Calls aleging I'm some kind of criminal
Complaint
M.E.
Country: United States
These clowns have called me for about 2 years now,and I just came home to find a message on my machine wanting to discuss an "important" business matter.HMMM...changing tactics,not asking when I,as a deadbeat intend to pay my credit card bill.Now they have a business matter to discuss.Well before everyone can take their word for it that I am a deadbeat,let me make a few statements on my behalf!1.I do not have any credit cards whatsoever,period.2.I have never had nor have I ever requested credit of any kind from WAMU or any of its entities.3.I have never lived at the address that they say the billing for"my debt"went to nor do I currently or have I ever even lived in the same town.4.I have never received billing or any other correspondence from them of any kind at my real address with the exception of phone calls(hint here,my name and phone number are public record and found in the phone book-but they told me it was paranoid of me to think they would get my number that way).5.The last four digits of the social security number they say is on the account do not match any of the numbers in my social security number(which of course they want me to tell them and I won't).6.When I ask them for any complete identifying information for the account,they won't give me any,because they acknowledge that they may not have the right person!Go figure!I have other points,but there are so many that I can't remember them right this minute.However,would it make sense for me to get a credit card sent to an address other than mine?How would I get my hands on it to use it to spend their money with?They on the other hand go ahead and issue credit cards without looking into whether the information on the request is correct!They told me that they have no reason to suspect that some one would provide fraudulent information!So they don't think that it is strange at all that I have a phone number for one town and the address that they sent the card to is in a completely different locale which does not have the same or even a close telephone exchange.I think that theses characters are just hoping to trip me up and I'll give them some other definitive identifying information,thus tricking me into paying.They are abusive whenever they call and take the defensive right away-"well if you weren't a deadbeat and paid your bills..."and so forth.But just take that tactic with them,they get all hurt and think that I shouldn't have the right to turn the tables.P.S.I've been to the police to report this in my town and in the town where the card went to the actual address,they can't do anything because of the fact that my SSN is not involved with the theft just name and phone number,so it is not true ID theft.The minute that my SSN gets involved then I can attempt to prosecute for ID theft.Also,spoke to my bank to safeguard my accounts there.I think this time around I'll get my lawyer after them or maybe I'll hire my own collection agency to go ahead and collect my fee for wasting my time.If you get any calls from these folks,don't give them any info at all,keep a record of everyone you speak to and when.Write down any info they give you,you'll be referring to it again,it's been about six months since I heard from them,but they're back!
Comments
For example, several years ago the Minnesota AG sued them and reached a settlement over eggregious activity similar to what you are experiencing.
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2005/07/04/daily1.html
Regardless of whether you are the correct alleged debtor they are looking for, they might not only harass you but might also place damaging false information on your credit reports. Once they contacted you, they should have sent you a letter within 5 days notifying you of your right to dispute and request validation of this alleged debt. If you had then sent them a written request for validation (certified return receipt requested), within 30 days of receiving that letter, they would have been required to cease all collection activities until such time as they sent you proof of the debt obtained from the original creditor.
Abusive debt collection is prohibited by federal law (FDCPA), as well as state laws. Accusing you of being a criminal in order to collect a debt is not only illegal abusive collection, but illegal deceptive collection, as well as an act specifically prohibited by FDCPA.
As it is clear they are not going to cease their abuse, and would apparently prefer to extort payment from you rather than the correct debtor, contact your state AG for assistance in dealing with them. A good attorney with experience in FDCPA litigation should also be able to assist you, as they have already violated FDCPA in a number of ways. FDCPA allows you to recover reasonable attorneys fees if you succeed in your suit.
Log all of their calls, noting date and time, along with what they say. Build up a history of FDCPA violations for abusive and harassing phone calls, failing to honor your request to not contact you by phone, failing to send you the FDCPA required notification within 5 days of contact, attempting to evade your request for validation of the disputed debt by refusing to disclose mailing address, etc. Include all violations in your complaints to FTC, their AG, and your state AG, to establish a pattern of repeated, willful and eggregious violations of law.
They will either cease harassing you, or continue to harass you. If the latter, then you want to be in position for your next required legal steps should they be necessary.
That will allow you to paint Allied's collection activity in a more damaging light, since it would refute any deceptive claim they might make that their "error" was due to either erroneous information from WAMU, or id theft.