Legal Asset Financial Group LLC Collection agency
Complaint
Michael
Country: United States
Legal Asset Financial Group LLC is an offshoot of Rincon Mangement Group LLC, et. al. As you may recall, the "Rincon" collection cluster was run by Jason R. Begley and Wayne Lunsford, all of which were shut down pursuant to an FTC sting and TRO/PP back in October of 2011. Two weeks after the raid on the Rincon cluster, Legal Asset Financial Group LLC was formed. The corporate documents are mailed to 2401 Simon Circle, Corona, CA.. This address is the last known address for Samuel Alexis Marquez and Victor Hugo Marquez. As many of you insiders already know, these two individuals were managers/senior collectors for the Rincon cluster. Recent internet activity shows complaints are already trickling in about this company. I need help getting a location on Legal Asset Financial Group LLC as I beleive that previously purchased debt from the Rincon cluster is now being collected through this entity in violation of the FTC preliminary injunction. If anyone has information or complaints against Legal Asset Financial Group LLC, please post and I will do the follow up investigation.
Comments
Looks like they are deliberately calling even more distant "relatives" than usual.
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-429-9857
They appear to be monitoring their complaint activity on 800notes closely, trying to appear "professional". They may be trying to limit their regulatory complaint profile.
https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/8884299857
"wordwide verification" (third party disclosure to employer as alleged "employment verification")
"legal asset management"
They are a spin-off of the old Corona Scam, shut down by FTC back in October 2011.
From consumer complaints, it sounds like they continue to use the same ol' shakedown scripts.
http://ieweekly.com/2011/11/feature-stories/extortion-land/
(The FTC raids also made NY Times, Washington Post, Huffington Post, etc,etc. They got their "15 minutes of fame".)
Document violations of FDCPA, since you can sue for such violations. In particular, if they make physical threats ("arrested if you don't call back in 3 hours") or impersonate law enforcement or government agencies("with the Sheriff's Department", "with the County Process Server Division"), document and record the calls. You can find consumer attorneys in your state through www.naca.net
You should be able to track them down through California Secretary of State LLC listings, or business licenses in a city in the vicinity of Corona CA.
If you insist on an address, they may give you a mail drop at a UPS store in Corona or nearby Lake Elsinore, or some other close by town. You can obtain physical addresses rom Post Office or mail forwarders by suing, as part of obtaining the address for service of a summons. Or if you have problems tracking them down, contact a PI, Michael Peterson, in Palm Desert CA. He knows them well.
You can file complaints with FTC and your state Attorney General. The Corona Scam offices weren't real good at getting licensed and bonded in states that required it, so if your state requires that, your state AG may be interested in checking them out.
There's really not much point in paying anyone whose only claim is based on phone harassment and threats, who can't even send the FDCPA required "g" letter to notify you of your right to dispute and request proof you owe an alleged "debt", and who uses illegal tactics to evade (and in place of) providing validation of debt. That whole pattern is consistent with fraudulent collection of fake or unowed "debt". The collection scammers that act this way generally can't sue. In fact, they have to hide from lawsuits themselves. If it were otherwise, they wouldn't be playing these games.
https://complaintwire.org/complaint/Nc03itiYd ... ial-group-llc/3
It sounds like at this point they haven't proven any "debt" is even owed, or that they have any right to collect it. In fact, they have used threats to disuade you from exercising your legal right under FDCPA to dispute and request proof of any alleged debt.
There are no "legal fees" to drop, since there is no "lawsuit". There also are no "criminal charges", and if there were, he couldn't drop them only a DA or prosecutor that filed them. You weren't going to be "served papers", since there are no "papers". In fact, these scams do everything they can to AVOID putting anything in writing that might be used against them.
This is a "con", a debt collection shakedown and extortion racket.
You may wish to contact Michael, as he is working on behalf of an attorney who has sued a bunch of the Corona Scam managers for similar illegal collection. He can probably identify the particular owners and managers running this particular "office".
You may also wish to contact FTC, particularly the Western Regional Office in LA, which is handling the Rincon case. These are the FTC attorneys in that case:
MARICELA SEGURA, CA Bar No. 225999
RAYMOND E. MCKOWN, CA Bar No. 150975
e-mail: msegura@ftc.gov and rmckown@ftc.gov
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
10877 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Telephone: (310) 824-4343
Facsimile: (310) 824-4380
If you paid them because of their threats of "prosecution", then that is deceptive collection, as well as extortion and fraud. Immediately contact your bank to dispute the charges as fraudulent, and close the account or block the card number to prevent further fraud. Your bank can reverse the charges if you dispute promptly. (It is NOT illegal to block or reverse payments on a "debt", whether fake, or even real. They may threaten to "prosecute" you for "check fraud" or whatever, it's just more BS.)
What literal business name did they use?
Search on alias "Phillip Chambers". No direct match, but similar aliases show up, connected to similar scam complaints.
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-360-6635
"National Check Recovery Services"
"National Credit Reporting Service"
"Marshall Chambers"
"Phillip Kaufman"
Calls out of the blue, often to relatives or employer and implying they are calling "to serve papers", are a tactic designed to create panic by implying a "lawsuit" that may not even exist. It is a deceptive and illegal tactic in violation of FDPA aimed at coercing payment without any proof the alleged "debt" is owed, or that it is owed to the caller. Given that goal, you have to ask why would they be choosing to illegally evade their FDCPA legal obligation to respond to disputes and requests for validation (proof of the debt)?
Most likely reason is that they are lying, about the debt, it's amount, that you owe it, about whether it's past SOL and they are really suing, but definitely about something.
You cannot "settle" a "debt" with someone who blatantly lies, as you have no way to even know what you are settling, whether you really owe it, nor could you enforce such a "settlement agreement" should someone else come along later and claim they actually owed this "debt" you thought you paid. You are dealing with liars and cheaters, and you have no way to know how deep the deception goes.
If they say you have been sued, you better have been sued, or they are in violation of FDCPA, and you can sue THEM. Check with your local courthouse, but most unexpected calls alleging a lawsuit are usually crooked shakedown rackets. Real lawsuits are filed by real attorneys, and result in real service of the summons, not some threatening call on the phone to a relative.
Never pay unproven debts, or debts you don't even owe.
Legitimate debt collectors will comply with the law, and provide proof of any alleged debt from the original creditor if you dispute the debt. Crooks will just lie more and make more threats.
Paying debts owed by someone else will make you poorer, and may damage your credit.
Contact the NH Attorney General. Some states require licensing and bonding of debt collectors before they can legally attempt to collection from residents of that state.
Also contact FTC.
The first thing this guy said asked me was have I signed any legal documents within the last 24-48 hours. I don't know what this was about? Then he proceeded to tell me that he would have to talk to the lawyer on the case to get my case reopened and would need a good faith effort, with 3 payments of $351. Also, he had a problem when I told him I would not be able to make payments until the end of each month. He was not threatening just kept sighing when I said I could not give him $1052.56 immediately. I told him if the "lawyer" did not want to give me a chance with clearing this up in payments then I would see them in court.
Any feedback? I believe that it is still a scam.
In accordance with FDCPA, you have the right to demand that any debt collector prove you owe any alleged debt, and that they prove they have a right to collect it. If you are contacted by a debt collector, you notify them that you diispute the debt, and they must by law cease collection until they obtain and send proof of the debt from the original creditor. Any "debt collector" who refuses to do that, or who uses lies and threats to attempt to con you into paying without proof, is engaged in illegal collection in violation of FDCPA, and you can sue them for it, whether you owe the debt or not. You don't have to play guessing games with swindlers.
"The first thing this guy said asked me was have I signed any legal documents within the last 24-48 hours. "
That's their typical con game. They pretend you have been "sued" by implying you are about to be "served a summons". These liars do it by implication, so they can say they didn't actually say you were sued, they just "asked a question", but it's deceptive collection none the less. The "process server" scammers NEVER sue.
It is illegal for a debt collector to threaten to take any action they cannot take, or do not intend to take. They are threatening to sue, or claiming they already have sued. It makes no difference that they only implied their threats. The courts judge deceptive collection based on a "least sophisticated consumer" standard, so even though an attorney or sophisticated businessman might know they're full of BS, if their deception would fool the least sophisticated consumer, it is a violation of law, and you can sue them for violating FDCPA even if you aren't fooled.
"I don't know what this was about? "
And why would you? He hasn't sent you the FDCPA required notice by mail, notifying you of this alleged "debt", and notifying you of your right to dispute it. The "process server" act is aimed at evading validation, so it works to collect from people who owe, and from people who don't owe. Just suggest an old "debt", and lots of people might think it is some old account. It's the same thing the Indian scammers do.
"Then he proceeded to tell me that he would have to talk to the lawyer on the case to get my case reopened and would need a good faith effort, with 3 payments of $351."
Again, it's just more BS from his script, implying you have been sued by this unnamed "attorney" (so where are these "papers"????), and giving you only hours to pay them off to stop this "lawsuit", again with no proof of what the "debt" is for, what is owed, who it is owed to, etc.
"Also, he had a problem when I told him I would not be able to make payments until the end of each month. He was not threatening just kept sighing when I said I could not give him $1052.56 immediately. "
Psychological pressure works in a con better than outright threats. Some of these cons use threats of arrest, but a lot of people no longer find that credible. He's using the "lawsuit" and "attorney" game, sort of "good cop/bad cop", where "bad cop" is this unnamed "attorney" bogeyman.
"I told him if the "lawyer" did not want to give me a chance with clearing this up in payments then I would see them in court."
Good. You recognize the BS. If they call back, ask the name of the "lawyer", but don't believe it if they just give you a name, as the Corona Scam even made up fake websites with names similar to real attorneys in the area. Ask for name, state bar number, and phone number. You can check out any attorney licensed in California through CalBar. If they are playing fake "attorney", report it.
"Any feedback? I believe that it is still a scam."
As you should, because it is.
You might want to contact Michael Peterson, a licensed P.I. in Palm Desert, who started this thread. He is assisting a California attorney in suing a number of the former managers of the defunct Corona Scam, which was shut down by the FTC last fall. This new group appears to be run by some of the rats who left that sinking ship, but they still use the same scripts. He is looking for information that they may have taken account records from the former operation with them, in violation of federal court orders that turned over all property to the control of the court appointed Receiver. You can reach him here:
www.diversifiedarbitration.com
(760) 779-8688 phone
(760) 779-8678 fax
Be aware that if you search on his name, you may find various anonymous smear posts, attempting to paint him as some sort of criminal, or whatever. In fact, here are some of their posts, and one of them has even helpfully provided his contact information. He's been tracking down the ex-Corona managers, to serve them real summonses, and there are people who do not like him.
https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/7607798688
http://www.scaminformer.com/scam-report/michael-petersen-michael-petersen-ex-con-paralegal-in-palm-desert-c2724.html
Or is there a reason you want people to believe that?
For an entertaining view of this little racket, see the FTC documents filed in FTC v Rincon, et al.
Investigator reports, consumer fraud complaints, all the bank accounts with common control, scripts, even the bestest script ever, it's all there.
Well worth the expense of a Pacer account.
Or read the complaint, here:
http://www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/1123142/index.shtm
the lady said she had no information- gave me a case number and to call 877 750 4888
i called the number- spoke to a female she told me her name was pamela parker ext 116
was told they are collecting on a debt allegation and im in litigation. the balance was for an obscene amount of money. its like they created a debt amount.
was told the attorney was eric papp
asked for address and i was told this address.
Legal asset financial group
2834 Hamner Ave #509, Norco, CA 92860
TO ANYBODY WHO IS FACING ISSUES WITH THIS COMPANY. IT IS BETTER TO BE SUED AND SHOW UP TO COURT AND DISPUTE THIS MATTER THAN JUST PAY THEM. DEBT COLLECTORS BUY DEBTS FOR PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR. NEVER GIVE YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT INFO OR ANY PERSONAL INFO TO THEM AT ALL.
http://www.mystore411.com/store/view/473243/Western-Union-Norco
Norco is near Corona. Shakedowns always hide behind mail drops.
"the balance was for an obscene amount of money. its like they created a debt amount."
In a shakedown, the amount is always for an obscene amount of money. Even if it was some legitimate debt, they would raise it, just to make a "discounted settlement offer", in place of validation.
Most common amounts are in the $3000 to $7000 range, usually angling to settle for $700 to $2000, about what most people might be able to scrape up from the next paycheck, next rent payment, or borrow from friends or relatives.
The game is to coerce payment without any proof, from whoever they contact, by offering a "settlement" for around half, and to close NOW.
It's either inflated, or even made up out of nothing, often tossing in "attorney fees" or "court fees" even when no case has been filed or will be filed. It's so common it has a name: "spiff money". They might have bought old accounts for pennies on the dollar, almost always out of statute since they aren't set up to sue anyway, but the script is still written to threaten a "lawsuit" and may extort payment even when they call the wrong person. That's why the "information" is always so vague, so that even if there is a mistake, the victim might fill in the blanks. Never any intention to "validate", might even be contractually prohibited from requesting validation, or the "accounts" might be just copied and taken from some other debt collector.
http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/180077
Eric Michael Papp - #180077
Law Offices Of Papp & LeMaster-Farrimond
495 E Rincon St Ste 125
Corona, CA 92879
Phone Number: (951) 279-6700
Fax Number: (951) 279-6716
Although there is an Eric Papp licensed as an attorney in California, with an office in Corona, why don't you call Mr. Papp and ask him if he represents this "Legal Asset Financial Group", and if he has personally reviewed this "case"? Give him the "case number" and see what he says.
The Corona bunch got caught in the process of setting up a couple of "law firm" fronts, including websites, using names similar to actual attorneys in Riverside County. The FTC lawsuit hit them before they started using their new aliases much.
If it's truly "in litigation" and he is the "attorney", then what court has it been filed in, and where is the summons? It better be your county, and you better be able to verify that through your county courthouse, otherwise you may have FDCPA violations, And whereas the "debt collector" may be hard to locate and collect a judgement from, if this attorney is renting his shingle, then he becomes a "debt collector" also subject to FDCPA, and you can find him.
If supposedly some other "attorney" is handling it, then he should be able to give you that information.
If the "case" hasn't been filed yet, then where is the "g" letter, since you have been contacted?
Then ask him for his address, and send him a dispute letter.
If he claims he doesn't collect debts for them but he knows them, ask him what his attorney relationship is with them. If he says he never heard of them, then notify him they are using his name in deceptive and threatening calls.
If he gives you BS answers, file a bar complaint against him.
Call their bluff.
every bit helps.