Debt collector.

I received a call today from this number and spoke with a John Marshall. He stated that he was the managing partner for Financial Protection Services. At first he was very nice explaining to me that there may have been a case of identity fraud and he was just checking to verify information. Once I acknowledged the debt and stated I was unemployed and could not pay the $1600 ( The original loan was for only $250 ) Mr. Marshall then began to swear at me and use racial slurs. He ended the conversation with If my black a** would stop buying crack and heroin I could pay my bills. I have called my attorney and will be getting in contact with the Nevada State Attorney General as well as The new York State Attorney General.

I got a call today from 877-312-3858 claiming a pending legal action against me was in place over a debt from a pay day loan place. I told the man at ext 507 that nor I or my husband has ever taken out a pay day loan so he must have the wrong information. he processed to give me the account # to my bank account which by the way was not the right acct #. Then told me I had to settle this matter today unless I wanted to pay even more money through court cost and interest. I again told him that that was not my acct # and would be glad to fax him my bank statement from the date in question that the loan was deposited and he again told me that i had to settle this today .... I went to my bank gave them the acct # that he gave me and was told by the bank that it wasn't even a valid acct # of theirs and suggested that i call the man back a ask for everything in writing since I have never seen or heard of this pending legal action. So I did and was put on eternal hold and then dumped into a general voice mail box. According to my bank this is a scam.... Don't fall for it

Debt collectors also are prohibited from saying that:
    legal action will be taken against you, if doing so would be illegal or if they don?t intend to take the action.

ITS AN ILLEGAL SCARE TACTIC - they want you to panic and pay them without them PROVING the debt is yours and that it is valid -

CHECK YOU STATE LAWS ABOUT RECORDING CALLS - Some states require that you tell the caller you are recording, others do not.   Its important to remember if you live in a state that requires that you tell them at the beginning of the call that you are recording - THEY EITHER CONSENT OR STOP CALLING.  

KEEP all Vmail messages with these illegal threats as well.  



THE CORRECT WAY TO HANDLE COLLECTION CALLS AND ILLEGAL TACTICS
HANDLE IT CORRECTLY AND THEY WILL END UP PAYING YOU

READ DEALING WITH DEBT COLLECTORS, RECORDING CALLS AND STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS BY STATE
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/First.htm
    
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

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

I got a call at work yesterday from this number from ms. mccarthy at ext 403. I have no debt owed. When i try to call the number back at the ext it just rings and rings and rings until i get her voicemail. I don't want her to be calling my work all the time cuz most of the time i'm not at my desk, and i would like to know what this is all about. If it were really debt collectors wouldn't they be calling my house ?? Or sending me stuff in the mail ??

I received a call from this phone # today. He claims to have been a lawyer with some law office. The message to me was that they have a pending case to file a civil liability suit  and ask that myself or legal representative call them back at 877-312-3858 EXT 355 and left a "case number" does such a case number even exist? This company obviously gets online and searches for # listings. I don't know why they are calling me. I pay my bills and if they do have a case against me. put it in writing and quit calling and leaving messages. identify yourselves as who you are and not what you pretend to be. Lawyers have more class then leaving a threatening message on all of our answering machines.

haha "my attorney said"---I love that these scumbags can come up with the money to pay an attorney but they wont pay their bills. Its pathetic. If the only job that you can keep is being a PROFESSIONAL DEBTOR, than you deserve all the harassment that you get. Collection agencies call you to resolve your debts voluntarily, and allow you to make payments if you were/are going thru a hardship.. enjoy the lawsuits and garnishments that come from ignoring them. And stop your whining, you did it to yourself!

i got a call the other day from 877-312-3858, and a guy by the name robert flynn at ex 313, he stated that "theres a pending investigation against you" ,  I already know its a collection agency, making threat on my voicemail.  get aload of this, a website pay day loans service made fraudulent charges on my account that i had with Bank of America, FPS group, claims i owe them 200.00, that they already took, but claim that they only took fees., i stop using my account because i had another bank, while there was no money in my B.O.A account, i had received a letter from B.O.A that i had overdraft fees  of 1300.00.  the website handed the matter to FPS group, in which they are wasting time. these people using scare tactics to get people to call them back, oh yes i called them back, but wont answer there phone, and left a message not to call me back, or my banckrupcy lawyer has you in his crosshairs [+]

big stupid idiot

Their continued harrassment on this public forum is also ILLEGAL.

What practices are off limits for debt collectors?
Harassment. Debt collectors may not harass, oppress, or abuse you or any third parties they contact.

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;
    
Debt collectors also are prohibited from saying that:
    you will be arrested if you don?t pay your debt;

BE SURE TO INCLUDE THIS THREAD WITH ALL YOUR COMPLAINTS TO THE AG'S.

I got a call yesterday from this number from a woman who identified herself as Jillian, and wanted me, or whoever was representing me (a lawyer, I assume) to call them/her back WITHIN 24 HOURS! She was extremely rude, and tried to sound oh-so-threatening. I had no idea who she was representing (some old unpaid bill, I assume(sorry HaHa, sometimes I do forget to pay one). Anyway, I gave in and tried to call her back, and after it rang like 15 times, with no VM, a receptionist answered, I asked her if there was a Jillian there, and she rudely asked me who was calling. I then got put on hold for 5 or 6 min, burning up my cell minutes, and I was at work, so I hung up. Good luck, Jillian, whoever you are. If you want to talk to me, come to the phone when you get a return call. I tried. I wish I'da went to this site before I called her back cuz I woulda seen it was a scammer.

Just out of curiosity, what are you doing on this site if you did not receive a phone call from these people?  Oh rightous one do you really not have anything better to do?

spoken like the true scumbag you are!

Don't be scared by that law office, they know what they are doing is illegal.  I filed a complaint three times to the FTC because they were constantly calling me at work and leaving messages on different managers voicemails in my office for me to contact them.  I was contacted by Karen Davis who is a senior consumer fraud representative  from the Buffalo Regional Office (new york is where mark a carey is based out of) who saw my complaint on the FTC site and asked me to fill out a formal complaint against the law firm, which I did, And within that same week she had responded saying that the Law offices of Mark A. Carey put a cease and desist on my account and closed it.  This was later confirmed by a letter from the law office that I had received through the BBB, they admit wrongdoing and have fired the employee who used illegal tactics to get me to pay a debt that they did not prove and could not prove was mine.  I strongly suggest that you do the same, go online and file a complaint to the FTC, send in numerous complaints if you have to. Each time they call you at work, or your home document it and file a complaint.

... no wonder my interest rates are so darn high on my credit cards .... why is everyone in America always trying to get a free ride with everything .... bill collectors wouldnt call you if you payed your bills !

Haha who's the losers here those idiots trying to get your money or you thieves who don't pay your bills. i think websites like this are so funny. I'm gonna be honest, i gotta side with the bill collectors on this one, haha at least they have jobs! You people sit on here (when you should be at work) and piss and moan because they called you because YOU owe other people money!PAY YOUR BILLS and they wont call!!! Bankruptcy?HA!Your a coward you owe a debt PAY IT. everyone in this country has an excuse. and everyone wants something for nothing. Think, if a bank gave $1 to everyone on earth without the intent to repay do you think it would be able to continue doing business? NO! Thats what interest is for idiots. Maybe if all you overspending morons would stop living outside your means the economy wouldnt be in the toilet. Hey heres an idea! Pay your bills and bill collectors wont have a job! If you people were'nt professional scumbags bill collectors wouldnt have to threaten you with stupid things to get you to pay!Wait heres another idea! Try talkin to them civilly and maybe you get treated the same. Oh and by the way everybody thinks debt consolidation company's are such help. Well guess what? If you did your home work you'd see that those co's charge you a FEE or PERCENT to handle your debt, plus they talk to the bill collectors and settle your debts for the lowest bidder. The debt will then be reported to all three credit bureaus as a settlement wich has a negative effect on your score. So essentially you pay them money to do nothing!Enjoy the calls scumbags!

I received a call from fps in regards to a chase credit card debt. After calling chase bank directly they said that the debt was previously with the carey law firm and is now with fps. but i also thought it was funny who cares though i just filed bankruptcy. good luck everyone my attorney also told me to easiest way to get a break was with a debt settlement company like freedom financial if you don't want to file chap 7

Ok so I got a call from this company today called FPS Group. I talked to a lady who said I had a pending civil case and was going to be served at my place of employment to appear in front of a judge. She asked me if I wanted to be transfered to a paralegal and was transfered to a Mr. Peters. He stated he was with the Law Offices of Mark Carey. This got me thinking as I had been harrased by these losers a month earlier. I checked the adresses and are in the same building. I researched them and saw they had numerous complaints against them and it looks like they just changed there name. These guys are a scam. Do not take calls from FPS services. They are the law offices of mark carey and Mr. Peters owns and runs both. I will be calling the attny general and ftc on these scam artists.