Looking for money for magazines
Complaint
TK
Country: United States
Carol Patterson? What a joke! I was ALMOST SCAMMED! She also claimed to be a lawyer from NY. She knew I filed bankruptcy (HOW?) and when I tried to speak to her she wouldn't let me get a word in edge wise. This was also for magazines w/ Allied Publishing. I called my bankruptcy lawyer and he advised me not to give her any money, But I had already given her my credit card #, had to cancel it so she wouldn't get the 450 she claimed that I owed. I didn't want to have to pay over 2500 so i decided that I would pay that amount. Thank god I was quick to cancel the card. I feel soo dumb!! She wouldn't forward any paper work to me or my attorney b/c she said it illegal. She wouldn't even speak to my attorney. She keeps calling me at work and I filed a complaint with the attorney general office. PLEASE DO NOT LET HER PUSH YOU AROUND and file a complaint ASAP!!! If you didn't get it in writing it's a scam!! She is very rude!! And you know what? She talks to herself. She pretends that another person is in the office, but she only talks to herself like she is important.
Comments
Contact the NY Attorney General. NY Attorney General appears to be aware of their activities, as they are reported to back off after consumers file complaints through the NY AG.
They are running a scam, fraudulently claiming you are bound by some phony "contract" that is probably unenforceable due to the fraudulent misrepresentations they make in their sales pitches. Their only chance at getting your money is to threaten you into paying before you check them out.
"will be going to jail for 1 1/3 yrs for falsifying legal documents"
Must be a really good attorney if he already knows what the court's decision will be! FDCPA violations, for threatening arrest and imprisonment, falsely claiming you have committed a crime (a felony yet), falsely claiming that will be what will happen if you don't pay them immediately, etc.
"getting a subpoena to go to court in Connecticut"
That sure sounds really expensive since its in another state, increasing the appearance of risk and cost. They want it to appear that it is cheaper to pay them than to "go to court", but generally they would have to sue you in YOUR jurisdiction, and suing in any other venue would violate FDCPA.
What a bunch of BS. And you were called by "Ron Paul". How imaginative.
"he told me he was an attorney from Connecticut"
Why don't you just call up the Connecticut state bar and find out? And if there even is such an attorney licensed to practice in Connecticut, why don't you call HIM up and find out what he thinks of these scoundrels using his name? There was one report they were illegally using the name of a real attorney in New York City, and she was real pissed when she got inquiries from the NY AG.
"he called me at work & told me they will deliver the subpoena to my work"
Just more intimidation.
An ex-employee has reported that once there is some indication you won't fall for it, or might cause them trouble, they flag the phony "account" and move on the next victim. Court is the last place they want to show up at.
Contact the New York Attorney General. He has been going after debt collectors involved in illegal collection tactics recently.
Their game is to intimidate. Threatening to embarass you to your father or company fits that.
So now he is a "Federal Investigator", or is it a "clerk at a courthouse"? So which is it? Why don't you call the FBI and find out what they have to say about that?
"informed me that the company could not force me to go to another state to pay a debt but I would have to appear in court in NY" He is playing "Federal Investigator", or is it "court clerk", so he must sound authoritative. Since when do "court clerks" call demanding payment and threatening fraud charges?
"Mail fraud"? What they are doing is wire fraud.
You are dealing with con men.
I have a registered alteration home business in Edmonton,Canada. I altered a wedding dress for a customer and her mother made the payment for the service with a $800.00 cheque. I deposited the cheque at the bank. After a few days the cheque was cancelled by the customer. Soon after I received an injurious letter from her, informing me that the dress hasn’t been done properly so that’s why she cancelled the cheque. She was informing me also that she is willing to pay half of the amount we agreed on , when she took the wedding dress.
So along with the injurious letter I received a new checque,$400.00, but I couldn’t cash it because she used a different name than my business, even though she used the correct one on the mailing letter (on the mailed envelop the name of my business and all the information were correct, not on the cheque though ).
I have done some investigation on the internet and I found pictures from the wedding and the bride looks impeccable in the dress that I have altered and she seemed very happy and satisfied.
I am very upset with all this predicament and I don’t know what I can do about it.
Should I take legal action? Can my husband represent me or do I need a lawyer? Should I go for the Small Claim Court? Where can I find information about similar cases?
Any information will be really appreciated.
Thanks
You are dealing with scammers who engage in extortion. Any "agreement" or "contract" was the result of deception and fraud. They never intended to send the magazines they promised. The few magazines you received are just to create the appearance that you "agreed" to pay them, as a way of directly pressuring you for payments on a supposedly multi-year "contract". They are just a prop in a con game. Their threats are only that. They regularly threaten to sue, claiming to be collection agencies, attorneys, law enforcement or whatever, but it is all threats, all from the same people. They will keep threatening you in the most vile ways because it is working.
As for any "contract", they never intended to keep their end, as you can see from how few magazines have arrived even when you had paid them. (You might just call the actual magazine publisher and see if there is even any account under your name, or what sort of complaints they are receiving against these bozos, if you have doubts.) Reverse any payments you can through your bank, due to fraud, and close your account due to your account number being in the hands of known scammers. Then contact the New York Attorney General, and the U.S. Postal Inspector, and report them.
Cuomo's office should already be familiar with them. One report from an ex-employee indicated that at the first mention that you have contacted any Attorney General, they flag the "account" and cease calling.
Keep feeding the sharks and they will keep harassing you. Quit feeding them and they will stop coming back. And in the future, you need to realize that ANYONE who calls you on the phone is most likely trying to con you.
The IRS doesn't have anything to do with private debt collection, and they aren't going to discuss your tax matters with any scum scammers who call them.
"calling to get in touch with Human Resources to put a levy on my paycheck"
They would have to sue you first, then win, then get a court garnishment order. But what they are really trying to do is threaten to embarrass you with your employer.
"100% of my check until the costs are covered"
Even if they got a garnishment order, states have limits on garnishment, often 25% or less. So why would they threaten to take all your pay when they know they can't?
It's a scam. Note all the lies.
They are attempting to panic you into paying a bogus, fabricated trumped-up alleged "debt". If they could actually do anything to get your money through the court system, they wouldn't be making absurd threats instead. The last place they want to be is in court.