Pay your F@#king bills and this will not happen.  Just like a liberal to blame everybody else and to expect everything for free.  Don't forget to sign up for your free obamaphone and obamacare you spineless leech.

Can PRA report the debt on your credit report legally?

Have told them many, many times that the claim they are calling about is not my debt and it did absolutely no good.  Now I just don't answer when they call.  And other posters are right, they have hundreds of numbers that appear on caller ID.  One thing I find disturbing though are the many posters here who seem to think they are speaking directly to Portfolio when they post their complaints, i.e.:  Stop calling me! (hehe) And then there are those who actually think that because they are on the DNC list that somehow they have exempted themselves from unwanted callers (another hehe)  Seriously, does anyone believe that a government program such as DNC would actually do what it says?  Come on folks, you are probably the same 7% of the population who believe that the Affordable Care Act will be affordable! (a big hehehe) Wake up!  Big government does not work, even with something as simple as DO NOT CALL.

Caller did not identify company other than by her own name when asked, Lizzie Remby. Thanks to the above I know now it was a collection call. They actually called me at work. I said the person for whom they asked is not here but I offered to take a message, for which Lizzie declined.

THis was call #425  !!!!  since Portfoolio's lawyer, Pearson, wrote us a letter stating in black and white that they had "decided to cease collection efforts." That was three years and two months ago. I wonder whether the poor guy knew what those big words mean?

beware!   a  call  from  this  number  is  a  debt  collection  scam ~ they  are  phishing  for  info ~

give - them - nothing.

We are a business with no connection to the person they are calling about. This must stop. Every day is getting a little tiresome. STOP CALLING and STOP HARASSING

beware!   a  call  from  this  number  is  a  debt  collection  scam ~ they  are  phishing  for

info ~ give - them - nothing.

Today I receive a call from Portfolio Recovery at 6:50PM, after I got home from visiting my wife at the hospital I received another call from them at 7:35PM, when I got home at 7:30PM I notice a car parked across the street that left as soon as I got home since I never answer my house line they had some one waiting for me to come home so they would know when come home.

Portfolio gave mt cell # to 2 loan co. All over the U S got up to15 calls a  day! Plus port. Was calling my home. I've kept all numbers & time.Plan on buying a whistle! I us to do collections, I would have never water boarder people this way.

I answer their call (number ID)
"Good afternoon.  Scum Debt Collectors" how can I help you. Then tell them they have the wrong number and hang up.

Did not answer, and they did not leave message. I see that they are debt collector form the the other posts, but I am not late on any bills and have nothing in collctions.

called showed up as portfolio recovery at 6:06pm. but before that around 12:43pm received a phone call from portfolio recovery from this number 859-586-9557 so two phone call from different numbers i'm going to keep track and seen how many time and numbers they use and then report them to my phone carrier,
I think they are trying to collect on a debt that I just finish paying off.  

Thank you!!!

These bottom feeding vermin *will* do something by mail...if you complain to your state's consumer protection division in the Attorney General's office. Portfoolio was forced to hire at least one lawyer to do nothing but deal with inquiries from state Attorney General offices. They will respond to the atty genl inquiries in writing, and they will respond to you in writing when directed to do so by the atty genl.

We got a letter from the lawyer named Pearson. He stated that the so-called "debt" could not be verified, as it was nothing but a line on a print-out. He stated PRA had purchased it in 2001, and began collection efforts eight years later   !!!!   in 2009, without explaining why these vermin spent 8 years sitting on it. He stated the amount of the original debt, without explaining that PRA had paid only pennies on the dollar for it, and we could compare the original amount to the amount they were claiming we owe them, which is more than double...ie, something like 750 times what they paid for that line in the printout.  Pearson was soooo helpful and informative. He also stated that they had "decided to cease collection efforts." That was in early September of 2010, more than four years ago, and today's call is #407 since he wrote that.

We are left to guess what these verminous pond scum are thinking, continuing to call after thousands of unanswered calls over more than five years. I suppose one of these days, we wil just answer the phone and offer to send them a donation for their recovery facility. Keep on callin', Portfoolio.

Please do file reports with the FBI, your state attorney general and Department Of Justice,FTC & FCC..

http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
http://www.fbi.gov/
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action


Also read up on the laws and your rights:

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/search ...
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf

And see:

http://800notes.com/forum/ta-86217073a9c8dad/ ... 077595690349410
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http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors
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http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressreleases/extortion_scam.htm
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Section 809 of the FDCPA http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf requires 3rd-party debt collectors to give debtors written notice of debt (the key word is *shall*) :
"§ 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."
****************************************
A Collection Agent May Not?

Here are the top 11 actions prohibited by the The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act:

Misrepresent Him or Herself

  A debt collector may not misrepresent himself as an attorney or law enforcement officer.

Use the Telephone to Annoy or Harass

  A collection agent may not cause a telephone to ring or engage any person in telephone conversation repeatedly or continuously with an intent to annoy, abuse, or harass anyone at the called number.

Threaten Arrest or Lawsuit

  A collection agent may not threaten a consumer with arrest. It may not threaten legal action that is either not permitted or not actually contemplated. In other words, a the threat of a lawsuit may be an empty one.

Use Abusive or Threatening Language

  A debt collector may no use abusive or profane language in the course of communication related to the debt.

Publish a Bad Debt List

  Publishing the consumer?s name or address on a "bad debt" list is prohibited.

Contact By Embarrassing Media

  A debt collector may not communicate with a consumer by post card. It may not use any language or symbol, other than the debt collector?s address, on any envelope when communicating with a consumer by use of the mails or by telegram. A debt collector may use its business name if such name does not indicate it is in the debt collection business.

Contact a Consumer at Work

  A collection agent may not communicate with consumers at their place of employment after being told this is unacceptable or prohibited by the employer.

Seek Unjustifiable Amounts

  A debt collector may not demand any amounts not permitted under an applicable contract or as provided under law.

Contact a Consumer Represented by an Attorney

  A collection agent may not contact a consumer after it learns the consumer is represented by a lawyer.

Communicate With a Consumer After Receiving a Validation Request

  If a consumer sends a written §1692g response within 30 days, the collection agent may not communicate with the consumer until it mails the consumer the requested verification of original creditor's name and address.

Communicate With Third Parties

  A debt collector may not reveal or discuss the nature of a consumer?s debts with third parties other than the consumer?s spouse or attorney. A collection agent may contact neighbors or co-workers only to obtain location information. It may contact a third party again if it has reason to believe the information the party provided previously is false.

Bills.com FDCPA FAQ

Below are questions Bills.com readers ask frequently:

Can a Collection Agent Call My Cell Phone?

  Yes. However, if you tell the debt collector it may not use that number because it is a cell phone, it may not contact you again at that number.

I Keep Receiving Dozens of Calls From Collection Agents. Is That Legal?

  No. Unscrupulous collection agents will use "block parties" or "office parties" where they contact a consumer, multiple neighbors, or co-workers telling them they need to reach the consumer on an urgent matter. This is not permitted under the FDCPA.

A Collector Says I Will Be Arrested if I Do Not Pay

  This was a true statement before the US Civil War, but has not been true since. People may be arrested if an aggressive judge files a bench warrant for a person who does not appear at a hearing relating to a lawsuit regarding a debt. However, in that case, the offense is the failure to respond to a court order, and not the existence of the debt. As stated above, it is illegal under the FDCPA to threaten a consumer with arrest if the consumer does not pay the debt.

These people..  . came out of the blue.  We thought we owed maybe at best $4,000.  Now they want thousands and they won't tell us who or what company it's for.  Pretty sure this is a scam.

You are right.  They were specific about the debt we owed, but we paid it off in 2006 with the original company, then again for Portfolio in 2008 (wasn't aware it was scamming me), then they started calling again this year wanting $ for the same debt. I told them I had proof of payment and they said they would gladly remove me from the call list after they received my verification of payment already made.  They proceeded to give me a BOGUS e-mail address and calls stopped for around two weeks.  The e-mail address was not a valid email address, they were running a SCAM!!!!!!!!!

Numerous times have asked the caller send me a statement and an explanation of the debt. Always same reponse, we do nothing by mail or e mail.

Number blocked. Problem solved.

Wait for a person to talk and blow the hell out of a whistle into the phone!

calls every day leaves no message. very annoying

Called at 7:22AM.  Left no message.  Unless I miss my guess, though, that is WAY too early for them to be calling!  Isn't the legal time to start calling at 9AM?  My phone number is actually in a different area code than where I'm living, so it's 1 hour earlier where I'm located, but even if I were living in that state, it would STILL make it 8:22AM, and thus, illegal.

I have no debts personally, so it's probably (again) for the people who had our phone number before.  The harassment calls had stopped...and then started up again on 8/22.  Guessing whoever had this phone number before is STILL giving out this number as "theirs."

To get them to stop, send cease and desist letter, via registered mail, make sure it is registered. This is the first step. If they continue to call after they have received the letter, then you may want to call the FTC, BBB, and others, and an attorney. a sample cease and desist letter is below.

Collection Agency Name
Agency Address


Today's Date

Re: Account Number

Dear Sir or Madam,
With this letter I hearby request that you CEASE and DESIST any and all efforts to collect on the above referenced account. I will only deal with the original creditor of this account.

You are hearby instructed to cease all collection efforts immediately or face legal sanctions under the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. 1692c, and 1692k and the Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act,

PLEASE MARK YOUR FILES ACCORDINGLY.

This is Portfolio Recovery & Associates & they are CRIMINALS!!  REPORT Portfolio Recovery's Corporate phone number 1-888-772-7326. They are a collection agency that acquires old debts... sometimes 20 or more years old after the original debt has been paid or charged off or sold to several other collection agencies who did not recover the money. A lot of the information is so old that PRA does not even know who the original financial institution was or if the debt was actually ever paid off or not. They simply use old outdated information, addresses and phone numbers to harass innocent individuals. I was even told at one point that they run random credit checks on people and simply start calling if they find someone who ever had a charge off or something like that in the far past. If you have a phone number or address that was ever owned by someone who ever owed money at some point and time or your name is in any way close to someone that they are looking for you can wind up on PRAs list and start getting harassed by them forever.

Do NOT answer these calls!! Scammers!!! They have call centers and disposable cell phones. They are CRIMINALS that are being investigated in all 50 states and by federal authorities.

Do NOT answer these calls!! CRIMINAL Scammers called Portfolio Recovery. They have call centers and disposable cell phones. They are CRIMINALS that are being investigated in all 50 states and by federal authorities.

These people have been calling my house every day for weeks. I have no outstanding debt, so they must have the wrong number or something. When I called them today to ask why they were calling me, she wanted me to give her my SSN so that she could look me up in the system. When I said I wasn't comfortable giving that info over the phone, she hung up on me! This is not a professional organization. Very shady.

call my cellphone , didn't answer . don't have any ideal who they are or what they want.

Shut up you sound like you work for them. Why are you even on here if you pay your bills ???? Dumb A$$.