I got a call from someone claiming to be with my local sheriff office trying to serve me papers and had to call this number to find out why.  Company named TD and Company phone 855-589-7003 a guy named Mike Miller (doubt his real name) said I owed a payday loan from 2007.  In back of my mind I'm thinking there is no way i still owe on that those guys are relentless it would have shown on my credit report or they would have contacted me a long time ago for their money (I've been in same address since 2005).   BUT the guy on the other end knew just what to say to get me all nervous and threaten to serve me papers at work blah blah blah.  I didn't know better so I "negotiated" down to settle the matter.  The guy was somewhat rude (called me a liar) then all of a sudden got nice. I think he noticed when he got rude I wasn't willing to deal with him and when he got "nicer" I was easier to manipulate.  Then the more and more I thought about the conversation I thought there is no way I owed that money. Plus it was such a small amount there was they wouldn't spend the money to fight me in court the way he talked (said they would subpoena records from employers and family).  I called my state attorney office but they couldn't give me specifics on companies to find out if it was a valid or not so they referred me to state commerce department.  Right away they guy at the commerce department knew exactly what happened once I said company name and what they accused me of owing.  He told me all about this scam.   I called my bank to see if I could stop the credit card payment and I couldn't stop it but I could file a dispute for the company misrepresenting themselves.  In order to file the dispute I had to attempt to get them to return my money.  So I called the company asked for my money back he asked why and I told him it was on the advice of my state's commerce department & would not give him more info.  He said he'd have to check with accounting and hung up on me. I then emailed them and advised I would like my money back and said I filed a complaint with FTC, state attorney, & state commerce dept.  I thought I would not see that money again but a few days later it was put back in my account.  Not sure if the fact I advised them I knew they were not licensed in my state to collect money or not scared them enough to put money back.  IF I truly owe money I understand collection agency's have the right to collect (without using aggressive tactics) and I would pay my debts but to TRICK people to think they owe something they don't is so low.

I got a call from someone claiming to be with my local sheriff office trying to serve me papers and had to call this number to find out why.  Company named TD and Company phone 855-589-7003 a guy named Mike Miller (doubt his real name) said I owed a payday loan from 2007.  In back of my mind I'm thinking there is no way i still owe on that those guys are relentless it would have shown on my credit report or they would have contacted me a long time ago for their money (I've been in same address since 2005).   BUT the guy on the other end knew just what to say to get me all nervous and threaten to serve me papers at work blah blah blah.  I didn't know better so I "negotiated" down to settle the matter.  The guy was somewhat rude (called me a liar) then all of a sudden got nice. I think he noticed when he got rude I wasn't willing to deal with him and when he got "nicer" I was easier to manipulate.  Then the more and more I thought about the conversation I thought there is no way I owed that money. Plus it was such a small amount there was they wouldn't spend the money to fight me in court the way he talked (said they would subpoena records from employers and family)  I called my state attorney office but they couldn't give me specifics on companies to find out if it was a valid or not so they referred me to state commerce department.  Right away they guy at the commerce department knew exactly what happened once I said company name and what they accused me of owing.  He told me all about this scam.   I called my bank to see if I could stop the credit card payment and I couldn't stop it but I could file a dispute for the company misrepresenting themselves.  In order to file the dispute I had to attempt to get them to return my money.  So I called the company asked for my money back he asked why and I told him it was on the advice of my state's commerce department & would not give him more info.  He said he'd have to check with accounting and hung up on me. I then emailed them and advised I would like my money back and said I filed a complaint with FTC, state attorney, & state commerce dept.  I thought I would not see that money again but a few days later it was put back in my account BUT the next day I got a call 866-552-0362 (did not answer the phone) and Googled the number it was for a "valid" license debt collector in MN (one with many complaints filed about them JC Christensen). I'm guessing they bought my "debt" from this company to try and "legally" get me to pay what I don't owe. I added this company to my FTC complaint and told them I did get my money back.  The very nice representative at the FTC was surprised I got my money back but thought maybe the fact I knew they were not licensed in my state scared them and they didn't want to deal with the state attorney or something who knows. I think more info needs to be out there about these scams.  IF I truly owe money I understand collection agency's have the right to collect (without using aggressive tactics) and I would pay my debts but to TRICK people to think they owe something they don't is so low.