Who is the owner?

A scam artist! Do Not give them any information! Inform the police. If they call again, get as much information as you can and report that info to the police as well. You may have to change your number and unlist you new number as well as your address. This is a type of identity scam. They will not give up

My parents just got a call from this # looking for me and I have not lived with them for 10+ years. "Jennifer" said she was from the Will County Illinois office and there was a lawsuit against me, she refused to give any info and would not answer any questions. I went to the Will County website and they all have local #'s- ,no 888 or 800 #'s.

I received several calls from these people. I was served by the Riverside county sheriff and I had a court date that I missed now they are trying to garnish my check. What can I do? I don't have the money to pay them and I cant afford the garnishment. I almost got fired for this crap. Can any one give me some advice?

They are a scam artist.  They try to scare you into giving them personal info.  I got two voice messages from them saying they needed to schedule a uniformed officer to serve me with papers for a civil suit with the county.  They stated the officer would either come to my home or place of employment.  I called the county sheriff and the courthouse and both told me there was no such pending lawsuit.  When I called these scammers back to confront them they were evasive about why they were calling me and kept asking me to give them personal info to "confirm who I am" before they would tell me anything.  The idiot on the other end got mad when I informed him I had recorded the call on my computer and was forwarding the recording to law enforcement.  He began babbling about sending a sheriff's deputy to my home.  I laughed at him and hung up!  I then called the local DA's office and informed them.  Since I confronted them on the phone the scam artists have stopped calling.

They call from a restricted number and I suspect the "888" number is not easily traceable since I'm sure they will probably change it soon and use software to mask their real number.

I don't believe you. My guess is that you are Mr "Anthony Brown" from Pacific Asset Group - a BS litigation group. I don't believe that the Riverside County Sheriff served you papers, I don't believe you missed your court date, on top of it all, I don't believe they are trying to garnish your check (or did you mean account?). Your comments have the same failed logic as the callers who pester my mother.  

My advice? Fess up Mr "Brown"...

I don't believe you were served.
If I don't believe that, I can't believe anything else you say.
Everything else you say fits their goals, so I don't believe that either.

"Why not just sue saps like me and get your f-ing fees? "
That is exactly the point.  Why does every "debt collector" calling from Corona (there must be 10 names pulling this same scam, with new names every few months) first pretend to be a "process server", first call relatives (even though they pull credit reports), and when peope check out this "lawsuit", there isn't one?  Why does everything they do violate the law, if they are so "legitimate"?

"Why play stupid games when there is no intention to actually settle?"
Looks more like they are playing "stupid games" to get money WITHOUT suing.
That implies the "debts" are fake, which is a good reason to make threats to settle if you know you can't sue.

"The only shill is crooks like Bloom and others leading people on with bogus settlement offers when "fees" are where the REAL $ "
Shills are their signature MO.  Phony posts, phony "process servers", phony "investigators", and on and on... Playing up the "fees", as a threat to coerce settlement, is also part of their MO.

As for my name, it's a simple reminder that you shouldn't believe you know who is giving you "advice" just because they post a "name".  You shouldn't believe what you want to believe until you know what you ought to know.

[This post has been removed]

"Bloom" or "Bloomfield" Financial Group is using the same mail drop as AFG/American Financial Group.

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-312-0848

"BFG
32295 Mission Trail Ste. 8385-10
Lake Elsinore, CA. 92530
..."

Same M.O., same shill posts, like this one.

Shill posts show the usual pattern common with this type of scam:  
create a false perception that there is no consumer right to dispute or request validation, that these "debts" are legitimate even though many complaints indicate they have no idea what the alleged debt is, and that it is too expensive to not immediately pay them.

I tried to get sound advice off the web and all I get is nonsense. I had tried to work a settlement with Bloom Financial after I had been served at my job (almost was terminated over it). Anyway, they refused any offer claiming that they had sent letters and made phone attempts all of which were ignored. I told the guy that I received nothing but was now interested in resolving. I never got a response and know I'm looking at a wage garnishment. I believe that a lot of this "advice" is really these companies trying to get folks not to respond so they can sue and get all the fees I'm now getting hit with. There's got to be laws against this!

These crooks are a real gem!  Called me twice leaving messages saying they had a civil suit with the county and needed to send a uniformed officer to my door or workplace to serve me with the papers.  I called the county sheriff and the courthouse and there was no pending suit against me.  I called them up and confronted them on the phone.  The were very evasive about why they were calling me and kept asking for personal info. so they could "confirm who I was."  I informed them that I had recorded their call and was e-mailing the recording to law enforcement.  The man I spoke to became enraged and started babbling about sending a sheriff's deputy to my home.  I laughed at him and hung up.  They haven't called back.  I called the local DA about the situation and she said it is definitely a scam.  DON'T GIVE THESE SLIMEBALLS ANY INFORMATION!!

This *may* be a scam. If it is, the Better Business Bureau has released many alerts on this scam, google "bbb.org alert phony debt collector"  Scams mutate so read all the alerts to get a flavor of what they are. What's highly suspicious is "the next call will be from the county" because county governments or courts do *not* call debtors - they simply serve court summons by mail or in person by a legit process server but they'll never warn you in advance by a phone call or debtors may flee to avoid being served. Anyone can be served anywhere - at home, at work, at school, etc. - so if the caller lists locations where one can be served, it's simply meaningless like my warning you that come tomorrow, the sun will rise in the east. If the caller threatened a court summons and "nobody comes when they say that they are sending someone," then don't worry about it - it very highly likely a scam. Don't give out any info, don't admit to any debts, and don't give them any money.
Legit debt collectors are required to send paperwork to debtors within 5 days of initial contact as specified in the FDCPA http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf so did your friend get paperwork?
"§ 809. Validation of debts
(a) Within five days after the initial communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall, unless the following information is contained in the initial communication or the consumer has paid the debt, send the consumer a written notice containing?
(1) the amount of the debt;
(2) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed;
(3) a statement that unless the consumer, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt collector;
(4) a statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such verification or judgment will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector; and
(5) a statement that, upon the consumer?s written request within the thirty-day period, the debt collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor."
It's actually *illegal* for debt collectors to threaten court action but then never go through with it as explained on this FTC page http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre18.shtm :
"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."

From: http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/8888070511/2


I got a called from "officer michaels" with the same line about a summons.  not wanting a court issue, i gave them my card number to settle.  

After i hung up i realized if they could track down my cell phone number they should have been able to track down my new address.  I quickly cancelled my debit card.  Called them the next day to ask for proof of the debt, all the sent me a settlement letter.  

They then called my work asking for me and identified themselves as officer michalels and something about a summons.  I sent them a fax and email saying they have my personnel number and address and not to call my work.  Any further contact at work and I would have to take legal action on them.  I also requested the documents again proving the debt.  

Since then no calls and no response even to my correspondence.  

Here is the address from the settlement letter if anyone wants it.

AF Group
32295 Mission Trail Suite 8385-10
Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
888-807-0511  fax 951-547-7908

Keeps calling about a case number and a civil suit, that the next call will be from the county. At first it said that if she didn't call back, that they were coming to her job to be served and than that they will send someone to her home to serve her, and my friend is getting all stressed out that she don't know what to believe any more because nobody comes when they say that they are sending someone and she's getting ill about this situation. What can she do?