Such a cheerful shill .. "Silly old me forgot about that dusty bill, and the nice agency made it so easy to hand over my hard-earned money to strangers before I could use my better judgment and demand proof of claim!"

NEVER allow a debt collector electronic access to your bank accounts. It's open season on your savings, and good bloody luck to you getting your money back in court when excessive "payments" are withdrawn.

"Curious" described a "Foti message", which is more quasi-legal, a common industry reaction to a landmark court decision in 2009 from Foti-v-NCO.

The FTC makes two demands of third party collectors which are sometimes in conflict. A collector must make ''meaningful disclosure'' of its identity yet respect the privacy of whoever is named on a debt account. This has led to the wide adoption of those clumsy canned messages which try to make a person self-authenticate. Hence the absurd commands to ''stop listening if you're not the droid we're after''. Collectors are sued about the same no matter which rule they favor. However, there is case law which scolds them for breaking one law just to satisfy another.

The commentor could (by early 2012, anyway) possibly have pressed a case of improper disclosure if the entire message was heard accidentally by someone who is not a spouse or not already authorized to hear such discussion of debt. Declaring "I owe but can't pay" is a hazardous invitation to a creditor lawsuit. A smarter first reaction is to make the collector fetch validation and monitor their actions for legal violations, which are likely from a known troublemaker like ERC.

"THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING" for two reasons:
- The DNC registry is a *list* and not a "they".
- The federal Do-Not-Call registry exists to help enforce the Telemarketing Sales Rule. Please note the operative term ''marketing''. A debt collector is not a sales person and is therefore not covered. Here are the DNC service terms you were supposed to review at registration time:

National Do Not Call Registry Q&A
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0108-national-do-not-call-registry

Third party debt collectors must answer to their own laws, which among many provisions grant you the right to limit or ban all phone contact. You must do this *directly* with the call source, not file reports elsewhere and fume when nothing changes. Any demands you make of a collector are best served on paper, sent USPS Certified with return card.

Official-type material on US federal collection law:
http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/search ... debt-collection

They call EVERY day and hang up.  If they are trying to get a hold of one of our hairstylists it is against the law for to call their place of business.

Judging by the postings here, I'm guessing debt collection scam. I'm trying the automated number removal service for this company today. Hopefully it works.

You are actually not legally responsible for paying your deceased husband's debt. I spoke with an attorney about this in California. Unless you signed something stating you were the "financially responsible party" then can pound sand! Tell them you are aware of the law and you will report them for harassing and annoying call to the police. Go and file a police report!

After reading comments and getting two unanswered calls I called them and they asked for somebody that is in never never land, not at my phone.

Too bad they can't dial numbers corredtly.

Paid of the debt that theses people are trying to get me to pay

CALL SEVERAL TIMES  ONE DAY

I get continual recorded messages for some named "Cynthia Cloak (kloak? kloke?) from "Bob" at "Enhanced Recovery Company" - a collection agency. The recording said to all back 800-403-9624 or http://www.kerc.com , Reference Number 61212184

I did not contact or call them back.
I have dozens of these recorded messages.
I have filed a complaints with DO NOT CALL REGISTRY and THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING!.  
https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx
The messages will not stop.

Mike, it's very simplistic to spew that mantra. The issue here is NOT that someone has skipped on a debt owed. It is about debt collectors violating the law by reactivating debts which are past the statute of limitations making them no longer collectible (fed law) by the original creditor. We live in a society of laws and they are violating the law by operating the way they do. That makes them liable under the law. It's that simple. Yes, if the person paid the original debt owed, they would not be getting these calls, however that is not the real issue here, it is only a red herring.
For those getting these calls: Don't speak to them, DON'T GIVE THEM ANY INFO. Just tell them to send letter and you will respond. Google debt collector laws and follow them in your response.  Your letters should always be sent via certified mail, return receipt requested. Keep all letters and postal receipts.

ditto - everyday it's a different number

The number came up as verizon because that is one of the biggest companies they collect for. They have been harrassing me for months over a dispute I had with verizon wireless. They call twice a day once in the 8am hour and once in the evening. Sometimes they leave an automated message sometimea nothing. The messages usually say "we are try to find correct location for (my name here) please call us back to discuss this matter."
Its really frustrating.

Get a clue above describes my situation.  I moved my small business within the same city and in the process got a new phone number that belonged at one time to a deadbeat woman.  I have gotten hundreds of calls for her.  I tell them to Google the number and my company website will pop up.  They say they will take my number off the list but never do and keep calling multiple times per day.

Oddly enough received a call from this number-800-403-8950, then right afterwards from this number-877-858-4958. Close enough they both show up with a 7:52 time-stamp. The second number is reported as NRA (National Recovery Agency, or National Rifle Association) on its 800notes page. Possibly the two are connected/same debt collection agency? However, from other's call backs to the second number it 'is' the National Rifle Association.

F****ng b***s***.

Received call from this number about 15 minutes ago ... showed up on my caller-id... they did not leave any message.

Hey Mike you do realize 95% of us get these calls and we don't owe ANY MONEY!!! They are looking for someone else!!! So why don't you grow up and get a damm clue!!!!

You do know that there are no 9 digit telephone numbers.. It's all 10 digit!!! NPA./NXX/XXXX  Wow that's 10 digits!  Why don't you learn to count!

So tell me.. how do you like working for these bottom feeding scum?  You all violate every single law and you take pride in it!  I have been receiving calls from since we move and received a NEW TELEPHONE NUMBER back in July 2011.  Keep asking for this chick who we have no idea of!  Told the person on the phone every single time that we do not know her and to remove the # from the database. Does that happen? Of course not!!!  Our phone rings from 1st thing in the morning until the last possible second at night. I have since filed a complaint with the FTC!

I work as a receptionist and have been seeing this number appear since October 2011.  I would answer the phone and there would be no one there and then it would disconnect.  803-403-8950 calls our business everyday twice a day.  I don't even answer when I see this number.  I pick up and hang up right away.  Wish there was someone out there to get rid of these annoying phone calls.

You ARE kidding, right?????  I would NEVER give out bank account info.

Have been geting calls from 800-403-8950 and does not record a message. I don't know this number.

I work for an administrative support company on behalf of debt settlement lawyers; our program helps people in debt with  tons of  collection calls. I actually JUST received a call from this #, ERC - I'm already familiar with them because of my job. Do not be afraid to call them back & ask questions about them! Gathering intel in a cool, calm manner from them (with your finger on the mute or hang up button, to use as needed) will give you better understanding of what's going on, if it's really you they're trying to reach. They are legitimate collectors, but not all the employees will act professional, & some make wild threats as scare tactics so people feel pressured to send money right away. Collections for debts is still kinda the wild,wild west - lots of agents will have a legitimate company backing them but aren't afraid to (when they know or think they can get away with it) break the rules becasue they know it's hard to prove & most people won't sue or pursue proper avenues for complaints to add up to discipline for the Attorney General & higher up's to actually take action against them. So my advice is stay calm & do your research.
In my case, whoever had my cell# prior was Vietnamese, I get voicemail messages & even direct calls from people speaking that language, all I can do is delete it & tell them wrong#. But I called ERC right back (from my work#) & listened to their automated routing system - they have a # prompt where you can report your phone # to be removed. HOWEVER - if you DO OWE DEBT, & you've been avoiding it, their reason for calling you may be legitimate & this may confirm your # as valid to contact for them. I told them they're calling the wrong#, but asked to know the name of person they were trying to reach - someone named "Thu". My # was removed, & they were polite & proifessional.
If you do own some debts, they will usescare tactics to make you emotional, as emotional people are more easily swayed to make payments, give out info & details they SHOULD NEVER GIVE OUT (like banking details - NEVER, EVER DO AUTO PAYMENTS - EVER!!!) , or even just get desparate enough to borrow $$ from friends just to make the harrassment stop(again if they can get away with it, some people are reasonable in the various collection companies out there & some are lunatic @ssholes. So stay calm, get informed, empower yourself to take action to get rid of any debt you have & GET PROOF OF ANY DEBT THEY SAY THEY OWE - if they cannot provide statement-proof, you are not obligated to pay them. If you make payment arrangements ALWAYS get it in Writing FIRST, then proceed to pay with a money order or check, something TRACEABLE & EASILY VALIDATED LATER ON IF ANYONE TRIES TO CALL YOUR PAYMENT OF THE DENT INTO QUESTION!!!! Best wishes to all.

they call 4 and 5 times a day. i have caller ID
so when the number pops up I lift up the receiver
and disconnect the call quickly. sometimes
they call back 3 or 4 more times and I do the same
thing over and over. Them calling back so many times
when I do this tells me its making them mad and I like
that a lot. I can play their games longer than they
can.

Won't stop calling , won't answer the phone, try to get your money.

They not only use this number but here is another 800-403-9624.  Not only are they a scam but they also abuse the hours that any solicitor is allowed after 9 pm.

Blood SUCKING "Fool's) won't stop even though I stopped picking up

Called us at 5:27 AM.  I thought that was illegal.

after reading these comments, i know what youre going through. they call my personal cell phone asking for a man i dont even know. called people in india and nothing has changed. appartently he owned this number before me. i finally answered and said, im not this person, please take me off your list. they said ok. no calls since.