The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:

?is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
?refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
?asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
?exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.

If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:

?Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.?Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.
?Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft ? charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.
?Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate ? but you think the collector may not be ? contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
?Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors

They keep calling and harassing regarding a debt collections and they are calling all the other individuals that are not related to me. Jim Scott, Zimmerman Young and Assoc. is very unprofessional. I called then today and spoke with Ms. Thomas and she states that she is mailing me an affidavit! I told her this is a scam and reported them to the Attorney General?s Office and BBB? They also stated a courier came by on March 24th, April 10th & 18th to deliver documents but nothing has surface. They are just a low life and trying to scam people!!!!!

Let me get this straight. You work at a place that serves tennis balls be cause you took out a loan?
I must say that sounds like an interesting place to work.

You got to be careful dude. Severed limbs happen to shills all the time.

Hum? Severed car saleman for Easter? No, not on the menu. Would you serve rice, or stuffing with that? I've always found shill meat's kind of gamey.

You were "severed" at your job by a courier service?  Does that particular courier service employ ninjas?  How did the sever you because that sounds awfully painful not to mention messy (all that blood and all).  You were embarrassed because you took out a loan?  Many people take out loans why would that be embarrassing?  As a matter of fact you said you were a car salesman and I would bet that most people take out loans for cars because they don't have the cash, so I guess all those people should be embarrassed also?  What happened on the floor, you mean when you were severed you bleed all over the floor and your manager got confused and angry?  Well I could maybe see being confused under those circumstances, but I would think angry was over the top, I mean who would want to get severed anywhere regardless of it happening at work.  I guess they really couldn't fire you for being severed at work though, too bad about the car sales, the economy is still way down.

By the way, yes those people are scumbags, but you need to include yourself in that term since you are an illiterate thief that works for them.  The way you steal from people, your hands should be severed.

Informational post - re. fake process servers:

http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases ... legal-practices

At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a U.S. district court has halted a debt collection operation that allegedly extorted payments from consumers by using false threats of lawsuits and calculated campaigns to embarrass consumers by unlawfully communicating with family members, friends, and coworkers.  The court order stops the illegal conduct, freezes the operation?s assets, and appoints a temporary receiver to take over the defendants? business while the FTC moves forward with the case.

The lawsuit, part of the FTC?s continuing crackdown on scams that target consumers in financial distress, charged four individuals and seven companies.  The FTC alleged that the defendants were part of an elaborate debt collection scheme operating from locations in Orange and Riverside counties in California, and that they used various business names including Western Performance Group, as well as fictitious names, which they changed frequently to avoid law enforcement scrutiny.

The FTC alleged that the defendants called consumers and their employers, colleagues, and family members posing as process servers or law office employees, and claimed they were seeking to deliver legal papers that purportedly related to a lawsuit.  In some instances, the defendants threatened that consumers would be arrested if they did not respond to the calls.  But the debt collectors were not process servers or law office employees, and the defendants did not file lawsuits against the consumers.  The FTC charged that the defendants? false and misleading claims violated the FTC Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.  In addition, the FTC alleged that the defendants violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by:

improperly contacting third parties about consumers? debts;
failing to disclose the name of the company they represented, or the fact that they were attempting to collect a debt, during telephone calls to consumers; and
failing to notify consumers of their right to dispute and obtain verification of their debts.
The complaint names as defendantsThai Han; Jim Tran Phelps; Keith Hua; James Novella; One FC, LLC, also doing business as Western Performance Group and WPG; Credit MP, LLC, also doing business as AFGA, CMP, AFG & Associates, AF Group, Allied Financial Group, and Allied Guarantee Financial; Western Capital Group, Inc., also doing business as ERA, LMR, WCG, and WC Group; SJ Capitol LLC, also doing business as SCG; Green Fidelity Allegiance, Inc., also doing business as WRA; Asset and Capital Management Group; and Crown Funding Company, LLC.

The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaintwas 4-0.  The FTC filed the complaint and the request for a temporary restraining order in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.  On July 24, 2013, the court granted the FTC?s request for a temporary restraining order.  The Federal Trade Commission would like to thank the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for its assistance in bringing this case.  For consumer information about dealing with debt collectors, see Debt Collection.

NOTE:  The Commission files a complaint when it has ?reason to believe? that the law has been or is being violated and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest.  The case will be decided by the court.  

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them.  To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC?s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).  The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.  The FTC?s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.  Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

Your post is confusing - you said you were "severed"?  You cut yourself?  Your "manger was so confused and angry"?  Do you have barn animals at your work, and you feed them there?  The only alternative is that you are yet another shill for this scam.  Please do let the door hit you where the dog would've bit you!  The boiler room's that way ---->

You where severed? Why aren't you in the hospital then?  Epic failure of the shilly once again! BTW, shilling is illegal also..

I was severed at my job by there courier service about a week ago it was totally embarrassing over this loan I took out smh these people have the nerve to serve me at my job my manger was so confused and angry it happend on the floor btw im a car salesman not mention im having a terrible month in sales almost cost me my JOB ......these people are scumbags

I received a call from a Jim Scott, Zimmerman Young & Assoc.., and he claims that he has paper to serve me, that they tried to serve me on March 24, April 10 and now they will serve me on April 18, 2014 to my residence regarding a scam on a VIP Loan which it has been cleared and paid plus my bank account was hacked, so I told them I have all documents and he does not want to hear it and I ask for their address and info and he does not want to answer or give me the information with attitude. I called the court house and my name is not on the system and they said that this is a scam because there is nothing on my name. If you going to serve me, let me know the date of court and they can not provide me with that

Is this some sort of scam? They call and call and call! I have no idea what they are talking about! They keep leaving threatening messages! It needs to stop!

Follow the steps in what you need to know. Send them a Cease & Desist via certified or return receipt US mail.

http://800notes.com/arts/Jb8EW-eDhQA/harassin ... ou-need-to-know
See Residents post here also:
http://800notes.com/forum/ta-34af6a034ba34b6/unending-collection-calls
Templates of Letters:
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-319-242-7350

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
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection

To file complaints on FDCPA/TCPA violations, File complaints with your states Attorney General and theirs (if known) and also with the FTC, CFB, BBB.. Also check your credit - your entitled to a free report once a year from all 3 agency's. Check the SOL (statue of limitations) for your state.

credit reports:  Experian, Equifax, TransUnion
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0155-free-credit-reports

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#&panel1-1
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

http://www.tcpalaw.com/

Consider buying a call blocking device or phone..
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=se ... s=call+blockers

Informational Post:

Associated threads:

http://www.callercenter.com/866-410-8063.html
http://www.whycall.me/716-335-9051.html
http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/8664108063
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-716-335-9051
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-866-410-8063

Also mentioned here:
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/phantom-debts-and-fake-collection-notices

http://www.bbb.org/upstate-new-york/Business- ... lo-ny-235969408
F rating, not accredited
Failure to respond to 35 complaints out of 39

Zimmerman Young & Associates

Phone: (866) 410-8063
2211 Sheridan Drive Suite A, Buffalo, NY 14223
BBB® F Rating

(877) 805-6049(Phone)
(716) 875-2952 (Fax)

Possibly the same company, but no updated information:
http://www.bizapedia.com/ny/ZIMMERMAN-YOUNG-AND-ASSOCIATES-INC.html

I know what you mean!!! These people are relentless. So far they have contacted every family member I know. They  threatened to have me thrown in jail and been completely rude to me. These people are taking this so personally. It's as if I have taken money from their very pockets. I receive anywhere from ten to fifteen calls a day!

These people are Scums! I contact BBB regarding them and plus my lawyer. I am part of security with where I work and Mr. Preston we are tracking your calls and trace you! We will  see you soon!

Another Zimmerman, Young and Associates number!  They continue to call several times per day, even when told the employee is not allowed personal calls at work.  Will not take no calls for an answer.  Totally fed up from an employers perspective.....