I have received a response from Zenith through the BBB.  They are stating that I took a payday loan from a company, which was not a payday loan but a personal loan, which was satisfied.  It states so on my credit report.  They also stated that they mailed a validation letter on 2/2/14, which I have never received.  Also my "case" has been forwarded to their legal counsel in my county, which they do not name, and deny any threatening language during phone contact.  

I rebutted their claims, and the BBB agent assigned to my complaint replied stating that they now are aware that the said debt is umcollectable, and she would let me know if they respond.  

I am considering getting a private attorney.  These people must be stopped.

} not looking for monetary compensation

But you do want relief from the abuse, and should want to somehow punish the thugs. Having a judge merely order them to obey the law you say they've broken isn't going to leave that "teaching moment" wound. It's okay to demand money from scofflaw collectors. Congress and the FTC *wanted you* to win damage awards when the FDCPA was drafted. Each of us is meant to be a "private attorney general", sending a clear chorus of messages that thug collectors are not tolerated. More power to you if you can get a state criminal code to sting them besides.

One more way around the $1k cap is to have multiple plaintiffs. 1692d says that agencies are not to "harass, oppress, or abuse *any person*". Each family member taking arrest threat crap in those calls becomes one of those "any" people. Also, spoofing the muni office number is sufficient for a deceptive practice claim, even if they missed the mark in trying to spoof a scary sheriff's office.

As to saving the noise for Fridays, I can speculate on false urgency. It may be calculated so that it's harder to get answers from real court clerks and real law enforcement to help debunk the threats. I also wonder if the agency bosses set weekly earnings targets, creating deadlines which the shakedown slugs suddenly realize around break time on Friday they haven't met.

I have problems with the way aggressive mods have patrolled DebtorBoards like club bouncers, but they do have a point. The one thing which turns a complaint into a weapon is articulation. When you learn to drain emotion from your writing and think about how readers are to follow your logic, your stories can accomplish very much more than the psychic waste dumping which some mistaken people think will spur action.

Oh and they even spoofed the call from a local county office phone number!  Poo on them though, it was a fax only number to a dept that has nothing to do with law enforcement or the court system.  Idiots!

Thanks, Resident 47 for clarifying.  

Also, I apologize for my run-ons & lack of paragraph breaks.  I was quite angry at the time of the posting.

I have spent a fair amount of time reading posts on debtorsbpards, and you are correct, I'm sure I would be "pounced upon".  

On Friday, 4/11/14, a person calling himself "Mark Cohen" again called my father wanting my phone number.  I can't understand why they do not have it, oh wait, I know why! It's not a valid debt!  Again, he told my father that I was going to be arrested, and that my case was on the docket for 4pm.  My mother then got involved and called a friend who works for our sheriff's department, and told him about this on going situation.  He checked for anything in my background, which came up clean, and then he called this, Mark Cohen person and told him that he was reporting him to the TBI personally to peruse criminal harassment, as in TN harassment is a criminal offense.

I find it odd that these scam artists call on Fridays, and continue to do so even though I have filed complaints with numerous agencies.  I am not looking for monetary compensation, I just want them to leave me and everyone else alone.

} I have done my homework ... each count of the FDCPA they break is up to $1000+ fines

More homework is needed. The statutory $1k cap is per action in court, not per violation. Don't let that bargain 1978 pricing deter you. You might work in emotional distress claims for the arrest threats and the way the pattern of lies could have aggravated medical problems of your family members.

FDCPA § 1692k. Civil liability
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1692k

If you've spent more than ten minutes on DebtorBoards, you should realize their secret mod squad would pounce upon you and warn you to use correct paragraph breaks. Your run-on comment here is difficult to process.

} provide a copy of your bank statement to show that this was paid off .... to prevent you from receiving any more phone calls

Rubbish. You need not hand over financial records as a condition of ending the collection calls. You send a cease-communication notice, the agency is required to obey, end of story, and you don't need to share your reasons for silencing these thugs.

} copy of the refund receipt and reversal code

Good grief, how about if they just refund the stupid payment and quit dancing around promises of a "code" or "receipt"?!

Ultimately your bank should not have to take the bullet for you, and I have little faith that this softsoaping alone will lead to the return of the fat prize extorted from you. I predict you will have to sue for that refund, and should on principle. You can claim the $926 as your actual damages, the full $1k statutory award, and of course all of your legal costs, for a total which should easily start at four times what you've lost.

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

delaware law office 1-855-935-3701 and two numbers from century claims service aka zenith 319-432-7290 and 208-258-7116 look out for these numbers scammers

I was just scammed out of $650 from two companys first being delaware law firm and the second century claims services aka zenith dont be a victim like i was pay nobody nothing

I had a VERY similar situation happen yesterday TNGIRL and I ended up making a payment of $926.00. I reported to the police and my bank. However, this morning, out of anger I emailed the company back after they sent me a receipt of payment demanding to get my money back. This is the response I received:
Good morning,
What seems to be the problem Ms. Klein? If you want to have your money refunded, we have no problem doing that. Could please tell me why you want your money refunded and why you think we are a scam?
Thanks
So this was my response:
I spoke with my local police department and was told that there were absolutely no warrants out for my arrest. I also looked back in my records last evening and found that I paid off this debt several years ago. I am demanding my money be refunded immediately. If you disagree with the fact that I already paid this then you can take me to court to get any money back! Either way I have filed a police report, have a call in to the FBI, and have reported this to my bank. If you google your names and phone numbers its all over the internet that you are ?company? that scams. One of your ?employees? told me yesterday that if I wanted my money back that I should work a lot of overtime since he would be spending my $926 over the weekend! I never even took out a payday loan from a company called Payday YES. F*** YOU! GIVE ME MY MONEY!
He then responded with:
Ms. Klein, I am sorry about what took place yesterday. We do not conduct business in that matter. I can assure you that our company is not a scam. We will go ahead and refund your money back today. The funds typically take 3-4 business days to return to your account. I can provide you with a copy of the refund receipt and reversal code that you can provide to your bank, so they do not have to go through process of refunding. Please contact them to let them know that we are refunding the money. Also, if you could provide a copy of your bank statement to show that this was paid off, so we can send it to our client to prevent you from receiving any more phone calls about this debt. Once again we apologize for the harm/headache this has caused you.

I then received an email stating the refund has been sent to my bank. I am NOT sending my bank statement as that would only give them more ammunition. We will see if I ever receive a refund. In the meantime, my bank is doing their own investigation. In the end I will probably get my money back from my bank, if I don't get it back from this scam of a company.

Thanks

Lue,
I've read all of your information on debtorsboards, and THANK YOU!  I have been getting call beginning on 3/27/14.  A woman who called herself Jane Tucker called my father asking for me.  She did not even have my number.  He refused to give her my phone number, but did give me the message, that if I did not call her back within the hour that she would have me arrested for fraud charges.  My father, who is 65 and has a lot of health issues, including high blood pressure and a heart condition, was panicing.  I returned the call to Jane Tucker.  Funny thing is, the number she left was 510-423-0416, but the call was dropped and then called back on 786-231-1193.  This all seemed weird to me, she knew where I worked, had the last 4 of my ss#, but did not ask me my dob.   She continued to tell me that I had defaulted on a $300 payday loan, which I have no verification of, because I didn't take it out, and that I would be paying back $1750+ in interest & fees, etc.  I told her that I didn't have that kind of money.  She put me on hold, and said she needed to talk to the attorney's "upstairs' to see if they'd accept a settlement.  I held on all the while thinking that this was a sham, and she came back and said that if I could make a good faith payment that day, then I could pay the rest on my next payday.  I told her that I would make a good faith payment, and I would make a payment arrangement as soon as I received validation of the debt, as I have NOT received none, EVER.  She insisted that it has been sent 3 times before, and that they don't send out verification of debt when it gets to "them".   I again told her that I knew that if I requested it, they had to provide it, and she said she'd make sure I got it....yeah right!  I STUPIDLY paid the good faith payment, which was small, but with 3 small children, giving away money isn't something that we can really afford.  The longer I pondered on this whole thing, the more i kept thinking, this smells fishy, so I looked them up, found what you'd posted on db,  cancelled my debit card, and let the cu where i bank know what had happened.  They assured me that they will not allow anymore transactions from this company come through my account again.  I filed a complaint with the BBB, FTC, FBCP, TN Bureau of consumer protection, GA sec. of state, ic3.gov, and reported it to the sheriff's deputy that I would with EVERY SINGLE DAY (who laughed and said asked me if any of them spoke English and to learn the law.  told me not to worry about it).  Friday, Jane Tucker called my place of employment (which happens to be a school, I'm a teacher) and left me a message to return her call by 1PM or she was having legal paperwork sent.....to whom she did not say.  She also called my father saying that I had not called in to make a payment, and that they tried to run by debit card for the amount "owed" (which I do not owe), and it was declined, that she was having me picked up.  At this point he knows it is a scam as well, so it didn't make him nervous, it made him angry.  Then about 1:30PM some man calling himself "Arthur King" called my father, not me, saying that i did not pay, so he was having me arrested.  My daddy told him to do what he had to do, but before we end the call, what is the name & physical address of the company you represent, and what is your license number to collect debt in TN.  The man then began screaming at him that he didn't have to tell him anything, and that if I didn't pay this debt that my father would have to & he'd have us both arrested!  Daddy said you just do that and laughed at him & hung up.  I've added the incidents from Friday, 4/4/14 to all the reports i have filed.  The represented at the BBB who I contacted, told me to give them her contact info and tell them to contact her.  I have forwarded that to the school secretaries so they will not take messages from these people again.   I just want these scammers to leave me and EVERYONE alone!  I called back Jane Tucker, who did not answer, and left her a lengthy voicemail, which I recorded for my own evidence should I need it, not to contact myself, my family, my place of business, or anyone else other than by US mail.  That I have done my homework, and I know what kind of company she represents, and that everything they are doing is illegal, and that each count of the FDCPA they break is up to $1000+ fines, and that the company has had litigation against them for the same such violations, consider this your warning Jane Tucker, if you continue to harass myself, my family, or anyone else, I will be contacting a litigator to ensure you can not continue to steal from innocent people.  Oh & they have yet to tell me the name of the collection agency they represent, none of them do, my father has asked each of them, as have I.  Someone has to stop these scam artists!

Well i get calls and they say that on 1/12/2012 i was given a loan for 642.00 i went back that far into my account and low and behold i did not get a loan and i have proof called them back and some black guy cussed me out the telephone number is 786-364-1543 please be aware these people if they have your information can scam you.

I'm ever so pleased for you that the nice lady from the nice debt collection agency made you so warm inside that you had to come running here to a mystery call site to tell us all about your positive experience and share a phone number for a caller you have long ago identified.

Basking in a glow of good will, you paid quickly with nary a thought about confirming a correct amount or how old the account was. You never questioned that your payment might not actually settle anything but go straight toward some manager's new luxury car. You totally ignored all those repeat hassling phone calls to all your family and friends. You decided to overlook the veiled and overt illegal threats implicit in being "told me what can happen" if you declined to pay. Oh, and if this agency or some pal of theirs comes chasing you for the same debt this summer, you'll pay all over again, so long as you're treated kindly, because it's only right to reward predatory lawbreakers holding zero proof of claim.

Time to see if Admin wants to ink that "suspect" stamp again .....

I got a call from Jennifer Thomas the law office of century claims ser she was very helpful she didn't harass me , but she simple inform me of the law told me what can happen....
She also stated that she is not a police officer so she can't put me in jail nor is she a judge so she can't issue me a warrant or citation.... She made me feel very comfortable on the phone and I end up paying the debt I owe ..423-536-6354

I have been receiving calls from someone at Century Claims telling me I have a payday loan made two years ago.  I know nothing about this and they don't send any info I ask for.  They threaten me with jail and claim to be investigators working for an attorney.  I live in Georgia and payday loans are illegal in our state. The calls are coming from 228 284-2903.

Frustrated,

If you check back here, are you still getting these calls.
My wife and I had an agreement with this company, they were to train and learn the FDCPA, and we would refrain from filing suit.

Looks like they haven't changed a bit other than what they call themselves, and their phone number.

Get the FTC involved at this point. A lawsuit isn't going to change them, it's too lucrative to settle. Unfortunately, they breached the agreement, so I no longer have a duty to Not Disclose.

They are a shady bunch.

1.) They can't have you arrested for debt, even if you owe it.
2.) They can't revoke your driver's license.
3.)  You're not being investigated for fraud.

Basically all they can do is call you and be a pain in the butt. You can write them to cease and desist, they will ignore it. They won't follow the FDCPA. If they call your cell phone, look into the TCPA as well. 47 U.S.C. 227b

See that's my problem. There are people out there that will readily open their wallets to make it go away, even if they legitimately don't owe anything. In my situation, the debt was totally bogus, never took out a payday loan.

I have been recieving calls from 920-202-5659 for the past two weeks.  They have also been calling me at work.  The person calling tells me that if I do not call 888-276-3856 that someone will come to my home or my work and serve me with papers.  I told the man the other day that I worked until 5 so he may as well come and give me the papers.  He never showed up and called me again today telling me the exact same thing.  I told him today that he might as well bring the papers over and he hung up in me. I guess I should not expect him.....

I wrote in yesterday about Century Claims Services the number they called me from is 304-809-0353.

@Gunnar -- Thanks for you efforts and kind words

@all -- I did some "investigating" of my own.  The name of "century claims services" and "century processing servers" traces back to a very shady and well documented group of reprobates out of the Atlanta area going under "Zenith Financial"

The following is shared for informational purposes

Their misconduct is well documented in at least three thread here

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-480-526-5310
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-404-665-3107/2
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-959-6786/3



The owner has placed the below add on several sites.  It gives some insights as to their tactics
http://atlanta.jobslistingusa.com/hiring-coll ... eter-97553.html

The owner was given a poor review on an "accounts receivable industry" site)
http://www.insidearm.com/forum/topic/anyones-heard-of-this-earnest-earvin/

There are at least two FDCPA cases involved them.  Both FDCPA cases in which they are the defendant.
http://dockets.justia.com/docket/missouri/moedce/4:2013cv01350/128143/
http://dockets.justia.com/docket/texas/txndce/3:2013cv00368/228149/

Here is BBB information on this group

Zenith Financial Group LLC
2484 Briarcliff Rd. Suite #22-133
Atlanta, GA 30329
Phone: 786-231-1193
Fax: 786-565-3004
The street level view of this address indicated a strip mall with an office max and a UPS store (Suite#22-133 may be a box)


The BBB gives this organization an "F" for the following reasons

1. Failure to respond to 2 complaints filed against business.
2. BBB does not have sufficient information to determine how long this business has been operating.
3. BBB does not have sufficient background information on this business. BBB made one or more requests for background information from the business. BBB has not received a response from this business and/or has not been able to verify information received from this business.


Finally, Domain registration information on what appears to be their website www.zenithfinancialgroup.net
Domain Name.......... zenithfinancialgroup.net
Creation Date........ 2012-11-12
Registration Date.... 2012-11-12
Expiry Date.......... 2013-11-12
Tracking Number...... 1758687696_DOMAIN_NET-VRSN
Organisation Name.... EARNEST EARVIN
Organisation Address. 1634 AUSTIN MEADOWS DRIVE
Organisation Address. Address2
Organisation Address.
Organisation Address. DECATUR
Organisation Address. 30032
Organisation Address. GA
Organisation Address. UNITED STATES

This short thread shows what a lot of us here are all about. We want to help. We want to expose what's going on out there in the shadier side of debt collection. All of us should pay our bills. That's a given. But this thread show's the reality out there.
The way it is...is the way it is. There are thousands of people out there with one goal in mind. Unlawfully separating you from your money. Whether it be an Indian scammer trying to just steal from you or a slick talking 3rd party debt collector trying to set you up, it's all the same. It's fraud.
Thank you El. You too SK. This is what it's all about. Frauds. Draw them out. Expose them. Let them dig their own grave. Then follow with what it takes to make people aware of what is happening. Teach them. Love them.
Ignorance & naivety are not faults. If they were, innocence could be considered as such. It's not. As real people we know that.
Live Well.......and I do mean that.
Gunnar

Debt is civil, not criminal, so you're not going to be arrested.  Their threat to have you arrested is a violation of federal law - the FDCPA.

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.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors

I promise you they can't (I know a few things about law enforcement ;))  Debt is a civil, not criminal matter.  They are illegally trying to intimidate you into paying.

"...something is attached to my social security number."  Yup.  The language of scammers!

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.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors

A lady name Linda Clark called me about an old payday loan they told me if I didn't pay it they would send the police to my job to arrest me. I don't think they can do it.

Received a call from Mary Anne at Century Claims Services through my answering service at work. She said she was calling about a claim I have at their office.

They are not a scam but a collection agency that has horrible customer service and tries to intimidate people into paying an old payday loan. I got the loan but was laid off from my job and could not pay and all of sudden i get this voice mail saying something is attached to my social security number and when i call ed back i found out it was this old payday loan. if they were nicer can more accomplished.

Claims to be "Century Claims Services"(888)276-3856 It's a recording that says our social security number may be attached to a litigation claim in our local community. They call one of our lines here at work, the same line that has continuously been getting a scam call for the last two years now. I suspect they are either the same scamming people or they buy and sell people's and companies information for scamming. Please people, never trust these type of calls.

Its a scam the number that called  me from there is 4046653107 they left a message for me to call back.to the 18882763856 number I looked it up and the number they called me is from a scam I already reported it to the police.

Thanks Gunnar...you made my day there!  This company is a shady collection company nothing more, nothing less.  Been calling me forever!  Give them nothing including the time of day.

Well? If you're going to come here & thank me personally for my advice, the least you could do is supply us with their legitimate physical address & their valid phone numbers. Others will want to know it & if you've received their paperwork you have their credentials.
We'll be waiting...
Gunnar

Now that you have all of their information, post it all here. Others will want to know it. And you want to be of help, right?
Gunnar