OK I am going to share a story here. It's a bit embarrassing for me but I would hate to see this happen to anyone else and maybe if enough people are aware, this type of scam can be stopped or at least slow it down.
YEP~~~ I GOT SCAMMED!
I received a phone call at work a few weeks ago from a company that informed me that I was going to be arrested and charged with check fraud. He said it stemmed from an online payday loan that I had defaulted on in 2007?
Now, if I had NEVER been dumb enough to get a payday loan He wouldn't have got me but *sigh* I was dumb enough and it was right around the 2007 time frame. Now as far as I know it had been paid off. I have never heard anything from them before now but, when he started throwing out all kinds of personal information....I was TOTALLY freaked out!! All I could think was I must not have paid it...how else would this guy have my info.
He told me that his client might be willing to settle this if I was willing and that it would keep me from being charged with check fraud.
I didn't think I had any choice so I agreed to it. I gave them my bank info on Monday (STUPID!!! I KNOW... I KNOW!!) They said the electronic transfer would not come out until Thursday or Friday.
I had a knot in my stomach over all of this and have been worried sick that I was going to be arrested.Wednesday early in the morning I looked at my bank account and OMFG they had tried to take money Tuesday!! Luckily the money was not there and they got nothing! I got online and did a search for this company...NOTHING came up. I then did a search on the address they provided...it came up as a UPS Store in New York. Then I did a search on the phone number and this forum came up talking about this Payday Loan Collection scam!! My heart sank! I had been scammed?? and they had all my information??? I was sick...I started searching for more information on this scam and found quite a bit. First thing when my bank opened I was there to find out what I could do. I ended up having to close my account and open a new one. When I got home I didn't know what to do next so I called my company's employee assistance company and talked to an attorney. He confirmed that it HAD to be a scam and gave me a list of things to do. I have begun that process and just thank God they they didn't get my money!! I am still being harassed and they have even threatened to call my employers HR department (I don't know if they have but, I called them to give them a heads up) they also knew my supervisor's name and said they were going to call her too. I am still a little nervous that maybe....just maybe it's a valid debt but the attorney I talked to said even if it is I can sue their asses off (his words not mine) for violating my rights according to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Sooo for today I am grateful that I was able to stop this scam before I was out a lot of money!!
Now just some info about this scam that might be helpful if any of you get contacted by these crooks!!
Consumers are receiving collection calls from fake law firms or fake agencies telling them they owe money to a payday loan company and threatening them with legal action
Victims are told they'll be arrested if they don't wire a payment or provide bank account or credit card numbers.
Consumers are duped because the scammers use official sounding company names and they know a lot of personal information about the victims, like their social security numbers, driver's license numbers and old bank account numbers. They sometimes refer to the victim's employer and even mention the names of personal friends, family and professional colleagues.
No law allows you to be arrested for failing to pay a payday loan or other type of loan. In fact, there's a law making it unlawful for bill collectors to threaten you with arrest.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act doesn't allow bill collectors to:
Threaten to have you arrested if you don't pay
Repeatedly telephone to harass or annoy you
Threaten you with violence or harm
Falsely claim to be attorneys
Falsely claim that you committed a crime
Don't Give In to Scare Tactics
Don't be fooled into paying out money or giving personal information to these scammers. If you receive a suspicious phone call about a debt:
Ask the caller to send the loan information to you in writing
Refuse to verify any bank account, credit card or other personal information over the phone
Report any telephone harassment or threats to the Federal Trade Commission. This is the agency that enforces the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
File an online Better Business Bureau complaint to help let others know about the scam
Contact your state Attorney Generals office to find out about state debt collection and consumer protection laws that might apply
He told me that his client might be willing to settle this if I was willing and that it would keep me from being charged with check fraud.
I didn't think I had any choice so I agreed to it. I gave them my bank info on Monday (STUPID!!! I KNOW... I KNOW!!) They said the electronic transfer would not come out until Thursday or Friday.
I had a knot in my stomach over all of this and have been worried sick that I was going to be arrested.Wednesday early in the morning I looked at my bank account and OMFG they had tried to take money Tuesday!! Luckily the money was not there and they got nothing! I got online and did a search for this company...NOTHING came up. I then did a search on the address they provided...it came up as a UPS Store in New York. Then I did a search on the phone number and this forum came up talking about this Payday Loan Collection scam!! My heart sank! I had been scammed?? and they had all my information??? I was sick...I started searching for more information on this scam and found quite a bit. First thing when my bank opened I was there to find out what I could do. I ended up having to close my account and open a new one. When I got home I didn't know what to do next so I called my company's employee assistance company and talked to an attorney. He confirmed that it HAD to be a scam and gave me a list of things to do. I have begun that process and just thank God they they didn't get my money!! I am still being harassed and they have even threatened to call my employers HR department (I don't know if they have but, I called them to give them a heads up) they also knew my supervisor's name and said they were going to call her too. I am still a little nervous that maybe....just maybe it's a valid debt but the attorney I talked to said even if it is I can sue their asses off (his words not mine) for violating my rights according to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Sooo for today I am grateful that I was able to stop this scam before I was out a lot of money!!
Now just some info about this scam that might be helpful if any of you get contacted by these crooks!!
Consumers are receiving collection calls from fake law firms or fake agencies telling them they owe money to a payday loan company and threatening them with legal action
Victims are told they'll be arrested if they don't wire a payment or provide bank account or credit card numbers.
Consumers are duped because the scammers use official sounding company names and they know a lot of personal information about the victims, like their social security numbers, driver's license numbers and old bank account numbers. They sometimes refer to the victim's employer and even mention the names of personal friends, family and professional colleagues.
No law allows you to be arrested for failing to pay a payday loan or other type of loan. In fact, there's a law making it unlawful for bill collectors to threaten you with arrest.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act doesn't allow bill collectors to:
Threaten to have you arrested if you don't pay
Repeatedly telephone to harass or annoy you
Threaten you with violence or harm
Falsely claim to be attorneys
Falsely claim that you committed a crime
Don't Give In to Scare Tactics
Don't be fooled into paying out money or giving personal information to these scammers. If you receive a suspicious phone call about a debt:
Ask the caller to send the loan information to you in writing
Refuse to verify any bank account, credit card or other personal information over the phone
Report any telephone harassment or threats to the Federal Trade Commission. This is the agency that enforces the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
File an online Better Business Bureau complaint to help let others know about the scam
Contact your state Attorney Generals office to find out about state debt collection and consumer protection laws that might apply
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