What ever you do donot pay them.  They contacted me & my husband back in 2010 threatening us in everyway imaginable.  I was told that if I didnt take care of my debt ( that they said was check fraud) they would send the cops to arrest me.  This man told me what vehichles I drove, where I lived, my social security number & so on.They scared me so bad & not knowing any better I paid it.  After talking with our sheriff here I was told that they could not arrest you for a payday loan or debt of any kind.  He said everything they did & said to me was completely illegal.  Had I known all of this sooner I would have turned around & sued them.  Im today getting letters from another collection agency for this same debt that I paid to investigative recovery.  I contacted investigative recovery today about this because they have refused to send me proof of what this was paid on although I have on my bank statement where they took the money out.  I need proof from them where I paid this to keep this other collection aganecy from suing me.  Of course all I got when I called was a voicemail & I left a message.  I just hope I didnt open a new can of worms for these scum bags to start on me again but if so this time the only person they will communicate with is my lawyer.  If they threaten you in anyway please contact your attorney Generals office & the federal trade commision to file a complaint.  I will do whatever I need to possible to stop these scum bags from taking from anyone else like they took from me.

They contacted me, and already had my social security number, and referenced a payday loan I took out 2 years ago and PAID OFF. telling me that I owe $67.50 and if I didnt pay today they would issue a warrant for me, so I told them go ahead I will go sit in jail for a day for that. I am not giving anyone my banking information. Thank God I changed banks since then

this number is from cummings georgia, it is a scam, they arre not I.r.s , the real company is based out ,of dallas tx, and i talked to the guy in dallas, and he stated the fbi is on this case because it is iraians that got into personal information if you have ever gotten a payday loan.

hey

that is untrue there are no irians in the company at all, pay your bills when you have to and you wont be callled

i got  calles at my work today for a payday loan and they were  very mean and rude with me

i had  several calls from them stating that were getting ready to file court papers on me. so i called them if and they asked for my cc#  what should i do. plz help

I just got this same message as well. The wierd thing is that it states my son-in laws name to call because it is associated with me. Which floors me because I have not contracts with my son in law. WEIRD! and very scary to see that ppl can go through loops to find you. omg!

My elderly father called me this morning - he'd gotten a call from a Ms. Bolton at 678-648-5541, ext. 119, supposedly regarding a judgment being taken against me, something that she said had been outstanding for quite a while, and she told him I'd used him as a reference.  I had no idea what it could be in reference to, so I googled the phone number.  If what they're going after is payday loans, I've never in my life taken out a payday loan.  I have no idea how they got my name or my father's contact information (we're in two different states, and I haven't lived at home or needed to use him as a reference for anything for years).  I suppose I'll return their call and see what this is allegedly in reference to.  I'm not about to agree to pay them one thin dime unless they can show me, in writing, something with my name on it where I took on a debt and agreed to repay it.  I will hire a lawyer if need be, and I will report them to the FTC and the Texas Attorney General.  Bad enough to try to collect on what is in all likelihood a bogus debt, but to call my father and get him stirred up?!  Unconscionable.

The following information on how to file an expedited complaint with the Georgia Office of Consumer Affairs has been extracted from: http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-800-781-3445/4

Send a statement via USPS to:
GEORGIA GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS
2 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DRIVE SE, SUITE 356,
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30334-4600
or fax to 404-651-9018

Describe your contact with this company and their practices. Use the form located at http://www.georgia.gov/vgn/images/portal/cit_ ... mplaintform.pdf  for expedited processing by their office.  It is extremely important to their case to include in your statement if the phone representative claimed to be an attorney, claimed that the firm is a law firm or alluded to the firm being a law firm or having lawyers on staff or something about a  network of attorneys that work for their firm. End your statement with the line below:

I respectfully request that the firm Brown, Stein & Weissman, LLC be prosecuted under the fullest extent of the law pursuant to 15 USC §§ 1692 § 814 and State laws regarding Fair Debt Collection Credit Practices.

I have recieved a call from Investigative Recovery Services and they said that i was going to jail because of bad checks. I was like dont you think i would know if i wrote bad checks? Or wouldn't i receive a letter or something? I was and still am freaking out, they were like its a small debt, there is no reason why you cant take care of it today.....I was like i have 2 kids and a budget that you dont fit in to. I fell for it and was really trying to figure it out since she said that i will have a warrent. well she was like i have to let the client know and i need a credit or debit card number well i laughed at them and said hell no i am not giving you my credit card number, Are you freaking crazy....Then she said we are through here you have a good day and i will be expiditing this paperwork through. you will get your summons......wth? has this happened to anyone else?

Call your bank and stop payment on the transaction!!  They are a SCAM.

1-678-648-5541 x 114 - SCAM - I contacted a lawyer about this company.  SCAM...SCAM...SCAM.  I called the company and told them I had contacted a lawyer.  Agent Donaldson told me to F...off and hung up on me.  Now they won't answer my calls.

These people called me at work and left several messages for me stating that they were needing to talk to me about an investigation concerning a pay day loan from 2008. Gullable me got freaked out and called them back. I spoke to a guy named Mike. He was able to tell me my social security number, the day of the loan, who my references were, etc. He asked me where I could be located, and provided my previous address and asked what time I would be there because they were going to come and arrest me. He asked me if the references I had provided when I took out the loan could identify me and that they had subpeonas for them. He asked me if I had ever been convicted of check fraud and that this was what the charge was. He said that if I could come up with 1700 dollars that he would dismiss the charges, and when I told him I couldnt do that, he said that he could allow me to pay half of the debt, which was 2200 and then give me 60 days to pay the rest. I took off of work, went to the pawn shop and pawned everything I could to come up with 1200 and called him back with my debit card number. So, these a***oles got me for 1200... and was about to get me for more until I decided to do a little research. I wish I had done it before I gave them money. I feel like such an idiot. I just knew that if I was to get arrested, I would lose my job and I cant afford that. He was already calling my work number. Im guessing I will never see that 1200 again and that it didnt go to pay my debt.

I thought it was illegal for a debt collector to share someone else's debt information with a third party?  After you indicate that you are a friend, they spill her personal information about debts owed to you?  I hope these people get stopped soon!

My friend received a voice mail message from Investigative Recovery Services
Account #016585-6 Phone # 1-678-648-5541x117Caller: Investigative Recovery Services.
They said that her name on the contract they looking for me. I called many times and they putted me on hold and I was disconnected. Today, finally I spoke with the person and he told me that I am under investigation because of fraud on 2006. I asked to give me more information and he putted me on hold and I was disconnected again. I Goggled this phone number and see the similar story, what should I do to stop this?

I just got a call from this company claiming I had written a bad check.  However, I balance my checkbook weekly and KNOW where my money has gone and there are NO bad checks.  I did not reply to them.  The guy who left the message said he was Mr. Atkins with Investigative Services.

This is an email from the owner of the home that I previously lived at:


The person listed below contacted me a few days ago.  He asked that?if I should
hear from you?you contact him immediately regarding a financial loan you
procured through the company he represents.  Some sort of court summons is
involved.

Jay Henson
Investigative Recovery Services
Account #016418-0
Phone # 1-678-648-5541x110

i recieved a call at my job  from investigative recovery services recently and said i wrote out a bad check in 2005 through my bank and i don't even have that account anymore! i live in MN and i don't know what there policies are on this sort of thing is. any help would be greatly appreciated.

THE CORRECT WAY TO HANDLE COLLECTION CALLS AND ILLEGAL TACTICS

HANDLE IT CORRECTLY AND THEY WILL END UP PAYING YOU

READ DEALING WITH DEBT COLLECTORS, RECORDING CALLS AND STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS BY STATE

You can also post your questions here http://www.collectorsexposed.com/forum/   NEW URL!    

These links are to attorneys for those being scammed www.naca.net or http://www.consumerjustice.com/consumer/searchattorneys.aspx

Debt Collectors DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION!    
The INFORMED CONSUMER IS THE DEBT COLLECTORS WORST ENEMY!

Dealing with Debt Collectors
Http://www.budhibbs.com/First.htm    
    
Statute of Limitations by State ? always double check YOUR OWN STATE Government Website
http://www.budhibbs.com/statute_of_limitations.htm

Recording calls from Debt Collectors - always double check YOUR OWN STATE Government Website
http://www.budhibbs.com/record.htm


From Federal Trade Commission Website ? FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT
Debt Collection FAQs: A Guide for Consumers
If you?re behind in paying your bills, or a creditor?s records mistakenly make it appear that you are, a debt collector may be contacting you.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation?s consumer protection agency, enforces the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices to collect from you.
Under the FDCPA, a debt collector is someone who regularly collects debts owed to others. This includes collection agencies, lawyers who collect debts on a regular basis, and companies that buy delinquent debts and then try to collect them.
Here are some questions and answers about your rights under the Act.

What types of debts are covered?
The Act covers personal, family, and household debts, including money you owe on a personal credit card account, an auto loan, a medical bill, and your mortgage. The FDCPA doesn?t cover debts you incurred to run a business.

Can a debt collector contact me any time or any place?
No. A debt collector may not contact you at inconvenient times or places, such as before 8 in the morning or after 9 at night, unless you agree to it. And collectors may not contact you at work if they?re told (orally or in writing) that you?re not allowed to get calls there.

How can I stop a debt collector from contacting me?
If a collector contacts you about a debt, you may want to talk to them at least once to see if you can resolve the matter ? even if you don?t think you owe the debt, can?t repay it immediately, or think that the collector is contacting you by mistake. If you decide after contacting the debt collector that you don?t want the collector to contact you again, tell the collector ? in writing ? to stop contacting you. Here?s how to do that:
Make a copy of your letter. Send the original by certified mail, and pay for a ?return receipt? so you?ll be able to document what the collector received. Once the collector receives your letter, they may not contact you again, with two exceptions: a collector can contact you to tell you there will be no further contact or to let you know that they or the creditor intend to take a specific action, like filing a lawsuit. Sending such a letter to a debt collector you owe money to does not get rid of the debt, but it should stop the contact. The creditor or the debt collector still can sue you to collect the debt.

Can a debt collector contact anyone else about my debt?
If an attorney is representing you about the debt, the debt collector must contact the attorney, rather than you. If you don?t have an attorney, a collector may contact other people ? but only to find out your address, your home phone number, and where you work. Collectors usually are prohibited from contacting third parties more than once. Other than to obtain this location information about you, a debt collector generally is not permitted to discuss your debt with anyone other than you, your spouse, or your attorney.

What does the debt collector have to tell me about the debt?
Every collector must send you a written ?validation notice? telling you how much money you owe within five days after they first contact you. This notice also must include the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money, and how to proceed if you don?t think you owe the money.

Can a debt collector keep contacting me if I don?t think I owe any money?
If you send the debt collector a letter stating that you don?t owe any or all of the money, or asking for verification of the debt, that collector must stop contacting you. You have to send that letter within 30 days after you receive the validation notice. But a collector can begin contacting you again if it sends you written verification of the debt, like a copy of a bill for the amount you owe.

What practices are off limits for debt collectors?
Harassment. Debt collectors may not harass, oppress, or abuse you or any third parties they contact. For example, they may not:
    use threats of violence or harm;
    publish a list of names of people who refuse to pay their debts (but they can give this information to the credit reporting companies);
    use obscene or profane language; or
    repeatedly use the phone to annoy someone.

False statements. Debt collectors may not lie when they are trying to collect a debt. For example, they may not:
    falsely claim that they are attorneys or government representatives;
    falsely claim that you have committed a crime;
    falsely represent that they operate or work for a credit reporting company;
    misrepresent the amount you owe;
    indicate that papers they send you are legal forms if they aren?t; or
    indicate that papers they send to you aren?t legal forms if they are.

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.

Debt collectors may not:
    give false credit information about you to anyone, including a credit reporting company;
    send you anything that looks like an official document from a court or government agency if it isn?t; or
    use a false company name.

Unfair practices. Debt collectors may not engage in unfair practices when they try to collect a debt. For example, they may not:
    try to collect any interest, fee, or other charge on top of the amount you owe unless the contract that created your debt ? or your state law ? allows the charge;
    deposit a post-dated check early;
    take or threaten to take your property unless it can be done legally; or
    contact you by postcard.

Can I control which debts my payments apply to?
Yes. If a debt collector is trying to collect more than one debt from you, the collector must apply any payment you make to the debt you select. Equally important, a debt collector may not apply a payment to a debt you don?t think you owe.

Can a debt collector garnish my bank account or my wages?
If you don?t pay a debt, a creditor or its debt collector generally can sue you to collect. If they win, the court will enter a judgment against you. The judgment states the amount of money you owe, and allows the creditor or collector to get a garnishment order against you, directing a third party, like your bank, to turn over funds from your account to pay the debt.
Wage garnishment happens when your employer withholds part of your compensation to pay your debts. Your wages usually can be garnished only as the result of a court order. Don?t ignore a lawsuit summons. If you do, you lose the opportunity to fight a wage garnishment.

Can federal benefits be garnished?
Many federal benefits are exempt from garnishment, including:
    Social Security Benefits
    Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits
    Veterans? Benefits
    Civil Service and Federal Retirement and Disability Benefits
    Service Members? Pay
    Military Annuities and Survivors? Benefits
    Student Assistance
    Railroad Retirement Benefits
    Merchant Seamen Wages
    Longshoremen?s and Harbor Workers? Death and Disability Benefits
    Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Benefits
    Compensation for Injury, Death, or Detention of Employees of U.S. Contractors Outside the U.S.
    Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Disaster Assistance
But federal benefits may be garnished under certain circumstances, including to pay delinquent taxes, alimony, child support, or student loans.

Do I have any recourse if I think a debt collector has violated the law?
You have the right to sue a collector in a state or federal court within one year from the date the law was violated. If you win, the judge can require the collector to pay you for any damages you can prove you suffered because of the illegal collection practices, like lost wages and medical bills. The judge can require the debt collector to pay you up to $1,000, even if you can?t prove that you suffered actual damages. You also can be reimbursed for your attorney?s fees and court costs. A group of people also may sue a debt collector as part of a class action lawsuit and recover money for damages up to $500,000, or one percent of the collector?s net worth, whichever amount is lower. Even if a debt collector violates the FDCPA in trying to collect a debt, the debt does not go away if you owe it.

What should I do if a debt collector sues me?
If a debt collector files a lawsuit against you to collect a debt, respond to the lawsuit, either personally or through your lawyer, by the date specified in the court papers to preserve your rights.

Where do I report a debt collector for an alleged violation?
Report any problems you have with a debt collector to your state Attorney General?s office (www.naag.org) and the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov). Many states have their own debt collection laws that are different from the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Your Attorney General?s office can help you determine your rights under your state?s law.

For More Information
To learn more about debt collection and other credit-related issues, visit www.ftc.gov/credit and MyMoney.gov, the U.S. government?s portal to financial education.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad
February 2009

File complaints with

Federal Trade Commission  https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en

Your State Attorney General
State Attorney General is every state they have offices

Link to all State Attorney General Websites www.naag.org

If you or they are located in NY ? use this SPECIAL Link  www.NYDebtHelp.com
This special website was created by NY AG Andrew Cuomo specifically for reporting illegal debt collection practices.  HE?S CRACKING DOWN AND SHUTTING THEM DOWN!
    
Also report your calls and contacts with debt collectors at http://www.budhibbs.com/index.html  If the company is listed under agencies ? report there. If not on the list YET, click on Watchlist! and add to the list.   You can also post here http://www.collectorsexposed.com/forum2/index.php?board=2.0

I just received a call from them at 8:55 this morning.  I was unable to answer and so i googled the number to find this site.. I called them back and i had a choppy connection at best and he was unable to help me as i didnt get a message left in my voicemail.

Strange.

They called me before 8am and said that I was listed as a reference for my friend.  "yeah, she's my friend."  Well... she's being investigated for writing a bad check.  And he gave me the same number to call back with the extension 101 and his name was Danny. I explained that it would take a couple of days to get a hold of her and he replied with, "Well, I don't know if I'll have this case that long."
I missed his call today, but he didn't leave a message.

Received a phone call from a Mr. Andrade from Investigative recovery about a bad check.  I have never written a bad check and don't want to return the call but I'm afraid.  They use fear to get to people.  What should I do?

This is Agent Downs with Secure Finanacial Advance regarding a bad check written. The iniatior is Patricia Franks.

called my parent agent said HIS name was agent donaldson, i called the LADY said she was Agent donaldson, proceded to ask a bunch of personal questions including the name of my bank and acct #.  when I refused the line went dead.

These people keep calling my # looking for some other guy....................I have told them time after time that I don't know who they are looking for and it's not his # !!!!!!!!!!

They have called me several times over past couple months. I told them to send me paperwork in the mail a month ago. Havent gotten it yet. This is a scam

This is a recovery company looking for bad check writers and dead beats who don't pay their bills.  They called my 9 year old daughter claiming she was Richard Urselin under collections case 015256-4.  

Richard - if you are out there you are a piece of $hit and should pay your bills.

This is definitely a scam and I am not going to bother calling them back.  "Mr. Atkins" did not say he was from the IRS, but he called regarding from "Investigative Recovery Services."  "A financial company has filed a complaint against you" and he wants me to call and make a statement.  I am sure they probably want my SS# and bank acct info with my statement.  I did a search on the internet for the "real" company and they are located in Texas.  I am going to try to call them too to help the FBI.

who called me from this number