Collection letter/ Debt Settlement
Complaint
Kathy
Country: United States
So I just received a letter today from Northland Group, Inc. saying that I owe almost $ 2,000 to Capital One. BUT they will settle it for like $ 300. Well, - I never had a Capital One credit card so I'm going to call them tomorrow and tell them to take that letter and shove it up their a...
Comments
They do very little to determine the correct person, and they often try to illegally evade the FDPCA dispute and validation requirements, often through deceptive talk-offs if you call. There's nothing in it for them to spend money and time to probably find out you don't owe it, so they try to divert you from disputing, and throw out vague implied threats. (The collection industry is infested with a bunch of liars and con artists wanabees.)
To preserve your FDCPA rights, send a letter disputing the alleged debt, mailed certified.
Under FDCPA, if you dispute a debt in writing within 30 days of receiving their first letter, they must cease all collection activity until they obtain and send you proof of the debt. If they continue trying to collect without sending proof, you can sue them.
As protection against possible fraud, you could call Capital One and speak to their fraud department. They can look up your name and SSN and see if there is even any old account using that information. If, so, you have a case of id theft, and you would file a pollice complaint, get a copy of the police report, and use that to counter any claims you owe it, or to get it removed from your credit reports, under FACTA. If not, and Northland Group tells you your SSN is attached to this account, you will have just caught them in deceptive collection and attempted fraud.
FDCPA allows courts to award actual and statutory damages, and attorney fees, if you win, so you can find attorneys who take these cases on contingency. You can find a consumer attorney in your state through www.naca.net