Public Yellow Pages
Complaint
Marina
Country: United States
This is from "Public yellow pages"
REMINDER
For the attention of: (our name)
Company: XXXXXXXXX
Account Number: U5246383
From: Anna Harris
Date: February 10, 2012
Amount: 686.96
Message:
COLLECTION NOTICE
Dear XXXX
This courtesy notice is a reminder that the above referenced account with Public Yellow Pages Inc has fallen 162 days past due which has been referred for collection and is accruing additional costs and interest. We understand this may have been an oversight.
I have attached a further copy of our invoice for your records in an attempt to give you an opportunity to resolve this delinquency. Please send your payment or explanation for non-payment.
Thank you in advance for your prompt payment.
Please send payment or contact your creditor directly and save 10%. Sincerely yours,
Anna Harris
Collection agent
Public Yellow Pages
1-800-881-9495 ext. 403
646-863-6211
THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. AS REQUIRED BY LAW, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT A NEGATIVE CREDIT REPORT REFLECTING ON YOUR CREDIT RECORD MAY BE SUBMITTED TO A REPORTING AGENCY IF YOU FAIL TO FULFILL THE TERMS OF YOUR CREDIT OBLIGATIONS. FURTHERMORE, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THIS NOTICE IS FROM OUR INTERNAL DEBT COLLECTION DEPARTMENT OFFERING YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SETTLE THIS DELINQUENCY DEBT.
They are located at
405 Lexington Avenue
Chrysler Building 26th Floor
New York, NY 10174
They also included (after I requested) W-9 form
Of course there was involved "cancellation of the invoice" supported with number for cancellation and persons name Sarai.
How to stop them. I don't have any intent to pay something we didn't ordered. Our listing was made when I asked them where is our listing, it took them time to actually make that listing.
REMINDER
For the attention of: (our name)
Company: XXXXXXXXX
Account Number: U5246383
From: Anna Harris
Date: February 10, 2012
Amount: 686.96
Message:
COLLECTION NOTICE
Dear XXXX
This courtesy notice is a reminder that the above referenced account with Public Yellow Pages Inc has fallen 162 days past due which has been referred for collection and is accruing additional costs and interest. We understand this may have been an oversight.
I have attached a further copy of our invoice for your records in an attempt to give you an opportunity to resolve this delinquency. Please send your payment or explanation for non-payment.
Thank you in advance for your prompt payment.
Please send payment or contact your creditor directly and save 10%. Sincerely yours,
Anna Harris
Collection agent
Public Yellow Pages
1-800-881-9495 ext. 403
646-863-6211
THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. AS REQUIRED BY LAW, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT A NEGATIVE CREDIT REPORT REFLECTING ON YOUR CREDIT RECORD MAY BE SUBMITTED TO A REPORTING AGENCY IF YOU FAIL TO FULFILL THE TERMS OF YOUR CREDIT OBLIGATIONS. FURTHERMORE, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THIS NOTICE IS FROM OUR INTERNAL DEBT COLLECTION DEPARTMENT OFFERING YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SETTLE THIS DELINQUENCY DEBT.
They are located at
405 Lexington Avenue
Chrysler Building 26th Floor
New York, NY 10174
They also included (after I requested) W-9 form
Of course there was involved "cancellation of the invoice" supported with number for cancellation and persons name Sarai.
How to stop them. I don't have any intent to pay something we didn't ordered. Our listing was made when I asked them where is our listing, it took them time to actually make that listing.
Comments
These scams tend to be run by serial fraudsters, operating under one name for a while until there are too many complaints, then just changing names to keep going. Many are run from call centers in the Montreal Canada area, or even overseas call centers (some in India or Pakistan).
FTC and Canadian authorities periodically sweep them up, but they often just move and change their names, and keep running their fraudulent schemes.
You didn't order anything, so any demand for money is fraudulent, and including threats in those demands is extortionate.
Shady "debt collector" calls from that number. They may either play "debt collector" themselves, or partner with a shady debt collector assisting in the racket, even playing their doctored phone recordings, but who claims they "didn't know there was anything wrong with the account" if challenged.
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-800-881-9495
This "Public Yellow Pages" is reported to operate from Montreal, Canada, starting only a few months ago.
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-797-2437
The New York address is probably just a mail drop and forwarding service, to hide the fact that they are really somewhere else (Canada), and to appear to be this separate "collection agency". What "collection agency" offers a discount for going around them to pay the original creditor, cutting them out of their commission?
"162 days past due" is more made up BS. Don't you like the "exact" days? Makes it sound so "accurate". All these bogus bills try to create the impression YOU are late, the "services" that "YOU agreed to" have already been provided (so you still owe even if you now "cancel"), and that they have reason to be angry at YOU for being a "deadbeat" unless you just cough up the shakedown payoff immediately. It's all a "con".
The "W-9" act is just that, pretending this is some "serious delinquency", and wrapping their fraudulent claim in the appearance of "legitimacy" and the implied threat we attribute to the IRS. You have no obligation to send them a W-9, and you would be a fool to send a fraudulent con artist your identity information. A W-9 is to provide taxpayer id information to some company that is paying YOU and who has a legal obligation to report those payments to the IRS, and they are NOT paying YOU. Just another cheap trapping of this "con".
These scams are really well known to FTC, state AGs, the Postal Inspector, and BBB. They all send out warnings periodically about this type of scam that targets mainly small businesses and non-profits.
Ignore these bogus "bills". File fraud complaints with FTC, your state AG, the U.S. Postal Inspector (mail fraud, mailing a fraudulent invoice or demand for payment of unordered products through the U.S. mail), RCMP (Yes, the "Mounties" are like the FBI in Canada, and investigate this type of fraud), and at www.ic3.gov
"THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE."
Typical language required by FDCPA on collection letters sent to consumers. Actually irrelevant to business debt collection, but it sure sounds "official" and "serious.
" AS REQUIRED BY LAW, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT A NEGATIVE CREDIT REPORT REFLECTING ON YOUR CREDIT RECORD MAY BE SUBMITTED TO A REPORTING AGENCY IF YOU FAIL TO FULFILL THE TERMS OF YOUR CREDIT OBLIGATIONS."
Reporting to credit reporting agencies isn't required "by law", so this "threat" is entirely deniable. The whole statement is so generic, it doesn't even apply to a bogus bill like this, which is NOT a "credit obligation". Making threats that are "plausibly deniable" if you are challenged on them is a common characteristic in fraudulent shakedowns. Make the threat, but leave yourself a back door to deny making it if you get caught.
" FURTHERMORE, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THIS NOTICE IS FROM OUR INTERNAL DEBT COLLECTION DEPARTMENT OFFERING YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SETTLE THIS DELINQUENCY DEBT. "
And there you have it. It's the scam itself, pretending to be a collection agency collecting on behalf of the scam while admitting they are the same scammers themselves. Yes, they also said you get a "10% discount" for paying the "creditor" directly, which is by this statement the SAME "company" as this "debt collector".
FTC sued a large Canadian fraudulent telemarketer running this type of racket in the Montreal area several years ago, and the perps are subject to a federal court injunction. Word is, they just changed their name, moved, and kept operating. Make sure FTC has all information on these bozos, especially in case it's the same ones violating an existing injunction.
They are a well-documented hoax and are very aggressively selling fake business listings and doctoring voice recordings from phone calls to splice together a phony authorization.
EVERYONE TELL GODADDY TO SHUT THEM DOWN IMMEDIATELY!!!!
P.S. I called "Nathan" back and said, "You should be ashamed of yourselves! How do you sleep at night?" His response? "Very well! I have a great pillow that conforms to my head..." blah, blah, blah. told him we were reporting them to the FTC and hung up on him, the scumbag. They'll just set up shop somewhere else. Bottom line, if it sounds hinkey, it probably is!
Doctored and edited recordings are also common with this type of scam.
You cannot trust ANY recording.
Keep reporting them to FTC. In particular, report the use of the fabricated recording, and the threat to "mess up" your credit, in attempting to extort payment of the fake bill.
Faxed statement to me from number: 210-249-0540
Owe 599.99 haha. I actually remember them calling me for months and months for a free public listing several months back
Include with your fraud complaints copies of the fraudulent billing letters you received, along with your statement that the call you were played was a doctored recording.
Accuse them of mail and wire fraud.
If you were to call them to correct it, they would probably twist that into a fraudulent claim that you "agreed" to pay for their listing.
If they sent a fraudulent invoice, file a mail fraud complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspector.
The New York address is probably just a mail drop. Canadian business directory scammers have used NY addresses, as well as addresses in various other large cities, in an apparent attempt to appear to be located in the U.S., either to hide their location or to appear to be legitimate. They also sometimes show mail drop addresses in Champlain NY, which is right next to the Canadian border.
They don't "sell" listings, only create excuses to threaten and demand payment for them.
They don't disclose that they are intending to fraudulently misrepresent their recordings of "information verification" calls as "authorizations". No offer, no acceptance, no contract, so demand is fraudulent.
Stop arguing with them. Just file fraud complaints with FTC and your state AG, and tell them to F*** Off.
Same goes for their NJ "collection agency", ACA Recovery, collection agency for the scams.
It's a game of "chicken", and if you keep talking you encourage them by sounding like a sucker. Pay them once, even to "cancel" what you never ordered, and they will keep demanding more, next year or next month, under this name or some other.
It's just a shakedown racket.
They were threatening my controller and giving her fits, claiming she ordered service and playing a [***] recording where she asked some questions and then they told her they could use that in a court of law against her. Trying to scam me is one thing, threaten my controller and I will have your legs broken and put you in the East River in cement shoes!
First, I called the Chrysler Buildiing - Regu, who owns the Executive Suite on the 25th and 26th floors of the Chrysler Building. I asked for Public Yellow Pages. The receptionist said "they are out of the office right now". I told her I had just spoken to them (Richard Webber and David Parker are these two scam artists). She said with surprise, "you just talked to them?" I said, "so apparently they use the Chryster Office Center as an executive suite but are located in another city?" her answer was ater hesitating, "yes".
So if you pay these people then youve just been duped by one of the most active scam artists on the internet. Prove it for yourself and call the main number where they are supposedly officed: 212-907-6400. Ask for them. They will be out of the office. Why? Because they are really in Montreal and use this drop as a cover for their illegal activities.
Call her back and tell her you are reporting her to the NY Attorney General and the U.S. Postal Inspector for aiding and abetting mail fraud.
And do so. Maybe she will quit her job.
There have to be some consequences for helping these scams.