collection notice

ComplaintsCollection AgenciesPublic Yellow Pages

Complaint

0
Brandy and Chris Widner
Country: United States
This guy called our dental office and asked to verify information with our front desk regarding our information in the yellow pages and after she verified the information they asked if she was authorized to do this and she said yes. Then they asked if she wanted the info faxed or mailed and she said fax. Then they called back and told us that we owed 676.80 for the premium business package and when I told them that we had not signed up for this he continued to tell me that this would be fowarded to a collection agency. They are using an address of Public Yellow Pages 405 Lexington Avenue Chrysler Building, 26th Floor New York, NY 10174

Comments

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  • 0
    tj
    | 1 reply
    They are a fraudulent "business directory" telemarketer, probably operating out of Montreal, Canada.

    The NY address is just a mail drop,  This type of scam also often uses mail drops in Champlain NY, near the Canadian border.

    They make these calls, "to verify your information", then make fraudulent claims that you "agreed" to their ridiculous price which they never disclosed in any offer in the first call.  They may also make phone recordings, which they doctor, edit, or misrepresent as you "agreeing".

    No one wants their worthless "services", so they try to con and threaten people into paying anyway.

    They often work with a crooked collection agency out of New Jersey, who is reported to play the recordings and make threats to damage  your credit.

    FTC is on to them, and has shut down many.  They keep moving and changing their names.

    File fraud complaints with FTC, since several of these scams and their perpetrators, are already subject to court injunctions.  Also file fraud complaints with your state AG, and at www.ic3.gov

    If the NJ debt collector calls, notify them that you know it's a scam, and that you are filing a fraud complaint against them, as well.  File fraud complaints with FTC and the NJ AG.

    If they send a fraudulent bill in the mail, file a mail fraud complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspector.

    Ignore their threats.
    • 0
      tj replies to tj
      It looks like they are using Regus, which sells "virtual office" services in various locations around the country, apparently providing receptionist/answering service (and presumably mail forwarding) to clients.
      .
      http://www.regus.com/offices/us/New%20York.html
      "...
      Fully furnished, professionally equipped offices in New York
      An on-site receptionist to answer your calls and greet your clients
      Convenient locations everywhere you need to conduct business
      Flexible term options get an office for a day, a month, or longer
      Meeting rooms and videoconferencing studios
      State-of-the-art printing, scanning, and more available on demand right from your desktop
      Access to over 1100 Regus office locations globally
      ...
      New York, New York City - Chrysler Building
      405 Lexington Avenue
      Chrysler Building
      25th & 26th Floor
      New York City, New York 10174
      United States
      ..."

      Why don't you contact FTC, the NY AG, and the Postal Inspector, regarding filing fraud complaints for "aiding and abetting" a fraudulent extortion racket?
  • 0
    denny
    | 1 reply
    Someone called our office around 11:00 a.m. and that very afternoon this Public Yellow Pages guy named Paul Young called our office about a non paid bill and threatened to ruin the credit of our company and was filthy rude on the telephone to our employees.  We just received a fictious statement from them with an invoice and account for $600.00 which is a scam.  He called back and tried to get us "mad" and we were very nice and firm telling him you are a "scam".  So he hung up on us but now we continue and are left with a crazy bill.  I will contact and do everything in my power to "snuff them out" of their hole.  They claim to be on Lexington Avenue in NY.  I have contacted a local television show (now who is getting free advertising!) and see if anything develops from exposing them.  We did not sign up for anything of the kind as we are retiring and dont need help with our company.  Speaking of retiring - can you continue to harrass a 71 year old man?

    They claim they have it on voice recorded - is that legal?
    • 0
      tj replies to denny
      See above.

      They aren't in "New York".

      They aren't going to "ruin your credit".  
      All they can do is threaten.
      It's just fraud.
      Their "recordings" are doctored.

      File fraud complaints with FTC and your state Attorney General.

      If they sent you anything through the U.S. Mail, file a mail fraud complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspector.
  • 0
    Jenny
    | 1 reply
    A man called our office and verified some information with our secretary. Then send us invoice of $676.80. When I called, I said we never authorized this. One lady played a tape. On man talked so fast with our secretary. Our secretary didn't understand it. He said yes. We didn't sign anything and the secretary doesn't have the authorization for any contract. It is a fraud. On their website  www.publicyellowpages.com, there is no our company's AD.  I don't know how to report this fraud.
    • 0
      tj replies to Jenny
      You didn't agree to anything, and you don't owe them anything.
      They deceive and threaten, but they can't do anything to you.
      Do not believe any recordings, as this type of scam is commonly reported to doctor, edit, or misrepresent phone recordings.

      You may have noticed that complaints of this type of scam are reporting more different names.
      They have to keep changing their names, or they get caught.

      Report it to FTC.  They are very familiar with this type of scam, and they have sued several, obtaining court injunctions and fines.

      If they have sent you a fraudulent invoice through the mail, also file a mail fraud complaint iwth the U.S. Postal Inspector.

      You can also file a complaint of internet related fraud at www.ic3.gov  Report their URL.
  • 0
    Pam
    | 1 reply
    This same scam has happened to our business.  I'm so glad to hear that it is a SCAM, as I suspected!  Everyone here has described it exactly...They call and say that the first two years were free and now you owe for the 2010-11 year, they threaten collection, tell you your credit will be ruined and play you a tape of you "authorizing " the transaction.  
    Just last week I received a phone call from another "Online Listing" company who said wer oed them $497.  I'm not sure the name of this one.
    • 0
      tj replies to Pam
      They keep changing their names.
      They fabricate and doctor "authorization" recordings.
      It's just fraud.
  • 0
    spt
    Same thing happened to us.  An "Anna Harris" from the Public Yellow Pages called and told us she was a collection agent and that we were way past due on a service that we did not sign up for.  Since then she faxed us invoices 4 times and sent us one through snail mail.  Luckily I found the scam online.  We actually did fax "her" back with a letter copied to our attorney that if they didn't stop bothering us we were going to counter claim harassment charges.  Haven't heard anything since.

    Only crappy thing is it has taken so much company time filing reports with the FTC, BBB, State Attorney General, National Fraud Center and the US Postal Inspector.  Very exhausting.
  • 0
    Prrs
    Had the same type of thing happen here. I knew it felt off somehow as the recorded message they played back of me was not the same as i remember from months before. i never agreed to pay them anything, not once, then i get the collections call about not paying and how it would be bad for my credit and stuff. i just told them to sent it to me on paper again and i would review it. As i am now by reading about how be a scam it is! thanks and good luck! im not paying a dime to anyone without better proof, especially when my ad doesnt even exist!
  • 0
    Sam
    Please check about fraud publicyellowpages.com here -

    http://www.givemebackmycredit.com/blog/2012/0 ... e-its-back.html
  • 0
    just another victim or not
    go to Denise Richardson   consumer advocate   this site made my blood pressure go down. if you want to have fun call caroline  at 646-863-6212   - she's the one calling me telling me to pay up!  i 've been calling her  every 1/2 hour to ask stupid questions - what are you wearing?   she must have caller id . she quit answering after awhile so i left a 15 min. message about me and the boys going water skiing. next call she answered and asked if i left the message ...huh.... oh i am so sorry i must have hit redial. she's not answered since. : ) i'm going  going to keep calling and asking for the real address or something. it only took them 10 min to put up my add after i told her it wasn't there. i'm not sure how much time to waste on this but but my blood pressure is almost normal now . so give her a call and tell her about your cousin billy bob  and his hemroid problems.  oh sorry wrong number.
  • 0
    just another victim or not
    sorry , sam is right--on the previous post-- that is the correct web site . denise richardson wrote it. it is exactly  and i mean exactly what they are doing to me. wish i had caroline's home number. i guess i'll tell her about  my hemroids tomorrow   if she answers.
  • 0
    Trisha A
    Thank you so much for your website - I had this public yellow pages company calling me since June telling me that I had an outstanding balance and in Nov they had me verify my infomation, name address - I just got a phone call that I owed over $600 for an advertisement for a company I use to work for in 2007 and that I approved the invoice for 11/2011-11/2012 why would I buy an ad for a company that I don't work for. Everything was in my personal address and phone number. They told me that they were going to ruin my credit if I didn't pay them 499.99. Then my husband found this website and I found out it was a scam. I made a complaint on the Better Business Bureau NY. They first came back saying they had me recorded and I owe them the money, on and on. I just forward the BBB a copy of this link. Then I got a message from the yellow pages the upon futher review of my account they have canceled my order and removed all the charges!! We will see if they ever call me again.
  • 0
    Lisa
    They have been doing the same thing to our little store starting on April 25,2012. It started with a fax, which I immediately responded to by calling. The invoice had a "Lucy Pearson" name on it, so that is the who I spoke with. She was obviously from a foreign country and was extremely rude when I said I wasn't paying this bill. She immediately played a recording of another employees voice agreeing to their services. The employee was in the office and said she never agreed to this service. We are a family owned business and would never spend $599 for advertising, we can not afford that. "Lucy" hung up on me, so I immediately tried to call back and asked to speak with an American. Well according to "Jake Green" that makes me a racists, which I am not at all. "Jake" was very threatening and yelled at me on the phone. He hung up on me, as did "Lucy", they work by intimidation, hoping to scare people into paying a bill they do not owe. It was a screaming match basically. They then sent over another invoice for $678, stating we were being turned into their legal dept for being diligent. They claimed they sent 2 invoices, which they never did. These scammers could cause someone to have a heart attack! I reported them to the FTC, BBB and the Attorney General's office. If I could report them to anyone else I would! Since this started I have done alot of research and have found they are a completely fraudulent company who are trying to scam people out of money. They even called back today, April 27. This time it was "Jake" again. He spoke to an employee who informed him she was not allowed to speak to him. (All employees are now trained to not speak to anyone who refers to anything to do with the Yellow Pages, from this point on their is no one in authority to update info over the phone). I called "Jake" back and was smart and blocked my number, and once again "Jake" was rude and said he wasn't allowed to speak to me it had been turned over to the "legal" dept and hung up on me, after I informed him I had turned him into the FTC, BBB and the Attorney Generals office. I called back "Jake" back asked to speak with the legal dept, he hung up on me again. So this time I called the number and asked the woman who answered the phone to speak with the legal dept, she asked for our office number since I didn't have the invoice number, guess who answered the phone..."Jake"!! I asked "Jake" about our court date, something he threatened me with in previous phone calls, as my attorney wanted the info, He hung up on me again! That's it so far, but I am now prepared for this to continue. This is such a horrible group of scammers I pray they are able to find them and lock them away for a very long time! Sad thing is I know some just pay this bill and they are forever out that money!
  • 0
    Ivy
    Needless to repeat what has been mentioned in EVERYONE's complaint. I have been rejecting their response through BBB. They threathen to send us to collection, in fact, some women just called me to let us know we will be sent to collection.
    My question to everyone is, has anyone actually been contacted by the "Real" collection agency?

    Thanks,
  • 0
    rick
    | 1 reply
    fake jake will be caught . he has called my  business  with his scam threats.. and fake bills faxed to me.. he is a telephone tough guy. so now i turned the table on him. i swamp him with alot of calls during the day . if he does not answer i leave messages (fake jake answer or are you on the other line scamming someone else?) he called me back and said i was driving him nuts. keep calling 5-10 times daily, fax him all scam complaints on him. if we all work together and bombard him with this he will go away. hopefuly to prison where he beliongs! by the way he hates the name (FAKE JAKE) be sure to use it.
    • 0
      tj replies to rick
      If he's still able to call you back, he's not nuts enough.

      There are places for housing sociopaths.  They are called prisons.
  • 0
    S LONG
    | 1 reply
    The man asked to speak to the owner or manager. I told him that no one was here at that time. He told me that I could authorize the purchase and I told him repeatedly that I was only a part-time employee, only working three or four days a month. He kept on and on saying just say "yes". Finally I said "yes" and my boss got an invoice statement for $599.99. Now, I know this is a scam, and I have reported it to the FTC and have found numerous other people with the same complaint. I sure would like to see that dude in person, so maybe it will make it to a courtroom and I can tell him just how low down he is.
    • 0
      tj replies to S LONG
      They just phish for some "yes" they can edit into a different recorded script, to make it sound like you "agreed" to something.  Ignore their threats, since they can't actually do anything except harass you.

      They also work with a fraudulent debt collector out of New Jersey.
      If you are contacted by them, file fraud complaints agaist them as well.
      They also can't do anything but threaten and try to intimidate and con you.

      If you receive a fraudulent invoice through the US Mail, file a mail fraud complaint with the US Postal Inspector.
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