Dangerous Illegal Collectors
Complaint
Angel
Country: United States
I received a call from someone "called" Ray Fischer. From a Company called HGG Filing Agency (aka PMG Filing Agency) Where he proceded to inform me about a debt I had, and started requesting my bank card information to collect a debt. And if he did not get that information immediately, he would have me served with papers!! Right after this introduction, he started calling me names and insulting me. The night after, he proceded to call third parties related to me and screaming and insulting them if I did not provide a bank information for him.
Federal Agencies pleeease take note on this cases, this is a clear violation of anyone civil rights, privacy rights, and whomever this people are, they are illegally accessing information and illegally contacting third parties to share these information and harass the law abbiding citizen.
Federal Agencies pleeease take note on this cases, this is a clear violation of anyone civil rights, privacy rights, and whomever this people are, they are illegally accessing information and illegally contacting third parties to share these information and harass the law abbiding citizen.
Comments
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/QrqUYTUISgCLBgjMeJtSCQ
They appear to be attempting to panic consumers with threats into paying suspect "debts" without checking out whether the alleged debt is valid or owned by the company. Threats have included threats of lawsuits, arrest, abuse, threatening calls to relatives, etc. There are also reports that they have impersonated sheriff's or DA's employees, or other government employees.
Beware, as there are indications they may be fishing through credit report information and using it to fabricate the appearance of an old "debt" that does not exist. Since their tactics are aimed at scaring and panicking people into paying without checking, their claims may be fake.
There appears to be a cluster of at least 4 similar companies, all located in Corona CA, and engaged in the same type of suspect abusive and illegal "debt collection". A common pattern appears to be the posting of phony "scared consumer" complaints under their phone numbers, often pre-emptively posted against new numbers, on sites like 800notes.com. This may indicate they all learned at the same "school".
They typically claim $4000 or more is owed, that they have already filed a lawsuit (before first contact?) but that they will settle for about $2000 if paid immediately by close of business. Calls to relatives are commonly reported, so they may be trying to panic family members into paying the alleged debt to avoid the alleged "lawsuit". Other than their own transparent spoof postings, there have been no credible reports of anyone actually being "served".
File complaints with FTC, your state Attorney General, and the California Attorney General.
I decided to do a little research and learned that both companies have a registred agent called "PRESIDENTIAL SERVICES INCORPORATED" ENTITY NUMBER C21177345 LOCATED IN VALENCIA CA. That company is owned by a "Kevin Wessell" and is located at 28015 Smyth Dr Valencia CA 91355.
Kevins phone number is 661 253-3303 and fax is 661-259-7727. My suggestion is you bombard him with faxes and calls about his "collection" companys
Your complaint matches others against this company, including reports that they impersonate law enforcement or DA employees.
Other complaints also indicate attempts to collect on unknown, possibly fabricated, alleged debts, and pulling and using credit report information as part of the scheme.
It is illegal to impersonate police officers (Duh!).
It is illegal (violation of FDCPA) for a debt collector to threaten arrest or make any other threat that they cannot legally or do not intend to carry out.
It is illegal (violation of FDCPA) for a debt collector to use deception to collect a debt. Claiming a phony debt is owed is use of deception, and "misrepresenting the legal status of the debt", i.e. that it is owed at all.
It is illegal (violation of FCRA) to pull your credit reports without permissible purpose, as defined in FCRA. If the alleged debt is phony, they have no permissible purpose.
(It is specifically illegal (past case law and FTC opinion letters back in the '90s) to pull credit reports and attempt to collect on the debts found there, even if they were to later obtain the right to collect on them, as the original credit pull would have been without "permissible purpose".)
Illegally pulling credit reports may also be a felony punishable by fine and prison time, under both state and federal law. Obtaining identity information without authorization (such as from pulling credit reports) for use in a felony (defrauding you into paying an unowed debt over certain dollar amounts) is felony id theft, under federal and state law. Attempting to obtain such identity information for such purpose, or possessing it for such purpose is also a similar felony.
It is illegal (violation of FDCPA) for a debt collector to engage in abuse or harassment.
Continually running your credit reports damages your credit scores, and is abusive and harassing, particularly when the "debt collector" doesn't even have permissible purpose.
You can sue them for the above actions under FDCPA, FCRA, the California Rosenthal Act, and probably your own state's debt collection or fair trade laws. On top of statutory or actual damages, FDCPA, FCRA, and the Rosenthal Act all allow the courts to award your attorney fees should you win. You can sue under FDCPA or FCRA in either your local state or federal district court ("court of competent jurisdiction").
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf
http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/031224fcra.pdf
Unlike some scammers pulling "phony debt" cons, they apparently aren't even hiding their location, which is really dumb, so they have basically painted a tarket on themselves .
You would be wise to act promptly to limit your damages, not allow SOL to expire, and collect on any judgement before they go under. You would also be wise to contact the California Attorney General, and your local U.S. Attorney, as it appears they are engaging in criminal activity.
Since FDCPA and FCRA allow awarding of attorney fees, you may be able to find an attorney willing to take such a case on contingency.
Pull all three credit reports, via paid requests to the three credit reporting agencies for mailed paper copies of your reports, in order to document their credit inquiries. Do this before they make some "correction", since despite FCRA requirements, the CRAs have been known to remove inquiries supposedly made "in error". Get your evidence now.
http://www.companiesinc.com/contact.asp
If you have a problem with PMG, then file complaints against PMG.
If you have to send them legal communications, their agent for service of process might be the above company, but check with the CA Secretary of State.
Does anyone have an actual ligitment mailing address for their (HGG/PMG) legal department. I'm about to rip their world apart for all kinds of LEO, DA, county, misrepersentation, falsification, and threats, that I recorded, (that's right you [***], I recorded the entire converstaion) earlier today on a non-existant debt. Someone has to have a ligitment mailing address. These people called out of the blue to my place of work and gave detailed (incorrect at that) information, posing as a process server for the county's DA office, to our HR person. No letter in the mail first (as they claimed) and one call to my work cell phone at 3:00am in the morning.
Someone bring the address (heck give me the fax number too). No empty threats here folks. My attorney is standing by....tick tock, tick tock.
HGG you need to call me with your address so I can have you served......
http://www.discovercorona.com/index.cfm?secti ... d=579&id=643543
http://www.la.bbb.org/Business-Report/PMG-100090372
In addition, they now have 5 days to send you a letter notifying you of the debt, and that you can dispute it, or you can sue them.
Why don't you check your county court, and see if there is any lawsuit filed against you? If not, you can sue them.
Why don't you check your credit reports and see if they pulled them (an inquiry), or put some bad debt on them.
If they pulled your credit reports and weren't assigned or did not own a debt you owe, they would not have had "permissible purpose". There are penalties for that, including criminal penalties. In addition, if they are using your identity and credit data in a scheme to defraud you, there may be criminal penalties with "id theft" enhancements.