTHING TO YOU BUT CALL YOU AND BY YOUR STATE LAWS ON COLLECTIONS 1 TIME PERDAY, CANT CALL YOUR NEIGHBORS NOR YOUR JOB AND THEY MUST STATE THE MINI MIRANDA "THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECRT A DEBT ANY INFORMATION OBTAIN WILL BE USED FOR THE PORPOSE"   MUST BE SAID EVERY TIME EVEN WHEN LEAVING A VOICE MESSAGE ON YOUR MACHINE, FOLKS START RECORDING ALL YOUR COLLECTION CALLS AND SEE HOW FAST THEY STOP CALLING AND LET THEM KNOW THAT YOUR RECORDING............SO SORRY BURGESS LAW OFFICE BUT I HAD ENOUGHT OF ANGELA AND ADAM, GREG YOUR A SWELL MAN, OH 1 MORE FINAL DETAIL THERE IS NO LITIGATIONS DEPT, NO INVESTAGATIONS DEPT, OR ANYTHING ELSE JUST A SIMPLE COLLECTION COMPANY

Why dont all of you deadbeats just pay your bills? Then you would have to worry who's calling you!

you filthy check bouncer

Yes, I also received a phone call from these people. They had a lot of info from my credit report. I don't know how they knew this info. They even have the account number they are trying to collect for. They threatened that they are going to file a breach of contract in my county this Friday.  I suspected something when they were rushing me and they even have my email address and unlisted cell number. They said they were going to send me an email verifying our agreement. I also am disabled and unable to pay my bills. I am going to contact the company they said they are collecting for and let them know the info I have.
Good luck all.

Just more false (and illegal) threats from a notorious shyster.Be sure to report him to the New York State Office of Attorney Grievance Committees, the contact information for which is listed above in Alfalfa's message from February 19.

I received a call from a Doug Burgess this morning. I did not tell him I was the person he asked for.  He stated that he was with Burgess Law Firm.  He even told me that he had filed for a "Session 64 court hearing and stated that he had better receive a return call.  I have no idea why he would even call!

yeah these people recieve three payments from me! and now are threatening me  because my personal check return to them unpaid! i paid $117.69x3! because i thought it was for a credit card i owe! i don't have any money and i'm disable these people are very ignorant!

NEW YORK DEBT COLLECTOR LAWYER
OPERATIES AN ILLEGAL LAW OFFICE
FROM CANADA!

Attorney Douglas R. Burgess does NOT let the fact he is ONLY licensed to practice law in New York State stop him from operating a ?Law Office? from Fort Erie, Ontario, CANADA. Calls to and from his CANADIAN office using the number: 877-720-9188 and fax: 905-994-9371 are made and responded to by Fort Erie, Ontario employees in CANADA. Burgess is NOT licensed to practice law in Canada and the fact that he is operating from another country is more proof of his sleazy, illegal and disgusting contempt for the law and the rights of consumers. Anyonereceiving calls on behalf of Burgess Law Office are asked to contact:

New York State Office of Attorney Grievance Committees
438 Main Street, 8th Floor  
Buffalo, New York 14202    
Phone: (716)845-3630  
Fax: (716)856-2701

http://www.giovelawofficeexposed.com/burgess.htm

Was threatend by Mr. Waller that legle actions would be taken against me regarding pending payments that i'am taking care of at this time per agreement through other sources.  Mr. Waller claimes to work for Douglas and Burges Law Firm.

   The thereating message was left on a relatives phone.

Stop whining and pay your bill

Called my work friend........told him they were looking for me.  What a weird call, how did they know I even worked with him?

these jerks didn't even call ME, they called my BEST FRIEND........told her that i have a court date, and i BETTER be there.........although they wouldn't give her any other information because i am "OF AGE"  what a crock!

recieved a call from an Antonio advising he was the lead investigator for this law firm , and someone from my phone had called and hung up on him , he was very rude and beligerent and he sounded like he was eating .  I advised him he couldn't call my house and speak like that and he advised me he could do what he wanted , he could fax papers around and file papers to take my butt to court ... he was looking for a man , I advised him I obviously was not who he was looking for , said it didn't matter , and rambeled off some female names asking me if I was them and he had everybodies social security numbers and he could do as he pleased ... he also gave me a 800# .. he had the nerve to say to have a blessed day before he hung up on me ... soon after that 800# called , I called it back someone else answered the phone , I asked what law office they were he advised - Burgess Law Office ... I asked if they had an Antonio he said no , I told him if they called again I would get an attorney and follow this up as far as I could , he advised me then that Antonio had not put anything in the computer about the call , I said I bet he didn;t as rude and nasty as he was ... He ended by telling me that they called me because this dude they are looking for has my number on his credit report ... and he yelled and said they would take my number off ... OK but are there not laws about harrasing people and giving out peoples information to random strangers ? Caller ID for the 800-976-0890 Unknown name , 716-833-0188 Unknown name

Received phone call from 716-833-0188 but did not answer, received weird message on recorder and look up phone on the internet.

I received a call from a woman who claimed to be from a law firm in Buffalo,N.Y. she had my husbands name and his last 4 digits of his social. If I didn't contact her immediately they would be taking us to civil court. (for what reason) She wanted a payment immediately by credit card. I did this not thinking correctly and was scared. I found out that this was BOGUS and canceled my card. Someone MUST do something about these people!!!

I got a call from a Jamie stating that a judgment was to be filed against me soon if I did not make a substantial payment.

very rude harrassing woman by the name of tracey hackett! left me a message telling me that there was a case being processed against me and i needed to contact with my statement in the next 2 days. i guess it's meant to intimidate! and even though there is no reason anyone would have a case against me, when you recieve such a call you get a little worried about that library book that you lost all those years ago... anyway if these people call me again, i will do something about it!

where are they getting our numbers from?

harrassing induvidual by the name of antonio speed...very indignant and rude..trys to get your social security # and calls everyone in area with the same last name..this company should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law but noone is doing anything about it??