ABC NIGHTLINE TO AIR SEGMENT ON CORONA AREA DEBT COLLECTORS
Complaint
Diana Mey
Country: United States
Unless it gets bumped (as things sometimes do in the news business), ABC's Nightline will air a segment tomorrow night (4/24/12) detailing the circumstances surrounding the $10 million judgment I was awarded here in West Virginia in 2011 against debt collection agency Global AG (aka Global Attorney Group aka RFA aka Reliant Financial Associates) an LLC that until about a month ago was operating out of an office at 501 N Golden Circle Drive in Santa Ana, California. Global (also known, perhaps more appropriately, as GAG) is owned by the trio of Thai Han, Jim Phelps & Stewart Phillips.
Within months of being awarded the $10 million judgment against Global AG, I was able to identify Han, Phelps & Phillips as the owners of Global (as well as dozens of other fictitious LLC debt collection agencies operating in and around the infamous corona-scam area). As a result, I have recently filed an amendment to the original lawsuit that seeks to hold the owners, managers and other key past and present personnel personally liable for paying the $10 million judgment.
If the Nightline episode gets bumped, I will let you know.
Within months of being awarded the $10 million judgment against Global AG, I was able to identify Han, Phelps & Phillips as the owners of Global (as well as dozens of other fictitious LLC debt collection agencies operating in and around the infamous corona-scam area). As a result, I have recently filed an amendment to the original lawsuit that seeks to hold the owners, managers and other key past and present personnel personally liable for paying the $10 million judgment.
If the Nightline episode gets bumped, I will let you know.
Comments
Appreciate the trail of bread crumbs you've left all over the place but can you please be just a little bit more specific?
I started receiving calls in January 2013 from BMG (1030 n mountain ave suite 173 Ontario CA 91762). My sister notified me saying she had received a call from BMG saying they were going to serve me/take me to court/ basically harrasing me and disclosing my personal information to relatives. I spoke to a woman by the name of Margo Ferrera-Director of Operations 909-212-5324 and she said they were a law office and that if i didn't pay the full amount $800 by January 31-2013 they would take me to court. Now, she said the debt was due to a CHASE credit card...which is over 8 yrs old and the original amount was $500...so if I didn't pay $800 the amount would go up nearly $2000 whic does not make sense at all. I was a little bit concerned so i paid $400 with my debit card then Margo said my final payment was due on the 31st-The transaction didn't go through because well---i have to support my self and pay my rent, so knowing they would be debiting that $$ i moved my $$ to a different account- I noticed i saw their declined transaction under a COLLECTION AGENCY....so i started doing my research.They are not an attorney/Law firm...but a collection agency.Now, Margo from BMG won't stop calling me at work and harrassing me.......even sending me faxes at work, If i don't answer her calls...she calls me from a different number---i know its her so I HAVE BEEN IGNORING HER CALLS...and wrote a formal letter to cease ALL COMMUNICATION....according to my rights under the FAIR DEBT COLLECTIONS PRACTICES ACT. Now, they have my personal debit information ---so she will re-run my debit card every 3 days (with out my permission) or writting....is this legal? I WILL CLOSE THIS ACCOUNT ASAP. According to her, they will garnish my wages to pay off the debt and take me to court...OKAY, i haven't even received any paperwork...and they have my current mailing.....and still no proof in writting?????
Todd M. Friedman (216752)
Darin Shaw (251037)
Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C.
369 S. Doheny Dr. #415
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Phone: 877 206-4741
Fax: 866 633-0228
tfriedman@attorneysforconsumers.com
dshaw@attorneysforconsumers.com
Bertrand has used a lawyer by the name of Jonathan Lau of the Stepp Law Group of Irvine CA to defend - but they always settle and pay the consumer.
Here's another consumer attorney who has gone up against them:
Joshua B. Swigart, Esq. (SBN: 225557)
josh@westcoastlitigation.com
Robert L. Hyde, Esq. (SBN: 227183)
bob@westcoastlitigation.com
Hyde & Swigart
411 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 301
San Diego, CA 92108-3551
(619) 233-7770
(619) 297-1022
Bertrand has also used Michael I. Goode of Irvine CA to defend some of the lawsuits that have been filed against them - but they always settle and pay the consumer.
Here is a law firm that has a case still going against them so this lawyer might really want to hear that they are still up to the same despicable tactics:
Joseph R. Manning, Jr., Esq. (State Bar No. 223381)
THE LAW OFFICES OF JOSEPH R. MANNING, JR.
A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION
4667 MacArthur Boulevard, Suite 150
Newport Beach, CA 92660
PH: (949) 200-8755
FX: (866) 843-8308
Mr. Manning's client was harassed by Bertrand in the most outrageous manner. It was really horrible beyond imagination.
And here's one more law firm that has sued them for illegal collection tactics:
Tammy Hussin (Bar No. 155290)
Lemberg & Associates LLC
6404 Merlin Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92011
Telephone (855) 301-2100 ext. 5514
thussin@lemberglaw.com
Thanks
ERS is calling student debtor's relatives and pronouncing their name ERS to sound like The IRS then intimidating the friend or relative into thinking they must answer questions and giving all information they can about the person.
It is also illegal for them to disclose information to third parties.
It is also illegal to deceptively pretend to be a government agency.
You can sue debt collectors for violating FDCPA, and courts can award damages and attorney fees if you win, so there are attorneys who take these cases on contingency. You can find a consumer attorney in your state through www.naca.net
If they want to benefit from pretending to be "IRS" then treat them like it.
File complaints with FTC, FBI, IRS, and the Washington Attorney General.
Or, if they are engaging in FDCPA violations such as harassment, abusive or deceptive collection, or disclosure of the alleged debt to third parties, get an attorney and sue them. You can find a consumer attorney in your state through www.naca.net