Guess we all know Who "sarah" works for.

This number is to Great Lakes Higher Education. They call me for a Melvina Williams and I keep telling them they have the wrong number. I am getting so tired of them calling my phone. They even say I am Melvina, hahaha..don't know any Melvinas. Maybe they got the wrong number to all those other people. I suggest they call them back and confirm they are calling the correct phone number or the correct person. I did, and I do every time they call. They say they will take my number off their call list, but no I get another call from the same company.

Well Bob it seems we have a few problems in this thread besides the fact that you just posted incorrect information.  Great Lakes is a provider of student loans and not a collection agency.  The number for their company does not match up with the phone number at the top of this thread, but that of course does not preclude them from having other phone numbers at their disposal.  The number at the top of the thread does not match up to the phone numbers provided at the US Department of Education website (https://www.myeddebt.com/borrower/myoptions_collectionAgencies).

Now please read the following which was copied from the above mentioned web site and is indeed factual information.  Tax refunds, Social Security, and pension payments can indeed be garnished to pay student loans.  Please read the following:

If you default on your federal student loan, the entire balance of the loan (principal and interest) may become due in a single payment. This is called acceleration. Once your loan is accelerated, the holder of your loan?a guaranty agency, the U.S. Department of Education (ED), or the school that made the loan?may place your loan with a collection agency.
If your loan is placed with a collection agency, you will be responsible for costs incurred to get payment. The holder of your loan can take other actions to collect as well.

How will my outstanding debt be collected?

ED has the authority to collect a defaulted federal student loan.  The government can collect this debt by withholding money from the following sources of income:
?    your income tax refund and other federal payments
?    your wages

Withholding Money From Your Tax Refund or Other Federal Payments (Treasury Offset)
The U.S. Department of the Treasury, at ED?s request, can withhold money from your federal income tax refunds, Social Security payments, and other federal payments to collect your defaulted federal student loan. This withholding is called Treasury offset.

Withholding Money From Your Wages
Your loan holder?ED or the guaranty agency?can order your employer to withhold up to 15 percent of your disposable pay to collect your defaulted debt. No court judgment is needed. This withholding (?garnishment?) continues until your defaulted loan is paid in full or removed from default.

With garnishment, you can expect the following:

?    Your loan holder will send you notice of the proposed garnishment at your last known address.
?    You have 30 days from the date of the notice to object to garnishment. You must object in writing and request a hearing. If you do so after the 30-day period, garnishment will be initiated and will continue while your objection is considered and a decision issued.
Your loan holder arranges a hearing on your objection. The hearing may be held in person or on the phone or may be based simply on records you submit to make your case. A decision on your objection should be made within approximately 60 days from the day that your hearing request is received.
For more specific information about garnishment or the hearing process, contact your loan holder. If you do not know who your loan holder is, you can look up your federal student loans by logging into My Federal Student Aid.

If you?re a federal employee, ED may arrange offset, through the Federal Salary Offset Program, of up to 15 percent of your disposable pay to collect a defaulted student loan. You have the right to object to the offset and have a hearing held on your objection.

In addition student loans are generally not able to be discharged in bankruptcy proceedings.  This is not to say that it has never happened but it occurs at such an infrequent rate that it is generally accepted that it can not be  discharged.

Please take the time to research your comments before posting so that people will not be misled.

I think you work for great lakes... and by federal law NO debt collector or collections agency can garnish your tax refund. They can garnish your bank account to seize your return but only the government can garnish your tax return. Get your facts straight and STOP trying to scare people in to paying. Try working with people to get their debt taken care of.

It is great lakes and my loans are being taken care of via another Company have provided them proof of this and they still call and threaten me

Did not pick up the phone, but the caller left a voicemail. He was looking for someone else who used to have this number. Said he was calling from Great Lakes Higher Education, a student loans company.

https://www.mygreatlakes.org/

here's the site for great lakes.  the number is listed.  if you read the site, you will know that they are NOT a collection company....they are a servicing company for student loans.  it is very legit.  if you avoid calls from this number, you will be kicking yourself in the a** because when they go into default, it's sent to the fed government for wage garnishment.  after that...it will have a garnishment on your FEDERAL tax refund.  when it gets to that point, there's nothing you can do to keep them from taking your tax refund. ;)

you people should do research and make sure you're right before you post a company to a site like this because every single comment on this is INCORRECT.

that's not correct.  i think you've confused a scam company with this number.  i know the scam you speak of, but it wasn't from the great lakes number.

this is the number for great lakes.  it's NOT a collection company!!!  it's a student loan servicer.  it's the company who services mine after i reconsolidated from another company.  they are NOT a collection agency....they are the servicer of your student loans and if they are calling you, then you obviously have student loans, and they are the ones who will put your account into default where you aren't eligible for any government loans or grants.  do not avoid this company.  if they say you have student loans with them, and you're saying you don't...then you need to find out what's up.  go here...call them...whatever you do, but contact this site and they can tell you what loans you have and what company they are with.

*********this is the number for great lakes.  it's NOT a collection company!!!  it's a student loan servicer.  it's the company who services mine after i reconsolidated from another company.  they are NOT a collection agency....they are the servicer of your student loans and if they are calling you, then you obviously have student loans, and they are the ones who will put your account into default where you aren't eligible for any government loans or grants.  do not avoid this company.  if they say you have student loans with them, and you're saying you don't...then you need to find out what's up.  go here...call them...whatever you do, but contact this site and they can tell you what loans you have and what company they are with.***********

Typical scammer or junk debt buyer BS.  No one gets a heads up they'll be served papers - court summons or otherwise.  These threats are used to intimidate people into paying bogus debts or debts already paid off.

http://800notes.com/forum/ta-86217073a9c8dad/ ... 077595690349410
************
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors
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http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressreleases/extortion_scam.htm
******************
Also read up on the laws and your rights:

Harassing calls from a debt collector? Here is what you need to know
http://800notes.com/arts/Jb8EW-eDhQA/harassin ... ou-need-to-know

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm

CFPB Q&A on debt collection practices
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/search ... debt-collection

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection
************
Follow the steps in what you need to know. A legitimate debt collector agency should not have a problem with giving you a real business name and address you can google and verify via google street view, BBB etc.
For extortion Scam Operations, file reports with the FBI, your state attorney general and Department Of Justice,FTC & FCC..

http://www.nw3c.org/
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
http://www.fbi.gov/
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#&panel1-1
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

And folks should consider looking at maybe getting call blocking device or phone..
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=se ... s=call+blockers

Caller says hIs name is Jack and to be available to sign for some papers bc he'll be stopping by my place of employment or home. Called on a Sunday afternoon! I'm supposed to call 877-400-0243 to get a Stop order.

maybe you should just pay your bills instead of dodging the calls

Great Lakes student loans from Wisconsin.  They call like crazy with lots of different numbers.  Also have
800-874-8982,  800-236-4300, 608-246-1550, 612-548-2001, 800-715-2523, 888-601-9976

They make is sound like they are a school district but they are a debt collections agency.  We have no student loans.

don't have any student loans

Great lakes student loan

They keep calling my work number.

found this... hope it helps they have been calling me as well.

Toll Free Numbers Lookup Tool
Toll Free Number Information for 1- 888 - 601 - 9976
Number Status:     IN USE
Status Date:     01/20/09
Company :     Verizon Business
Contact Number :     8002652316
Website :     www.verizonbusiness.com
Description :     Verizon Business offers advanced IP, data, voice and wireless solutions to large business and government.
Other prefixes for this number
Number    Number Status    Status Date
800-601-9976    IN USE    11/21/05
866-601-9976    IN USE    11/13/10
877-601-9976    IN USE    02/10/10

Thank you

These people have been contacting my friends and family on their cell phones even though they have my number and don't contact me.  Aren't there laws against this??

This is a collection agency for defaulted student loans.