Fraud, Harrassment
Complaint
Michelle
Country: United States
I was contacted by phone asking to verify my adress to be served papers to appear in court. They gave me a # to call to get details. I was transfered to a Mr. Garcia who then started threatening me with legal action, saying they would attack my assets if I didn't pay right now. He would not let me call back in the morning so I could talk with my Husband. He offered to send me by email a letter stating the debt was settled after I paid but would not send me anything to verify the account at all! He said I was just using this as a stall tactic, even after I offered to stay on the line while he emailed me. The account he was trying to collect on it past the SOL and he claims I made a payment in "06" which would make it still within the SOL. I know with absolute certainty that I made no such payment! He then proceeded to yell at me, interrupt me, threaten me, and then finally hung up on me. I called again the next day and the same thing happened. This is a total scam!! I have found hundreds of complaints for this company online. They have no website and apparently use different names and addresses to confuse consumers!!1 Do not give these people any of your money!!!
Comments
FDCPA violations:
1) threatening legal action they have no intention to take,
2) threatening to sieze assets they have no court order to seize,
3) using illegal threats to evade validation,
4) trying to pass off some email in place of validation,
5) no FDCPA "g" letter,
6) abusive collection (yelling),
7) threatening a lawsuit on a debt past SOL,
8) deceptive collection for falsely claiming a payment was made that supposedly reset SOL,
All in one call!
Here they are:
http://www.corporationwiki.com/California/Ran ... c/46007317.aspx
Here's their BBB report.
Looks like they just opened up a couple months ago.
BBB rating isn't reliable if they just started and it's based on only one complaint.
Lake Elsinore is the favorite mail drop locale of the old Corona Scam, so these might be alumnai.
http://www.la.bbb.org/business-reviews/Asset- ... re-CA-100116788
"...
BBB file opened: 7/17/2012
Business started: 6/26/2012
Contact Information
Anthony Saude
Business Category
Asset Recovery Services (that really means debt collection)
Complaint: 07/17/2012: Consumer states, They requested a hard copy of my credit reports without my consent. I've never heard of this company nor have I applied for any credit recently.
Business response: Company letter states that they have the proper work and social security # that supports their claim in reference the Bally's fitness account. They cannot supply consumer with a hard copy of her credit report the contract with Experian doesn’t allow it. She can contact them directly and obtain it.
Consumer rebuttal: I am not requesting a copy of my credit report! I am requesting that the inquiry be removed because the inquiry itself can decrease my credit score.
Final business response: We have the contract that she signed from Bally's. Her signature gives permission to pull a credit report. It is standard procedure on credit contracts. She can go through the proper channels if she feels she is right. Dispute it through the credit reporting agency.
..."
Historically, Bally's Fitness contracts have very high levels of complaints of deceptive sales representations and fraudulent debt collection. At one point, Experian even blocked Bally's "finance" partner from posting collection accounts to consumer credit files.
Anthony Saude shows up in connection with similar complaints against National FC.
https://complaintwire.org/complaint/SpoBAAAAAAA/pmg/4
Based on location and scam style, they sound like a Thai Han or Corona Scam spinoff.
Contact FTC on Wilshire Blvd in LA to report violations.
FDCPA allows you to sue for violations, and courts can award actual and statutory damages, and attorney fees, if you win. You can find a consumer attorney in your state through www.naca.net
Numerous complaints of deception and illegal threats, including attempts to collect faked "debt".
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-255-6155
Note that the reported "Offer of Settlement" emails, which in the absence of an FDCPA "g" letter, would fail to disclose to consumers that they had a right to dispute or request validation of debt. Debt collectors have a legal obligation to disclose to consumers that any alleged debt may be disputed, and that if the consumer requests information or proof of the alleged debt, the debt collector will obtain and send it. FDCPA prohibits debt collectors from using deception to collect a debt, and courts have found that such deception can include the ommission of required disclosures.
This letter is similar in content to the "settlement" letters sent by the Corona Scam in response to consumer disputes.
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-456-3251
Complaint reporting fraudulent collection attempt of unowed "debt", including harassment of coworkers.
Same old "Corona" shakedown.
"...
Robert
17 Jul 2012
This company is calling people I work with and threatening them. Thedre is a charge from a company that I am still currently with. The company stated with them on a three way call that there has never been an account that needed to be forwarded to collection. They are harrassing my employees co-workers and friends. They have called my work and told them that I was going to jail.Caller: Performance Asset Recovery
Call Type: Debt Collector
..."
Report of bank "pretexting", which regardless of whether they were trying to get information, or "authorize" an unauthorized charge, is a federal crime.
"...
j j
9 Aug 2012
these people called my bank said they were me, and tried to acess my accounts!Caller: Perfromance Asset Recovery
Call Type: Debt Collector
..."
Threat of "criminal charges", and another company alias:
"...
davis
10 h 10 min ago
Received a phone call from a restricted number. On the message it said a complaint had been filed against me and to find out what it was and to voice my opinion I had to call this number. Otherwise they would possibly file criminal charges. I did not respond to call. I believe they said it was Missions Agents Legal Dept.
..."
Another alias, now Full Spectrum Litigation.
Note the shill posts, once common with the Corona scams.
Note the "authority" shill posting as an "attorney".
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-893-7010
"Forgotten bank fee became $1600" shakedown scam.
This is a con, not debt collection.
"...
So i called the company and I am told this was over a bank account I had 5 years ago that I owed like $300 from an overdraft that was originally $40!!! They say I am facing judgement for almost $1,600.00 and there is now nothing they can do."
Third party disclosure to employer HR department:
"...
then I get a email from my employer's HR department that I was left a voicemail in their office to contact a legal department, case number and this number to call.
..."
Fake "garnishment order" shakedown:
"...
RYAN
19 Jun 2012
THIS GUY CALLS HIMSELF _ GARCIA DIDNT CATCH THE FIRST NAME CLAIMS THEY ARE TAKING ME TO COURT - US BANK OVERDRAFT IN 2006 - HE SAID HE GOT THE GARNISHMENT INFO AND I ASKED "IN 2006" HE SAID YES - I SAID " DO YOU KNOW WHAT YEAR WE ARE IN?" THEN THIS WEAK SUCK HUNG UP - LOOKS LIKE A COMPLETE SCAM I NOTICED THEY RAN MY CREDIT A FEW DAYS AGO 5 YEARS TO COLLECT IN THIS STATE (CA) 7 YRS DROPS OFF YOUR CREDIT REMEMBER THAT PEOPLE DONT LET THESE SCAMMERS INTIMIDATE YOUCaller: FULL SPECTRUM
Call Type: Debt Collector
..."
A number of complaints report credit inquiries indicating pulling of credit reports, and access to skip-tracing databases, indicated by harassing calls to relatives and employers. Complaints consistent with "Corona" style "process server" shakedowns on faked "debt", including pretending to be some "law firm", pretending they had a "court judgement" and were calling to "garnish", and other allegations of deception, fraud, and extortion, and heavy use of shill posts to counter consumer complaints. Some indications they may be working some cheap OOS debt portfolio, but numerous complaints of collection attempts from people who know they owe nothing suggest that such a portfolio may only serve as cover for a "fake debt" phone shakedown racket. Complaints start in June, and ramp up rapidly.
"...
gregory kassell
10 Jun 2012
i myself am an attorney in califonia where this company practices out of. my bother got this same call mid last week. although they are not a law firm, this company does seem to litigate on debt that has not been resolved thru collection efforts. i found 6 cases filed under Full Spectrum as the plaintiff in civil court. i also called their local BBB and they are in fact listed as a legitimate company. my advice is if you know you owe the debt and there is ever any way to resolve the matter out of court, that's going to be your best bet.
..."
CalBar does not show any licensed attorneys named "Kassell".
It does show a "Gregory Harrison Kassel - #152993" in San Bernardino.
M.O. matches 2 other "Corona" attempts to impersonate "attorneys" by using names similar to, but slightly different from, actual attorneys in the general southern California area. One attempt was on a website using a name similar to a Riverside attorney, in the process of being set up when FTC raided, and another attempt used a name similar to a San Bernardino attorney.
Use of a similar name would make the post credible to someone who might just Google to check, yet would be "plausibly deniable" due to the spelling difference.
Note how the post contains common shill markings, both pretending to be like the victims (supposedly "his brother" was called, so he "checked them out"), pretending to be an authority ("an attorney in california"), and contains "details" to support "explaining" this anomally that supposedly they have a history of filing lawsuits, but they are not a law firm, but also they are somehow not a "debt collector", much like the "Corona"/"PMG" scenario. Similar "attorney" shill posts showed up on "Corona" complaint threads, "explaining it all". They tip-toe around, not quite being anything, yet somehow all the BS is "normal". It works so hard to be credible, it's just a little too perfect.
They have an address, file opened 3 days ago!
http://www.la.bbb.org/business-reviews/Collec ... ta-CA-100117397
BBB file opened: 8/7/2012
Same for their other listing:
http://www.la.bbb.org/business-reviews/Collec ... ta-CA-100117397
BBB file opened: 8/7/2012
So this "attorney" wants us to believe (in June) that a "company" who today has a 3 day old BBB file (in August), with no rating, no contact names, no information other than address and phone number, is somehow being vouched for by BBB as legitimate. Doesn't look like BBB even had a file on them at the time he posted. Looks like more bluff.
Thanks for showing up, shill.
There are now many extortion scammers trying to exploit social network information for cons.
NEVER PAY THEM! GIGANTIC SCAM!
@Going after THEM, yes per the FDCPA you may receive $1000 per complaint. I'm going to research an attorney for this. If anyone has a suggestion of one, please post; not for the money, but to get these people from extorting others.
If not, sue them. You can find a consumer attorney in your state through www.naca.net