Debt Coll. Advice Greatly Appreciated. Thanks All.

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Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2788

I just got a call in from this number 1-904-725-0052 asking for my better half. Now we tend to give numbers we don't know short shrift but the women who called (Sh4ron Jackson) seemed to be very closely "impersonating" a law officer-saying she worked for the state etc. I kind of palmed her off but asked for her details-when i asked for them a second time she hung up on me.

I called the better half at work, as she has been dealing with an AMEX debt-15 years old and past the statute of limitations recently. She just got back to me and said that they have also been calling her parents (in another state) and whenever they ask for details she hangs up on them. The better half also has a sister who is an ex-con and somewhere in the wind and may or may not have used the better halfs id etc to get credit cards in the past, though if this has any relevance to this we do not know.

The better half called this women at the number above and spoke to her-the women already has all her details SS. Number etc and was threatening her with arrest if she did not pay before 11am. When the gf tried asking for details of the debt etc the woman hung up on her too. I tried to explain that anyone who wants payment by WU is probably not legit, but the gf is in the process of having kittens.

So does anyone know what is going on?
Does anyone have any advice on whether this is legal or a scam?
How can we stop this woman calling?
Who can we report her too?
Can someone get a company name or address for this number?

Any advice gratefully received.

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:40 pm

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-904-725-0052
Googling that phone number brings up a lot of info.
[Edit]- CLICKY

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:45 pm

Sounds like a scam to me. I would turn all information over to your local police departments fraud unit. AMEX doesn't operate in that fashion but a collection agency would. I would ask them for copies of their documentation of this debt.

Additional comments: Just read the info from the google search. What a crock of shit! Sharon Jackson is violating so many federal laws herself I am surprised no one has challenged her on it. Don't take this crap from her I would have your attorney give her a nice little phone call.

Try this link for Fair Debt Collection -

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.shtm

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:48 pm

some other victims http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/9047250052
Try to tape them and report it to local police

Found this http://www.tndatabase.com/904/725/00/ scroll down to 0052 and click details

Jacksonville Florida

And some tips how to deal with this the right way. Assuming you're in the USA. http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft.html

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 3549

I've done collections and she is cruising for trouble. She might have legitimate access to the info, but she is using it fraudulently. You can tell her not to call you again, and if she does, she can be in legal trouble. Get proof, if possible.

More importantly, she needs to be reported to the police. I'd march down to the police station with the research I'd done and make a report. You are lucky you have the phone number.

What a nasty scam.

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2788

Thanks all for the advice...So far the gf has reported her/them/it to the attorney general-their advice was to hang up if she calls again.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Posts: 720

Get a credit report from one of the credit agencies.

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:28 pm

One very important thing is that you cannot be arrested for bad debt (in the US). She's obviously just saying that to try to get you to send money.

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:49 pm

^^AKAIK it's the same in the UK, you can be taken to court, have your house and posessions re-posesed but not actually nicked by the cops. This is a damned nasty abuse of the system.

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:53 pm

I frequently listen to financial radio talk show host Clark Howard. He has tons of good information on his web site, to include information on scams and illegal practices. You can get to his site at
http://clarkhoward.com/

Here are a couple of specific items from his site that may help you:

Fight back against zombie debt collectors
http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/2008/02/15/

Nov 06, 2007 -- Banks, bureaus and collectors all flouting bankruptcy laws
http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/category/7/40/227/

I am not an attorney, however in my opinion, I strongly would consider contacting the Florida State Attorney General's office to file a complaint, because even if this turns out to be a valid debt, the practices you describe are most definitly illegal. You can find the contact info for the Florida AG online at the state's web-site.

Best of luck to you.
OldWolfAtHeart

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:15 pm

After a debt is past 6 or 7 years old.. They cant put it on your credit record.

What happens is many of these debt collection places pay pennies on the dollar to tenths of pennies on the dollar for old debts. and find anyone with a similar name and try to scare them to pay. But they do ask for WU, or even the #s off the bottom of your check (to guess what - take every penny owed)

If she really owes a debt to amex (they are known to be the worse in collections) then it prob is real - the collections company isnt playing nice. If you tell them to stop contacting you they have too and do it in writing also.

If its been 15 years - then they cant put it on your credit report either

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2788

@Lester-the amex one is 15 yrs old and has been sorted (and is well past the statute of limitations)-less than a month later we get the call that prompted the OP.

Thanks again for your help everyone. I'm gonna take the urgent off the title-but if anyone has anymore good ideas or advice-they'd be greatly appreciated.

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:51 pm

Donato - Part of what this kind of collection does is get you to admit you owe money to the original debtor. That resets a collection clock (in some places) and they then invoke all of the terms that were in place when the original debt was incurred.

The will use all of the scare tactics they can to get you to pay or agree to the debt or pay part on the debt. I had a situation (one of the kids) and looked into it. I even called the authorities State and Federal. I was told they can do most of the tactics (including using sexually based slurs) to get what they are after.

It made me sick how slimey they are and what the do and are allowed to get away with doing. Use all of your baiting skills because they are "legalized" scammers. Don't admit to anything. Don't give them any RL info and don't be nice to them. Evil or Very Mad

PM if you want more, though it has been a while.

I did email all of the princilples of the company that was trying to scam and told them to knock it off as I had contacted the AG and the FTC. They went away! Cool

I also used their toll free number a lot just to hang up when they answered. (Using the rules of baiting 1. waste time; 2. waste resources) Twisted Evil

Edited because I couldn't spell "legalized" and I added a little bit more.

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:35 pm

I had an old debt that I thought was dead and buried, a couple of years after I went on a spree with my BCCI credit card in the week after they went bust. Embarassed

Eventually old debts get sold on, for a small percentage to anyone game enough to stump up the money and have a go. That may have happened to you.

After a worrying letter from a worryingly local adress, a large man in a suit with a clipboard pulled up outside my house. I was outside when he got out of his car, and I sussed him straight away. Copying an old dodgy boss, who pretended to be his own identical twin if the Bailiffs turned up, before he even said anything more than ask me my name, I told them that 'Royston Cropper' was my father, who had run off to Florida, and left us all behind. He wrote something on his clipboard and drove away.

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:56 am

Donato, back in the 1980s I was into phone phreaking, using codes and devices to get access to free phone calls, etc. I called all over, spoke for hours, etc. I started getting calls from the "phone Police", AT&T goons who wanted to know if I knew someone in (insert location here). Aside from the moral issues of theft of service, etc (I wouldn't do it now), I learned a few things, which may be applicable.

Try this when they call:

#1. "Is this another crank call? Hey, f*ck you! No more crank calls! I am sick of this! etc, etc, etc" Hang up.

#2. "Who? Hold on, I'll be right back" Go take long hot bath. Drink some coffee. Do the crosswords. Do your nails. Read paper in the loo. Come back, say "Sorry, no one here knows what you are talking about." Hang up.

Remember, they are bullies and will try anything to get you to pay. Just refuse to speak with them on their terms. If they come on your property, do you live in a "stand your ground" state, like Florida or Texas? If so, stick a pistol in their face and tell them you will shoot them if they come back on your land. That is a cheap cease and desist order. Betcha the shit will stop.

Master Baiter Joined: 05 Aug 2006 Posts: 213

the first rule of engagement in anything like this :

never ack that you own them anything, say it specifically because saying anything else will turn the debt current in some states...

check your state debt collection laws before doing anything ...

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