for real..

I would like to know additional information in regards to this.  I have already given them 100.00 and have taken a loan on my life insurance to pay to rest.  I am a nervous wreck this is real and do not want them coming to my work.  I have contacted to person they say I owe the money too, and have had no response from them.  What is the next step for me.  Thanks

These guys are fraudsters & scammers and low-life scum bags. I filed with FTC and State AG. They should all kill themselves.

A male collections recording, falsifying that they're going to put out a warrant on J. Ferrell! 03/05/2013 04:28pm Remove our numbers 476-6355 & 579-3490! Our lawyer will be in contact with you in regards to this harassment. We have been polite the last 4 years in regards to giving you the proper phone number and address of the proper person for this debt. REMOVE OUR NUMBERS! Y'all keep saying that you have removed it, but it keeps coming up again and it's not always a recording but it is...harassment and it will stop or you will be taken to court! (J Ferrell hasn't lived here for 4 years!) Who is no longer in this state much less this house! We've given you her number to call her address everything you've asked for, for many years!
We care for our 97 year old mother who gets very stressed that these people won't wait for her blind self, to write down this very important phone call that might be for myself J. Ferrell or her son! I can't hear good and this man was speaking very hateful to me only 2 weeks ago how can I tell if it's a recording! (Oh that right this time it wasn't a recording), it was a hateful human being male at that! Had me upset and shaking after 5 minute phone call. My cell phone got disconnected and I have no number to call back...so I call back and get Melanie, she says that my Bank of America account wasn't any good anymore and that she needs the full amount paid back now! I told her I've never had an account with Bank of America and she said they knew that it wasn't anygood. In order to speak to me further that they need my SS# so they could talk to me about the account, I told them until they tell me who they are, and who they think I owe, and how much, I'm not giving them any such information to an unknown caller!!! We have spoke with the telephone company, the sheriff's office and BBB, no luck getting this taken care of as of yet! I am going to call our lawyer and have him give them a call.
Melanie tells me it can take up to 48 hours for the recorded message to be stopped but that our number has been removed, "unless there is another number that was given at the time of the loan," but that's what they said 2 weeks ago, and these people are hateful people, after anyone who will give them $ don't matter if they're trying to collect from the correct person or not! They won't even listen to anything you have to say because they're too busy screeming on the other end! As far as being quiet 1 minute you would be able to hear that, this is only because you won't be quiet long enough to hear that  YOU HAVE THE WRONG PERSON and you told us you took us off years ago Plain and SIMPLE!!!

I will pray for y'all! That's the only help I know that, God can help you!

03/20/2013~716-748-7874 10:36am LTS Management Services
03/05/2013~716-748-7874 04:28pm LTS Management Services

p.s. it would be helpful if your "recordings" had the time to end the call with the proper (855)# and didn't get cut off before finished with the information!
IT IS (855)854-1405

someone called from that # name Michelle and telling me that she will forward this to Fairfax County Police Dept.

Received a call from Erica @ Steinberg Weiss and Associates, after she had the nerve to call my ex-husband whom, I haven't seen in years and told him there was a warrant out for my arrest. How absurd know your rights The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act doesn't allow bill collectors to:

?Threaten to have you arrested if you don't pay
?Repeatedly telephone to harass or annoy you
?Threaten you with violence or harm
?Falsely claim to be attorneys
?Falsely claim that you committed a crime

Don't Give In to Scare Tactics
Don't be fooled into paying out money or giving personal information to these scammers. If you receive a suspicious phone call about a debt:

?Ask the caller to send the loan information to you in writing
?Refuse to verify any bank account, credit card or other personal information over the phone
?Report any telephone harassment or threats to the Federal Trade Commission. This is the agency that enforces the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
?File an online Better Business Bureau complaint to help let others know about the scam
?Contact your state Attorney General's office to find out about state debt collection and consumer protection laws that might apply


thanks to everyone sharing there stories......

they call me too. I just found is a debt collectors scam dont give them any information

we received a phone call last night 5/2/12 stating word for word the post above from Lex at first we thought it was ligit but after searching for the attorneys Steinburg Betts and Asso.  we became supicious.  This morning we are going to the Police and file a complaint and report.  The lady idenitfied herself as Angela Matthews.  Thanks for the info.

I didn't take this çompany seriously at first either. I spoke with a both a man and a woman on the phone and requested information pertaining to the account so I could research myself. As I looked into the matter it was for an old loan that I took out and never paid back. I also looked further into it and did find that I could be taken to court for the money if they chose to do so since I wrote a check to pay it back that was bad. Once I found this out and called thm back. They were actually very helpful. Although they were unable to allow me to make small payments over the next few months they did give me a chance to come up with half now and half next payday. They also sent me an email after payment was processed to confirm it and when the remaining balance is due.

it's debt collection.

Thanks alot for this information it is really helping me. i mean i am very young and didnt know anything about this stuff... and honestly was scared to death of being arrested until i thought to google the phone number and your stuff came up. it is the exact same. i did close my bank account after reviewing your post earlier and as well as credit stuff. i contacted the police when i first got the phone call and will be filing a report with them tonight. everyone told me it was a scam but honestly didnt believe that it was happening to me until i read your post and the fbi website i am THANKFUL i did not send them money bc i went thru all my savings and almost did. i so want to call them back and give them a piece of my mind though but not sure if it would be the right thing to do . . . i back tracked the number and im sure that it has been changed bc it said it did not exist and i jus hope no one falls for their scare tactics even though i almost did. i am glad i was in the right mind set to search up on them and when their lawfirm could not be located or even names and where they wanted me to send money i started getting suspicious. hope these posts help other ppl in this situation !! if you have any doubt call the police and ask them . . . thats what i did and it made my decision not to pay.

New Variation on Telephone Collection Scam Related to Delinquent Payday Loans


The IC3 continues to receive complaints from victims of payday loan telephone collection scams. As previously reported in the IC3 Alert posted December 1, 2010, the typical payday loan scam involves a caller who claims the victim is delinquent on a payday loan and must make payment to avoid legal consequences. Callers pose as representatives of the FBI, Federal Legislative Department, various law firms, or other legitimate-sounding agencies, and claim to be collecting debts for companies such as United Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Net, or other Internet check-cashing services. The fraudsters relentlessly call the victim's home, cell phone, and place of employment in attempts to obtain payment. The callers refuse to provide information regarding the alleged payday loan, provide any documentation, and become abusive when questioned.

The IC3 has recently observed a variation of this scam in which the caller tells the victim there are outstanding warrants for their arrest for non-payment and hacking into a named business with the intent of obtaining customer information. During the perpetration of this crime, the caller demands payment via debit/credit card; in other cases, the caller further instructs victims to obtain a prepaid card to cover the payment.

The high-pressure collection tactics used by the fraudsters have also evolved. In one recent complaint, a person posing as a process server actually made a personal appearance at the victim's place of employment. In another instance a fake process server came to victim's home. In both cases, after claiming to be serving the victim with a court summons, the alleged process server indicated the victim could avoid going to court if the victim provided a debit card number for repayment of the loan.

If you are contacted by someone who is trying to collect a debt that you do not owe, you should:
?Contact your local law enforcement agencies if you feel you are in immediate danger;
?Contact your bank(s) and credit card companies;
?Contact the three major credit bureaus and request an alert be put on your file;
?If you have received a legitimate loan and want to verify that you do not have any outstanding obligation, contact the loan company directly;
?File a complaint at www.IC3.gov

This scam has been reported on the news:

http://fox6now.com/2012/03/25/contact-6-issues-payday-loan-scam-alert/

Scam Alert: Fake Payday Loan Collectors

People struggle to keep up with day-to-day expenses in today's economy. Many turn to payday loans as a temporary fix for financial stress. Scammers are now cashing in on this situation to scare people into paying bills they don't owe.

High Price for Payday Loans
Payday loans are small, short-term, high-interest loans that typically come due on your next payday. The way they work is you write a check to the lender for the amount of the loan plus the lending fee. The lender gives you cash for the loan amount and holds your check for deposit for two weeks, or until your next payday.

Although convenient, payday loans come at a very high price. The lending fee (generally 15 to 30 percent of the loan amount) applies each time the loan is extended. The real cost of these loans (the annual percentage rate of interest) ranges from an astounding 300 to 1000 percent!

The Federal Trade Commission urges consumers to avoid payday loans and look for cheaper finance alternatives.

Schemers Threaten Legal Action
Nevertheless, people unable to get credit elsewhere turn to payday loans to help them through desperate times. Scammers are taking advantage of these borrowers' vulnerability to con them out of even more money.

In 2009, the Better Business Bureau warned about a telephone scheme targeting people nationwide. Phony bill collectors call accusing people of not repaying payday loans. Victims are told they'll be arrested if they don't immediately wire a $1,000 payment or provide bank account or credit card numbers.

It's Still a Problem
The scammers haven't given up, though. For example, in May 2011, Arizona's attorney general warned people about a similar scam. Consumers are receiving collection calls from fake law firms or fake government agencies telling them they owe money to a payday loan company and threatening them with legal action.

They're Convincing, Too
In both cases, consumers are duped because the scammers use official sounding company names and they know a lot of personal information about the victims, like their social security numbers, driver's license numbers and old bank account numbers. They sometimes refer to the victim's employer and even mention the names of personal friends and professional colleagues.

Can You be Arrested?
No law allows you to be arrested for failing to pay a payday loan or other type of loan. In fact, there's a law making it unlawful for bill collectors to threaten you with arrest.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act doesn't allow bill collectors to:

?Threaten to have you arrested if you don't pay
?Repeatedly telephone to harass or annoy you
?Threaten you with violence or harm
?Falsely claim to be attorneys
?Falsely claim that you committed a crime

Don't Give In to Scare Tactics
Don't be fooled into paying out money or giving personal information to these scammers. If you receive a suspicious phone call about a debt:

?Ask the caller to send the loan information to you in writing
?Refuse to verify any bank account, credit card or other personal information over the phone
?Report any telephone harassment or threats to the Federal Trade Commission. This is the agency that enforces the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
?File an online Better Business Bureau complaint to help let others know about the scam
?Contact your state Attorney General's office to find out about state debt collection and consumer protection laws that might apply

Questions for Your Attorney
?What can I do to stop receiving upsetting telephone calls about debts I don't owe?
?The telephone caller knew my social security number and bank account numbers. What should I do now to protect my identity and money?
?What should I do if I really am late paying off my payday loan?

Scam Alert

Have you been called by someone claiming you have defaulted on a loan and will face criminal prosecution unless you immediately wire them the money? It is probably a scam.

Have you been called by someone claiming you have been pre-approved for a loan and all you have to do is send $150-300 for a processing fee? It is a scam. We do not conduct transactions over the phone.

Here's what to do:
If you receive a suspicious telephone call:
? Ask the caller to provide their name, company name, address, phone number, and official documentation verifying the debt.
? Don't provide or confirm any bank account, credit card, social security number or other personal information over the phone.
? Please report suspicious calls to our Customer Comment Line at 1-800-916-6519 and to your local law enforcement.

Tips to avoid becoming a victim of this scam:
? Never give your Social Security number?or personal information of any kind?over the telephone or online unless you initiate the contact.
? Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information. The e-mail may include upsetting or exciting but false statements to get you to react immediately.
? Avoid filling out forms in e-mail messages that request personal information.
? Ensure that your browser is up-to-date and security patches have been applied.
? Check your bank, credit, and debit card statements regularly to make sure that there are no unauthorized transactions. If anything looks suspicious, contact your bank and all card issuers.
? When you contact companies, use numbers provided on the back of cards or statements

Source: http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/paydayloanscam_120710

Here are some #'s that may be helpful:

Better Business Bureau : 212-533-6200
Consumer Affairs: Call 311 to get your local office or 212-New-York
Federal Trade Commision: 877-382-4357

If they said your debt is from Advance America, got to their site yourself and view the scam alert on right side of page http://www.advanceamerica.net/
or call 1-800-916-6519 which is their Customer Comment Line.

Also, I would not accept any emails from them as they may have a trojan/worm attached to it and it could potentially compromise your entire system.

I spoke to Amanda as well. Erica is my favorite. They are trying to collect a debt from Advance America. So if that is the same creditor inquestion, got to their site, they have issued a scam alert. Call and file a complaint. Also fill out a police report to cover you. You are going to also want to change all your account #'s and possibly close them out just to be safe, so they do not have access to your funds. Contact all 3 credit bureaus and have them issue a flag. It will be valid for about 3 months and you will have to do it again afterward, but in the mean time, these pirates will not be able to get an account using your name, address and SS#. I think another necessary precaution, although extreme, would be to got to Social Security and have them issue you another SS#. Also invest in a "Privacy Guard". Assume the worst and imagine these individuals to take this personal. Meaning, dont underestimate that they will not try to revisit you at a later date, whether a week, a month or years later. If you take all these necessary, however inconvenient they may be, you will win and they will loose. So spread the word.

Also, as a FYI, dont think they are unaware of this site. After calling them a few times and giving them a piece of my mind, they answered the phone, "Hey Yogi!" In case you dont get it, thats my screen name. Erica, you said you were good, but not that good. You were compromised as well. Muuuaahhhhh!!!!!! You filthy rats!!!!!!!

I recieved a phone call from this number saying they were Steinburg Betts and associates, when they called the lady "amanda matthews" stated that i was delenquent on paying a payday loan from 6 years ago in a different state, she continued to tell me that there would be a warrant issued if i did not send money within 3 hours to a separate company.. she then told me the only way to pay this balance would to send money via money gram or credit card or pre paid credit card. . after i contacted my police, i found out that this can not happen as she stated, so i decided not to pay it after looking up her name, business and the business she wanted me to send money to was not found on google. she than contacted me 6 times in a 12 hour period and i finally picked up the phone and told her i was not sending the money, she than stated she would file the paper work with the district attorney and i better have some bail money set aside to get me out of jail. after reading the fbi page, i find out she has my banking information and is threatening to take the money that way. a lock will be placed on all my banking accounts and i hope no one else falls for her scam!

Received a call from them. The are supposedly Coleman Weiss & Associates located in Rochester. Spoke to 3 different individuals. 2 women and 1 man. The 1st time I thought so called debt was legit but she got angry when I stated that she did not comply with FDCPA regulations Fair Debt Collection Practices Act § 807. False or Misleading Representations [15 USC 1692e]. She became frustrated and accused me of being argumentative and wanted to terminate call. I called the 2nd time after reading this article from this link http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/paydayloanscam_120710 . I spoke to a man and I told him I wanted to pay a debt. he tried to get me everyway to pay electronically instead of via mail and wanted a credit card, prepaid card, or money gram. I refused and began to read from the FBI site. He argued with me but eventually hung up after threatening me that he would take care of my wife (calling her by her name) and me. Called the 3rd time and asked another lady how many people she had in her office. She asked how many people in my house and then began to curse me out. How unprofessional.

They try to use scare tactics to get people to pay money but remember everything must happen according to processes set by government. No arrest can take place wthout a judge, and issuing court, the charge for the issuance of warrant and date. Plus you would have to receive local correspondants with a seal on it and sometimes thats not enough.

Just to add, I found similar postings related to Coleman Weiss and Associates using a different phone number - 1-877-673-8285 and others are saying it's a debt collection scam...guess they wised up to their original 877 number being reported so they have switched to the 855 number.

message states they are a law firm - Coleman Weiss and Associates (couldn't find them listed) looking for a relative..not even someone that we see on a regular basis...to discuss legal action taken against them TONIGHT.  I'm assuming it's debt collection.