This is the third time I've gotten a call like this to my business cell line.  I got two from a man about a month ago and nothing ever happened.  Now I just received one today, this time a woman named Ashley Miller.  Said she was calling from St. Francois county (I live no where near there)...pronounced it wrong (which if you live in MO you don't pronounce it wrong, trust me)...gave a call back number to Maryland!!  443-282-1544...Said she will come to my house between 3 and 5 pm tomorrow to serve me a certified notice of intent.  Um, I don't owe any money to anyone.  I haven't even owned a credit card in about 5 years.  Here's the best part...called me completely by the wrong first name!!  Apparently my name is now Cheryl!!!  Who are these people doing this stuff?  Can't block them because they call from "Unknown" numbers!!!

I'm not sure characterizing people who give them money as being "stupid" is 100% fair. My identity was stolen quite some time ago, so I've had plenty of time to get used to staying calm when I receive this type of call. Fortunately, I had read enough about the issue to avoid giving out my credit card info. But, I remember very well feeling panicked and confused in the beginning. The reason these scumbags continue with this type of scam because they know normally intelligent, capable, good people being upset enough to do something "stupid."

I received the same type of call from 877-720-3009 and with the same type of threats.  I got mad and cussed them out.  I called the number877-690-915 as I was told to do and they again threatened me with the law.  

Has anyone ever received/been served any legal documents or summons to appear in court from this company/collection agency? Also wondering if anyone has ever gotten written documentation of their alleged debt from this collection agency? I ask because I have been threatened by this collection agency and I want to know if it's even worth the agervation of calling these people to get any kind of information about my alleged debt. I really don't want to be harassed or served.

On August 23rd 2013, I received a call at work from some lady who didn't even ID herself in any way. Just stated I had an outstanding summons against me and that I needed to call a phone number and gave me a case number.  I asked her where she was calling from and in regards to what.  All she said was that she was located in Arkansas , which is also where I live . Duh, lady! Well, I go ahead and call the number and talk to someone name Stan Lock. He proceeds to tell me that 500fastcash , which is an online payday loan Company, was pursuing fraud charges against me for a loan I took out in 2008. Over five years ago. He advised me that they went to withdraw the funds to repay the loan and my account was closed, thereby committing fraud. I moved to Arkansas 5 years ago and did close my account due to not having that type of bank here , but made sure to give the company my new info.    Stan then continues his pitch stating the contract I signed when I made the loan made it possible for me to settle with Creditor mediation services ( his company) before I was to be sued.  According to Mr Lock, there was a process server literally down the road an I had minutes to satisfy this.  The company had supposedly added interest and I now owed almost 2 grand.  This guy literally scared the hell out of me and I stupidly set up two post dated credit card payments to pay a settlement amount of 968 dollars in the next two weeks
Fortunately, I did some research and canceled my debit card before they ran any payment.  He literally threatened my job and personal life , playing on the fact that I am a nurse and any criminal charges against me would inhibit my license and effectively end my nursing career.  However, these are the facts I uncovered !!
Most payday loan lenders are non licensed , especially if done online. This fact alone makes it so they cannot 'sue' you. In fact, if payday lending is illegal in your state and an online company gives you a loan anyway (because this actually happens all the time.  They will Lend to anyone despite state laws because ) you are not even obligated to pay it back. At all!!!

It is not legal in Michigan or Arkansas to be sued or prosecuted in any way due to a payday loan. Not even in a civil court (loan given while I lived in Michigan and now I'm in Arkansas)

You cannot be sued anyway for a debt over five years old. Ever! In any state. For any bill. Per FDCPA

SO ... A day after the payment declines I begin to get phone calls at work.  A week later some moron from a Texas number calls me identifying herself only as Jessica from ASP
She leaves a rambling message on my phone saying her office was told to contact me regarding fraud charges against me due to my non payment of my arranged settlement with CMS. She said she wanted to get ahold of me before the matter went any further.   Now, I tried researching this place and found nothing.  CMS has a website but their fax numbers don't work so I mailed a cease and desist letter.  Jessica also left a message on my husbands cell phone BEFORE contacting me. She said she was looking for me in regards to pending charges and disclosed a bunch of info on his voicemail.  In case people don't know , disclosing info about a debt to a third party without the debtors consent is illegal.  She also said 'I don't know if you know what's going on but your wife is in serious trouble'. Ha!  I called and left HER a message telling her that not only is the debt not collectable , but that their tactics were illegal and I knew it and that she and CMS had violated laws including the phone call to my husband.  I also told her I would be filing charges on her and them if they didn't leave me alone.  So far no more calls!
Please don't let these idiots scare you. They are all talk and highly illegal and immoral.  How they still operate I don't know. But they can do nothing to you!!!!

I received a phone call from a restricted number. When I didn't answer they called my brother when he didn't give information to them. Then called my aunt she called me and questioned me. I called them back a Guy named Chris smite said he worked for n.m.s said I was being sued for a payday loan that was paid off over a ye ago. So I called express check advance corporation. To report to the district manager.

No!

Great advice posted by an attorney on:
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-718-732-0174

"IF they do not provide you with the verification of the debt, the debt is invalid and not subject to collection.  PAY NOTHING TO ANYBODY UNLESS THEY PROVIDE YOU WITH WRITTEN VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT, AND ONLY THEN IF YOU FEEL THE DEBT IS VALID - otherwise, let them sue you for the debt, as a real law firm will only bring a legal action on a truly valid debt".

Go here to obtain the template for the DV letter and read more on your consumer rights under the FDCPA:  http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/

have received several calls from michelle williams. unable to understand everthing that she said-i guess she's calling from India. Has threatened me with arrest tomorrow morning if she doesn't receive money today. the amount owed seems legit & she does have details from a loan from 7 years ago. not sure if i should send the money or not.

I have been getting a phone call from 786-380-4415  from a michelle williams who called my cell phone to tell me my husband  is gonna be arrested for a claim for a pay day loan that we never got because he had a bad credit  then when I called her back she couldnt give me information on the claim acted like she had no idea what I was talking about told me why did I care to tell my husband he was gonna be arrested tomorrow at my home and that I should shut up then hung up on me so when I called back she answered the phone again when I told her she was rude she said you americans and we started exchanging words when she hung up again  I want to know if a person can be arrested for a pay day loan

They fell for the bait, I told them I was looking for my old loan to payoff with Dorsey Thornton and they confirmed they changed there name to National Mediation Group because of lies on internet. They really changed because of truth below. Call Georgia consumer Affairs and let them know thy are up to the same tricks with new name.



Debt Collector Dorsey Thornton & Associates Enters into $15.5 Million Settlement with the Governor?s Office of Consumer Protection

February 29, 2012




ATLANTA, GA ? Dorsey Thornton & Associates, LLC, a Georgia debt collections company, and its principal officers Wyteria Dorsey and Michael Thornton, have entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with the Governor?s Office of Consumer Protection (OCP), resolving charges that the company committed multiple violations of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act. OCP?s investigation stemmed from a series of reports from consumers that Dorsey Thornton & Associates harassed and deceived consumers by:
?Threatening consumers with arrest or imprisonment if they did not pay the debt;
?Refusing to send consumers written proof of the debt owed;
?Identifying themselves as ?Investigators? rather than disclosing that they were debt collectors attempting to collect a debt;
?Contacting third parties and divulging information about the debtor?s account;
?Calling consumers before 8:00am or after 9:00pm
?Continuing to contact consumers even after they told the company to stop calling them;

Under the Assurance, Dorsey Thornton & Associates has agreed to forego collection of 31,433 accounts, representing a total of $15,491,899.36 in consumer debt. The Assurance also requires the company to pay a civil penalty and to reimburse OCP for investigative and legal expenses.

?Debt collectors who engage in this kind of harassment, deception and other illegal behavior in the state of Georgia must and will pay a steep price,? said John Sours, Administrator of the Governor?s Office of Consumer Protection.


Press Contact Info

Shawn Conroy
404-656-3790

The people who will shut them down is at: Geirgua Consumer Affairs

Contact Us

Our office is located at:

2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Suite 356
Atlanta, Georgia  30334-9077

Tel: 404-651-8600 or 1-800-869-1123 (toll-free in Georgia, outside of the metro Atlanta calling area)

Fax: 404-651-9018

Office hours: 8:00am-5:00pm, Monday-Friday.
Telephone counselors are available between 8:30am-5:00pm weekdays

they called me also for the past 3days now talking about come to my home or work sreving me with court papers for to day. i filied a compliant with its called FTC.gov online about them keep callin me and another people i dont even have there numbers. they have to be a scammer/fraud and his name thats calling is chuck hells

Just got a call from chuck and he called my daughter yesturday. threatening the same thing to me.

these people called someone I don't even know their phone number. Left a claim number and a threatening message. Don't have any clue of what they are talking about.

keep getting calls from this number threats to be served

I got a message from a Chuck Ashe and he threatened to show up at my home address and work on the 20th of March 2012. To serve me with papers to appear in court. He said I had one time to contact the mediator 8776904915. I have been getting these calls since last july. These people are such jerks. I have no clue as to what he is talking about. He also called and left the same message for me on my sisters phone.

Yep, got a call today with a message from Susan Walsh.  The call was for my x-husband, divorced 22 years ago.  Not sure where they got my number as to we have had no association for years and never has he been linked to my cell phone number.  She left a number to call 877-690-4915 (National Mediation Services) about a claim on his uneven SSN???

Update to this issue: Here is some information from the FBI

http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releas ... nt-payday-loans

Consumers across the country report that they're getting telephone calls from people trying to collect on loans the consumers never received or on loans they did receive but for amounts they do not owe. Others are receiving calls from people seeking to recover on loans consumers received but where the creditors never authorized the callers to collect for them. So what's the story?

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 them, 404-996-0798 and 404-996-0750. Theyu were claiming that i owed a payday loan from March 2007 and defaulted on it on April 2007. When I asked them for documentation, she stated that all documentation will be presented to me when they file a 188 writ against me. When i toldf them this sounded false, and i needed time to research they demanded i pay then $600 dollars now, or $ 2 payments of $350 or 4 payment of $225. I told them that i am not going to pay for something that I can't verify, and after a lengthy call I asked them to stop calling me. They said they will continue to call, becuase i owe this. I told them that i would send the cease and desist letter and where to mail it. They gave me a PO Box 47484 Atlanta Georgia 30362 address. Has anyone sent a letter to this address, and if so, did they stop calling?

David Harrison called talking about a certified letter in regards to a claim against me that he will need me to sign for.  It is supposed to be a notice of intent to appear.  They give no business name and sound very threatening.  He also called my mom's house with a message much the same.  He said I have one chance to clear this matter up if I call the mediator at 1-877-690-4915.

thanks for all the provided information.  i received a call from Michelle an unknown number she then gave me 877-690-4915.  The person answered the phone stating that i have an outstanding debt with payday loan.  i clearly informed him that i dont and he said once i receive some papers to follow the instructions on page 3. also when you call back to get another associate he;s the same person to answer.

This may be an extortion scam. Scammers use bought/hacked/phished loan application data to extort payments for fictitious debts from victims and victims' families and friends.
The FBI warns about payday loan extortion scams here http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/paydayloanscam_120710
The BBB has issued several alerts on this scam, just google "bbb.org alert phony debt collector"
Report to the Internet Crime Complaint Center http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx , the Federal Communications Commission http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm , the Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ and your state AG, as appropriate.

This group has also called me, threatening to send myself, & sometimes my sister, to jail by 4:30 pm if we don't send payment immediately.  Sometimes, they identify themselves as a collection agency, quoting the Federal law that gives them the authority to have a person arrested, other times they claim to be the actual law enforcement official holding the warrant for arrest.

First, I contacted the county they claimed to be from, confirming my suspicion that no law enforcement agency will EVER call ahead to warn you that they have a warrant for your arrest, or give you the chance to pay them to prevent from being arrested...they'd be risking your running away, or taking a bribe, potentially being caught by their superiors, ludicrous.

Second, it is illegal for any collection agency to threaten imprisonment.  I'm pretty sure they cannot threaten criminal charges, either.

Thirdly, this agency has represented itself under several different names {& spoofed numbers}, mostly National Mediation Group, & Dorsey, Thornton Associates; & 877-690-4915; 404 996-0798.  I believe there may be a legitimate National Mediation Group, but they did not start using this name until after they were unsuccessful with the phony attorney cover {Dorsey, Thornton}.

In many states, you are not required to pay a collection, paying the original creditor directly, instead.  The best course of action is to NEVER answer calls from numbers you aren't absolutely positive belong to a source you have chosen to deal with.  If you believe you have legitimate debts, contact the creditor directly, using only the written information you received when you opened the account, & make payment arrangements with them.  Also, report contact you've had from any source other than the original creditor.  If it is a scam, they have the power to contact the Attorney General to press charges against con artists using their name.

In addition, DO NOT PLAY with this type of caller.  It may appear that you're gaining some satisfaction from annoying them, but, trust me, they don't care, in fact, they love it.  It's shocking how much information they can gain, use, & sell to other fraudsters just through speaking with you via telephone; in many cases, just having your name, & phone number will give them the tools they need to attack your bank account directly, & to sell it to others to do the same.

This past Thursday I started receiving calls from Michelle Black in regards to a clam filed with her office to serve me with a certified notice of intent.  She did not leave the name of the company she worked for or a contact number for her she just said that I needed to call this "mediation" company and I have ONE chance of contacting them before she gets a hold of me and then said good luck.  So I went ahead and called that mediation company they were asking me about a payday loan from over six years ago, I don't remember even having one and they wanted me to settle it over the phone, I repeatedly requested for them to send me documentation on this and told them that I would be more than happy to review it and compare it to my files and the lady denied me and said she was just going to serve me with that notice of intent.  Then I proceeded to ask her if this was a debt I owed from over 6 years ago why is this a first attempt of trying to get money second asked how familiar she was with the statue of limitations for Pennsylvania or Florida because we are more than two years out side of it at this point from the date she gave me this was from.  She still threatened me with serving me that notice.  Then after this call that Michelle Black proceeded to repeatedly call my grandmother several times before the weekend and leave several messages, as per my gram never picks up the phone unless she knows the number. I am going to be filing a complaint against this company.

I received a call from Debbie Foster with a message that said that I needed to contact the mediation firm that is handling my case.  My case number is 107567.  And will be served with a certified notice of intent.  She ended the call with you have been officially notified.  These people are rude and think I owe for loan that I don't even have with them.  And now they are calling my family members I will report them today to the Federal Trade Commission.  She didn't even say who she was working for.

So today they called again and I decided to answer and humor them.  Corey Orlando claimed to work for a company call "Third Party Locating" and told me to call NMS with my claim number.  I called and spoke to David Foster (at ext 303) who began telling me that TPL was going to serve me with notices from a payday loan company that I owed almost $1,000.  I told him I did not have any outstanding payday loans as they were taken care of by the bank several years ago so I knew everything he was saying was false.  He told me the bank didn't sign a contract with the payday loan company so I was the one saying false statements.  When I tried to speak again, he said when you're ready to tell the truth call back and hung up on me.  These people are so ridiculous.  I feel bad for the sensitive or innocent types who believe the crud these people spew.  Now I kind of want them to call back so I can play with them some more and entertain myself at their expense.  They claim they will never send anything on paper (except the certified notice of intent that they're going to bring to your house) and will not give out any address information.  Corey Orlando told me he had no idea what the physical address of his employer was.

My call came from Corey Orlando.  He gave a claim number (107477) and said he was ordered to inform me that I was to sign a certified notice of intent regarding a claim filed against me.  Then he called my mother who called me in a panic because because it sounded so "scary" and he ends the message with "name-you have notified" and hangs up.  I did unfortunately have some payday loans about five years ago.  However, I got a bank loan and paid them all off (actually my banker paid them) so I know everything has been taken care of.

I keep getting calls from this number/

Sk, I just got the phone call saying they would be to my house or work this afternoon. This is just rediculous. I'm pretty sure we don't live in the same town so she must be taking a red eye or simethingy. I reported them this morning. Anything to stop these obnoxious messages.