fake debt; bad business

ComplaintsCollection AgenciesNorthland Group, Inc

Complaint

0
Kristin Greene
Country: United States
Northland Group is sending collection notices to my address, to someone I know but who has never lived at my address and has not lived in the United States (New Mexico) at all for the past four years (past the New Mexico Statute of Limitations on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act).

There is no doubt in my mind that this is a fraudulent attempt at debt collection.  Northland Group may succeed sometimes in collecting money from people, when they chance to find a random name (at a correct address) of someone who has a history of debt and bad credit, taking advantage of forgetfulness and poor understanding of debt law.  Their business practices are highly suspect, and most likely illegal.  Don't pay them a cent.

Comments

  • 0
    tj
    Mark the mail "Not at this address", and have the post office send mail addressed to the other person back.
  • 0
    tj
    They do have a high level of complaints on this site of harassing people for debts they do not owe (either because they have already been paid, or because they have found the wrong person but with a similar name), as well as contacting and harassing the wrong people while claiming they are calling for someone not at that address or phone number.

    If they are mailing someone else's mail to you, you may start getting phone calls as well.  Be prepared to file complaints with your state Attorney General and the Minnesota Attorney General should they fail to cease harassing you.
  • 0
    My Name Here
    If you have repeatedly sent the mail back and you feel harrassed via the mail you can make a complaint with the postal service. It's against the law to harrass someone using the mail.
  • 0
    Vet65
    Debt collection agencies have a number of questionable business practices that they use, from harassing phone calls to threatening letters. I have just received a first letter from Northland and will be keeping each letter. It is most puzzling as the letter is from Northland Group and references Arrow Financial Services before getting to HSBC. Whew!! Quite a number of organizations to go through for something I don't owe. I've found that demanding a validation really throws them, they just don't know how to respond to the law.
  • 0
    tj
    The lowest rungs of the debt collection industry have found that since there is little likelyhood of any consequences to sending out erroneous collection letters to the wrong people, why bother to find the right address?  

    Just have your computers match a batch of old accounts against databases of names and addrsses, and if the name match is close enough, send them a bill.  Shove the problem of dealing with the "misidentified" collection letters onto the suckers who get them, most of whom will never figure out how to send a validation letter, let alone sue for deceptive collection or negligent credit reporting.

    Not "knowing" who owes a debt, or being too cheap to pay the cost of finding out, is actually an advantage, since you have a better chance of getting paid from some sucker afraid their credit will be damaged than from the original deadbeat.

    Cheaply purchased junk debt is a license to run a fraudulent invoicing scheme, that would normally be considered mail fraud.
  • 0
    MOM
    This group is using my home to reach my daughter, but she never gets the phone call.....some debt collection agency not  a BBB....another form of harrassement perp by someone who likes to harrass the mom who has good credit,and has helped the daughter many times over..But the Bank of MOM is now closed. na na na na na na ......Id like  to release the flying monkeys on them!
  • 0
    Obed
    File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission they are interested in actions of collection agencies,

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