Tactic like that are illegal and should be reported to the RCMP and your local consumer affairs office or the office responsible for collection agency licensing in your province.

Don't fall for the trick either you might be a victim of indentify theif either these people are the ones trying to steal your indentiy so they can commit the indetentiy theif!

If someone had stolen your indentity trust the police would had been at your door!  Not someone calling from a collection agency asking you to verify information!  

Once the police come to your home and if you state it wasn't you TRUST IN THE SYSTEM the police would do an investigation and the courts and your lawyer can prove you are not at fault and prove it wasnt you!  SO if someone says just call them back because it could be someone used your indentiy than that is BS!

I got a call from Contact Resource Services today guy left a message sounded Heavy accent hard to understand what it was he was saying.  He said my name to which I don't understand how he would even got my telephone number since I have NEVER given it to anyone ever because I have acell phone to which I use for all my calls not my home phone!  
He called from 902-442-8588 and when I called that number back it said VOICE MAIL FULL?  If your a legitimate company why is you voice mail full?

Everyone knows there are scammers out there and they are the ones who always have a vioce mail full.  
I know for a fact because I am ME that I have NEVER OWED ANYONE OR ANY COMPANY ANYTHING EVER!  
When I first got this telephone number I was recieving calls from Contatc Resource Services asking for people I don't know and I would TELL THEM NO NO NO YOU HAVE THE WRONG NUMBER!  then I stopped ansering calls and they would leave messages for names I don't know I would just Block the number and delete the messages.  Today I got a call from them and they now saying my name?  WHAT????? First of all how you get my name unless you illegally obtained it because there is NO WAY you could had gotten my name asscociated with this telephone number unless you hacked my service provider!  

For those who don't know your rights there is a "STATUE OF LIMITATIONS"
Look it up these people can NOT collect from you unless you want to be stupid and give them your money!  
They are NOT the orginal credit holder and if staute of limitations has expired like here in ONTARIO IS 2 years they have NO right to call or bother you!   Why they got people from other provinces calling other people in other provinces is a SCAM!  They can NOT pursue YOU!   Just don't answer their calls!  Don't respond to any of their letters!   They are empty threats and scammers use them to extort money from victims!  

Don?t Respond to This Debt Collection Notice
Back on June 1, 2006, the McGuinty government passed Regulation (General, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 74) under Ontario?s Collection Agencies Act (?CAA?) to respond to consumer complaints about collection agencies and to harmonize Ontario law with a nationwide list of prohibited practices to improve consumer protection. So how is this new era of consumer protection against unethical, unscrupulous debt collectors faring? Well, according to the Ministry of Consumer Services website, for the last four years running, complaints against Collection Agencies/Debt Collectors remain #1 among the Top 10 Consumer Complaints.Consumer protection in the form of government regulation of collection agencies fulfills three objectives:
1) Naming: consumers are able to identify and understand their legal rights as debtors;
2) Blaming: consumer complaints are enforced against collection agencies/debt collectors in breach of the CAA regulations; and
3) Shaming: collection agencies that employ unfair, unlawful and unethical tactics are exposed as scofflaws and are subject to fines and possibly license suspension or revocation.
Getting harassed, threatened or berated by someone on the phone who probably also doesn?t pay their bills on time is nothing newAfter all, anyone who owns a computer and has internet access can find information about their legal rights from the helpful Ministry of Government Services website: Your Rights When Dealing With Collection Agencies (see backgrounder here)

Based upon the Ministry?s statistics above, some collection agencies/debt collectors are not getting the message about the new ?Rules of the Road?. So, as a public service, I will endeavour to assist those in the debt collection industry who still think that the law does not apply to them, by using a case study of one particular collection agency that really, really, really needs to revise its debt collection notice letter.

Here is the text of the demand letter (the name and account information of the consumer/debtor have been removed):


Contact Resource Services Inc.,
P.O. Box 47009 2225 Erin Mills Parkway
Mississauga, Ont. L5K 2P0
PHONE: 1-800-673-2203 FAX: 905-403-1410



A National Collection Agency

ACCOUNT IDENTIFICATION
?RE: ________ CREDIT CARD
AMOUNT OUTSTANDING: $xxxx.xx
COLLECTION REFERENCE: __________
ALTERNATIVE REFERENCES:______________

Dear ____________:

THIS LETTER IS TO INFORM YOU THAT CONTACT RESOURCE SERVICES INC. RECENTLY PURCHASED YOUR ________ CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT. WE WOULD LIKE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SATISFY YOUR ACCOUNT. YOU CAN DO SO BY CHOOSING ON THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS:

PAY $xxx.xx IN FULL SATISFACTION OF YOUR ACCOUNT; OR

MAKE CONSECUTIVE MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $xx.xx, AND WE WILL DELETE THE ENTIRE INTEREST BALANCE OF $xxxx.xx; OR

CALL OUR OFFICE AT 1-800-673-2203 TO DISCUSS OTHER POSSIBLE ARRANGEMENTS.

IF YOU CHOOSE ONE OF THESE OPTIONS, YOU MUST DO SO ON OR BEFORE 2010/07/12. PLEASE CALL US WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING YOUR ACCOUNT.

SINCERELY,

CONTACT RESOURCE SERVICES
1-800-673-2203?

But wait, there?s more.  In slightly smaller but no less imposing capitalized font, the demand letter reads:

UNLESS YOU NOTIFY THIS OFFICE WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER RECEIVING THIS NOTICE THAT YOU DISPUTE THE VALIDITY OF THE DEBT OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, THIS OFFICE WILL ASSUME THIS DEBT IS VALID. IF YOU NOTIFY THIS OFFICE IN WRITING WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM RECEIVING THIS NOTICE, THIS OFFICE WILL OBTAIN VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT OR OBTAIN A COPY OF A JUDGEMENT [sic] AND MAIL YOU COPY OF SUCH JUDGEMENT [sic] OR VERIFICATION. THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. THIS OFFICE WILL PROVIDE THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR, IF REQUESTED BY YOU WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM RECEIVING THIS NOTICE.? [emphasis added]

The debt collection letter then concludes with an easy-to-use detachment for Bank use or to return this portion with a cheque or money order payment. Responsible blogging requires due diligence and fact-checking. Background checks and a Google search yields some key information:

1. CRC is an Alberta corporation (but likely has an extra-provincial registration in Ontario), and is self-described as a ?National Collection Agency?;

2. CRC is owned by one, Michael A. Cornale, Sr., of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada;

3. Mr. Cornale, Sr. is, coincidentally, a Past President, (1981-1982) of the International Association of Commercial Collectors, Inc.;

4. CRC is a popular topic of discussion on the Canadian Money Advisor forum: http://www.canadian-money-advisor.ca/company/2976.html;

5. Mr. Cornale, Sr. also operates another debt collection agency, Corporate Recovery Services Ltd. in Alberta;

6. In 1999, Mr. Cornale Sr., on behalf of his Alberta company, pleaded guilty to breaching the Alberta Fair Trading Act and provided an Undertaking to the Alberta Director of Fair Trading, which contained an agreed statement of facts that he used unlicensed collectors who also misrepresented their identities (including, in one instance, misleading a consumer that she was calling on behalf of Rogers Cantel legal department), both in writing and over the phone.

The Alberta Director of Fair Trading also issued a Cease and Desist Order against CRC on August 8, 2005 for misleading letters to debtors.

Here?s the bottom-line. This collection letter from Contact Resource Services Inc. is deceptive, misleading and likely constitutes unfair trading practice. If anyone receives such a notice they should immediately report it to the Ministry of Consumer Services.Here?s why. When an institutional creditor, such as a credit card company, writes off a credit card account debt (also known as a ?charge-off?), it does so on the basis that it has determined the debt is uncollectible (i.e. a bad debt) and treats it as such for accounting and tax purposes.

If the credit card company then assigns this receivable/debt to a third party, such as a collection agency, the limitation period applicable to the original debt is not suspended or renewed. So, if the limitation period applicable to the original default has expired, then a subsequent demand by the same creditor or assignee of the debt is not lawful or legally enforceable.

Recall the wording of CRC?s collection letter above:

?UNLESS YOU NOTIFY THIS OFFICE WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER RECEIVING THIS NOTICE THAT YOU DISPUTE THE VALIDITY OF THE DEBT OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, THIS OFFICE WILL ASSUME THIS DEBT IS VALID.?

This is simply a ruse to induce the consumer in responding to the debt collection letter, irrespective of the ?validity of the debt?. In this example, the alleged debt dated back to the mid-1990?s and the original credit card supplier made its final demand in 2001 and then assigned it to CRC. (Ignore the fact that the credit card debt was originally around $300.00 and incurred by someone other than the alleged debtor).

This is the old ?silence is an admission? trap. What happens then if the consumer does call CRC?

IF YOU NOTIFY THIS OFFICE IN WRITING WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM RECEIVING THIS NOTICE, THIS OFFICE WILL OBTAIN VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT OR OBTAIN A COPY OF A JUDGEMENT [sic] AND MAIL YOU COPY OF SUCH JUDGEMENT [sic] OR VERIFICATION.

The CAA and Regulation are explicit: collection agency notice letters are not to be used as fishing expeditions. Does calling the telephone number provided constitute consent to release of credit information? Not in the slightest, but, once they reel you in, good luck getting the hook out.

The subtle point is that CRC is trying to spring a trap on the unwary. Most non-lawyers are unfamiliar with limitation periods and how they work. Under the new Limitations Act, 2002, the former limitation of 6 years was repealed, subject to transitional provisions. The new Act specifies that no proceeding shall be commenced in respect of a claim, after the second anniversary of the day on which the claim was discovered. The fundamental issue is the meaning of the term ??acknowledgment? under s. 13.1 of the new Act, which reads:

S. 13(1) If a person acknowledges liability in respect of a claim for payment of a liquidated sum, ? the act or omission on which the claim is based shall be deemed to have taken place on the day on which the acknowledgment was made.

?.

(9) This section does not apply unless the acknowledgment is made to the person with the claim, the person?s agent ? before the expiry of the limitation period applicable to the claim.[emphasis added]

In Hare v. Hare, 2006 CanLII 41650 (ON C.A.) , an appeal involving a claim made on a demand promissory note, the Court of Appeal for Ontario confirmed the well established rule that a demand notes matures as soon as it is delivered. The majority held (2:1) that that rule was not disturbed by the new Act. Thus, the limitation begins to run as soon as the money is advanced. However, the running of the limitation can be started afresh by an acknowledgment, such as a payment being made on account. (the Limitations Act was amended in response to the Hare decision)

They call saying they are CRS "DO NOT MISTAKE THIS AS CANADA REVENUE SERVICES" that is what they are trying to make you think. They are way down the line in bottom feeders. Just dont answer the call if you do not recognize the number.

I want this collection agency to stop calling my number. I have said to them already syop calling, but she insists on harrassing me.  Her name is JOSIE # 1-888-771-5803 file # 4404614/9. This women is very rude, and insists on me making payments on my debt, but will give me no info on who or how much she is collecting for and for whom she is collecting for. I want this to stop.

If you all would pay your bills. You would be having collectors calling you

Hi I just received a call on my answering machine today same number 1888 771 5803 with a reference number to call said there something I need to be aware of so don't call back you all are saying it fruad

These people have been calling me for months.  Some Laura girl.  They really recently started calling my work number too which can get me fired.  Today they some how got my aunts number that doesn't even have the same last name as me or live near me.  Called her asking for me.  Enough is enough.  That's total harassment and border line stalking.  There needs to be more laws against this.  IF I owed anything (which my only debt is student loan that gets paid every month) then that is My business not the who towns.  Send me a letter.  

Who's thet real loser buddy....$12.00 per hour to harass people that don't actually owe and can't prove that they do.

after the statue of limitations runs out they cannot sue for the amount or threaten to sue.  they can however ask for the money.  yep.  that's unfortunately legal.  But you can send them a cease and discease (sp?) all collection attempts because the account is past the statue of limitations.  If they send a letter, personally, if the debit is truly invalid, i would mark on their envelopes RETURN TO SENDER.  don't open the mail tho, and then it will go right back to them.

We have gone through pretty much the same thing here.   Back in 2003?  My dh went off work for an aneurysm operation, i went off on stress leave.  He was off for months, more than 6 because we were waiting for long term disability to kick in.  bills piled up.  8 months later he was off work again for a triple bipass and they discovered another small aneurysm and repaired it at the same time.  This operation was not as hard on him and he was able to return to work, but in a limited capacity (no heavy lifting, no standing for long periods).  With me still unable to work (completely stressed out at this pt as my father passed away the same year this was going on)..our income dropped to half.  It took 5 years to straighten everything out.  We ended up having to unlock his rrsps (due to financial hardship).  So we are free and in the clear (except for a mysterious bill that keeps popping up), everything is paid off including our house and car, but we have no savings, just living on his pensions.  

So I totally appreciate everything you have gone through and hope things are going better for you now.

you can write them a letter and demand that they do not make telephone calls.  to only contact you via mail.  or you can just block their number

What if you have checked your credit report and nothing is on there, and they still are after you about an account, that you have no knowledge of, and you keep accurate records for the past 6+ years and nothing matches name or account #?  

I read somewhere (ya probably the interweeb) that not all collection accounts are reported.  What good is equifax and transunion? the collection agencies may not want to pay money to file their claim with them, and equifax and transunion are pretty useless if it's true that you can still owe a debt and not have it show on there.  plus the accounts are not updated.  

I recently found out the credit card i had applied for got approved (surprise surprise) about 5 years ago!  I never recieved the card.  Luckily it didn't fall into the wrong hands and the account was eventually closed (due to innactivity probably).

I understand your frustration.  I had a similar issue. If a debt goes to collections, you should pay it through collections otherwises it causes an accounting problem, just as you experienced.

You can tell collection agencies are monitoring this site huh?  Well whizz, take a whizz.. this thread wasn't started about trying to get out of dealing with a debt.  nope. read the first post.  sumbuddy from crc was calling a employer and trying to get information about an employee.  This is illegal.  Ppl research this company. I have had them yell and threaten to call every 15 mins.  Also illegal.  So to the whizz that needs to whizz.. why can't u guys just do things all legal like and SUE if the money is owed.  nope.  you have to BULLY for it because your afraid it won't hold up in court.

First got a call from this number looking for someone that had the same name as myself, and then was told I owed Canadian Tire money. I told her I don't have a CT acct. never have had. She said this was an account from FIFTEEN YEARS AGO. Is she NUTS!! She also went on to say I lived at some address at that time which I don't even live in the same city and have lived where I am now for over 35 years.
About a week later, some female called asking some more information about some account I owed money to. I suspected it was the same person. I told her and told her also to tell her friend, NOT to call again. Just because they have a person who has the same name is f*****ng ridiculous.
Today, they left a msg. on my machine to call about my file. MY FILE! They will be waiting another 15 friggin years for that phone call. Reall a***s!
If I get one more call I will be calling head office of Canadian Tire and telling them that unless they stop the harassment my husband will be cancelling both accounts he has with Canadian Tire.

Not the Manager - the Managers Assistant, or so I was told. Anish Khanna
Never got the original caller's full name, she would only give "Laura" before she hung up.
She called my Corporation numerous times regarding whether or not somebody worked for me or didn't work for me, is that information not protected?!

Don't pay any attention to these morons...What they are doing is illegal and in their profession it is called "fishing in the dark" Thwey are hoping you or others will be stupid enough to call them with what they don't have.....Personal information on you or a leg to stand on for them.

I just received a call from Contact Resource Services...The caller did not answer me when I said :Hello" They were not specific in terms of who they wanted to speak with or what the call was in reference to? They wanted me to call them back with their file number. Do they think people are stupid? What type of company are they/ Anybody know?

I have no accounts with them nor do I owe money to anybody...They should get a real job!!

why are these people phoning all my friends asking for me, saying that if I don't call by today they are taking legal action.   Are they insane!

Received a call from this number at 10:34 this morning. Didn't answer but the voicemail isnt addressed to me.
They were looking for a linton louis and said it was lorissa calling. My name is not Linton Louis, so theres strike one against them

Even if you owed the debt originally, the maximum limitation period on it would be 6 years. There is no legal basis for filing a lawsuit.

Statue of Limiations

They have no contract with you unless you decide to fall for their SCAM. They are a third party which bought the debt You are not obliged to give them the time of day. DON'T fall for their scare tactics and just ignore them, because there is nothing they can do now but feed you lies to make you pay.

The statute of limitation to sue you in Ontario is two years. If I am correct; the last time you made a payment on this account was in the 1990's or anything before 2010. If this guy or lady calls you at work again, just tell them about the statute of limitation. If they keeps calling you, tell them you will call the RCMP and report him for harassment.

They do not have any legal right to call old employers or present employers it's against the law! You can sue them for Harassment!

Some cow called and left a msg that I was approved and they just needed to verify some details, I haven't applied for anything so WTF. Just scammers trying to get personal info !

These f****rs call non stop over and over from many different numbers.

88 771 5803
780 320 6135
780 328 6135

First of all you are full of it. What do you do when the Visa card is not yours and they start calling your house all the time asking for somebody who does not live there? The police can do nothing about it, so you are more full of it. You must work for CRS or something because when I tell them that person doesn't live there they say he gave them my phone number, which is a lie. They are there to help you? To help you pay money you do not owe to them. I looked into them and they buy up debts which are past the collection date, 7-10-even 20 years old which cannot be collected on anymore. What goes around comes around? Their phone calls are not recorded, they hang up on people and they never go to court. Rogers, CIBC etc. did not pay this company to take over the credit THEY BOUGHT it from them for pennies on the dollar. I got so tired of these calls I looked into this company and they are scammers. So before you make comments in future which show how stupid you are, READ first and check them out.

They have been calling my nephew about a debt he had 15 years ago. He doesn't have any debts, you say they have the right to call? On a 15 year old debt? Sorry Charlie but it's 7 years and then it's gone.

I got a call from this number, the caller wouldn't identify herself.  011-449-0585 was the number indicated on my phone 'caller' ID.  This lady was rude, beyond the normal level of rude that I have come in contact with in the past.  She threatened me with financial ruin if I didn't settle my account.  I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS CONTACT RESOURCES IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!  
When she continued to threaten me, I hung up on her.  I then tried to block this number, but apparently the number doesn't exist???????  How can that be?????   The lady called back and because I didn't pick up, she left a number, it is the 1-888 number indicated about.
I called the number back and actually got a pick up.  I described the call and the lady on the other end said that the caller was "Lily".  Apparently I don't owe the money, but a member of my family does.  There is no member of my family that has the same name she gave me.  Anyway, I complained about the behaviour of the lady that called my house but as you know, that doesn't mean a thing.  I will get another call from this number (THAT I CAN'T BLOCK BECAUSE IT DOESN'T EXIST)  in a few weeks, with the same attitude and level of rudeness that she showed today.  
I am going to report this number to the federal fraud line, you can get the number from your local police department.  No point in adding this number to the "do not call list" because the number doesn't exist, so around and around we go.........

Hey,

The company that purchases a debt does in fact gain the rights of the original creditor, and these rights disappear when the statute of limitations expires.  It varies from one province to another and you should check which ones apply to your situation.  As a rule, collectable debts are rarely assigned to any outside agency.  If these creeps call you, hang up.  You are also right in saying that they will give up eventually.

Losers in some ways but whats the laughing matter here is the companies are not going to get a red cent especially when they have the people harrassed. Simple. Do not answer the phone, return unopened mail and voila.....losers are people who buy other peoples debts at auction and then "throw" their cowardly weight around by hiding behind a telephone. Losers that cant get a job doing anything better. Come to my house, then you will be dealt with for the slime that you are. No money for me equals no money for them.