bogus billing
Complaint
Maria Esparza
Country: United States
Until I read online that this was a scam, I was really upset! I had received a call at my office stating I had ordered this service and was asked if I would like to continue receiving service. I declined the offer and was given a "cancellation code". Two weeks later, I received a bill for $479.96. When I called to dispute this bill, I was forwarded on to a "complaint department" who wanted me to verify the bill I had gotten. Me, not thinking anything, verified the info, which they recorded but cut off before I told them that I was disputing this bill.
I then received a "collection bill" from this company and when I asked for the rest of the "recorded conversation" showing I was disputing the bill, the rep stated that there was communication errors and that was all that got to be recorded before "messing up".
Do not pay these people!!
I then received a "collection bill" from this company and when I asked for the rest of the "recorded conversation" showing I was disputing the bill, the rep stated that there was communication errors and that was all that got to be recorded before "messing up".
Do not pay these people!!
Comments
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/BGF2EkbqOAADGQjNGah5sw
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/DqVvXDYsJwDn1gjMs3ZoRA
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/qctkW871IAAh_QjMbnbe6Q
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/ocbgPRSIQAD4ogjMKixQeg
ACA Recovery is reported to be collecting on fraudulent "accounts" from two fraudulent "business directory" telemarketers: Regional Yellow Pages Online, AKA RYPO, AKA Thompson Hill Publishing (and other names), and goyellowpagesonline. Both are known for making deceptive calls "to verify your information", which they then edit, doctor, or misrepresent as "authorizations" for "business listings". ACA Recovery has been reported to play these deceptive recordings, in their attempt to fraudulently extort payments from small businesses and schools.
Your report of how they fabricated their "authorization recording" is pretty typical for this type of scam. You can find several similar descriptions in complaints against these companies, and others from some former employees of other fraudulent telemarketers, here:
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/tYc4K1wNsACmMAjLZ-BuTg
They typically use it in threats to sue, although I have not seen ANY reports that they have actually attempted to introduce such fraudulent recordings in court, or that they have even sued anyone over these bogus "accounts". It appears to be all threat and bluff.
The debt collector appears to be fully aware that the "accounts" are phony, and that the recordings are intentionally doctored, edited, or cut.
RYPO was sued by FTC in federal court. FTC got a permanent injunction against them earlier this year, yet ACA Recovery is apparently still collecting on these phony "accounts".
Goyellowpages appears to have started up at about the same time that GoAm Media, another similar scam, was shut down, so there may be some relationship between them. Their recent BBB reports (current and Google cache) shows a recent increase in BBB complaints with no response, about 20 in the last 2 months.
File fraud complaints with FTC, your state Attorney General, NJ Attorney General, at www.ic3.gov, and a mail fraud complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspector if you have been sent a fraudulent bill for unordered services.
Be sure to contact FTC. Other small businesses have reported that FTC is aware of the connection between ACA Recovery and the scam subject to the injunction, and that their file on them has been growing.