CA calling for wrong debt: Where to complain against Allied Interstate

I received a call from these people tonight, trying to collect on an account that I supposedly haven't paid since 2000. the bill was for 120.00 but the would settle it for 34.00. They use scare tactics and before I knew it I had given them my. Credit card number. After I hung up, I called the company that they said I owe and was told that they have no recordes of me. I contacted moy bank and blocked my credit call.

If I were you I would also close that card and have a new one sent to you....otherwise they may very well try to randomly hit the account. You should call them back, explain that you canceled the card and that you need for them to send you a letter, that you will be expecting validation before you even agree to a payment.

I worked collections through a temp agency while in college. The tactics I was instructed to use were so underhanded and downright slimey that I told the temp. agency to either find me a different job, or I would work for a different agency.
As a direct result of the widespread abuse, intimidation, and trickery that was being employed to collect on debts, stringent federal laws have subsequently been established which specifically prohibit CAs from using most of the types of tactics I had been instructed to use, but apparently those laws still aren't strong enough.

My husband and I don't carry debt, so when we receive a call from a CA, we know it's either a scam, or someone attempting to collect a debt on another person and trying to pump us for information. I regard such practices as totally dispicable, and refuse to enable or assist.

Aside from which, there is no way I would ever give any information to a total stranger, calling from an unknown number and in my opinion, anyone who does, is practically asking to be robbed blind, and have their identity stolen. Scamers and identity theives copy these same exact tactics, and as far as I'm concerned, CAs should be held legally accountable for enabling their success. Arguing that it's legal? Well, it may be at this moment, but I believe that's only because no one's been able to build a strong enough case to sue the stuffing out of them, and get stronger laws passed....yet.

So when I got a phone call from a person who identified herself as "Clarese", asking my name, as well as questions about someone else, who, yes, I do know them, but that person doesn't live with me, has never lived at my home, or anywhere near me. In fact, that individual lives over 1,000 miles away and I haven't talked to that individual for many years. She then threatened that if I didn't give her the information on this individual, that she would have no other choice but to call her at work. She was pretty nasty about it too.

I responded by requesting the name of the company Clarese was calling from, which she refused to supply. I asked her over and over, and she repeatedly ignored my question. I am very familiar with the FDCPA, so I informed her that, by law, she is required to provide me with meaningful identification. Ignoring my question, she responded insteady by repeating the name of the person she was looking for, and continued playing this little game with me over and over again, and again, and again. Gee, isn't she the clever one? After about 10 minutes of this nonsense, I told her to put me on her "do not call list" and instructed her never to call my number again.

As soon as I hung up, I looked up the number on my caller ID, which was 877-473-9820, which is Allied Interstate. I also documented all the information, and that call was placed on October 18, 2011, at 11:13 am. I'm an auditor and document absolutely everything.
The individual this "Clarese" was calling about? Well, I do know who that individual is, and even though I haven't seen or heard from them years, it took me all of 30 seconds to google their name, and find their current address and phone number, which popped right up on the very first page of the google search results. So I called the numberr, and yep, that individual answered the phone. No, I didn't ask about their debt, because it's none of my business or concern. Instead I gave them a long lecture on the dangers of providing any type of information to random strangers, advising them that their number was publicly listed, and recommending they change it immedidately.

By law, CAs are only allowed to call others for the purpose of locating debtors, which obviously this "Clarese" could have easily accomplished herself with a simple 30 second google search, instead of harrssing and playing games with me. So that's 2 federal laws she violated, because it is illegal for a CA to attempt to collect a debt by harrassing and threatening other people.

This "Clarese" also claimed that this individual knew her. Well, that individual told me she didn't know anyone named "Clarese", meaning that "Clarese" was engaging trickery or "pretexting" which is also illegal, bringing the count of federal laws she violated to 3.

In addition, "Clarese's" attempt to threaten to call that individual at work if I didn't give her any information made it pretty obvious that she was trying to collect a debt, which is also illegal, arguably bringing the count of federal laws she violated up to 4.

So when I got yet another call looking for this same individual, almost a month later, or November 16, 2011 at 2:12 pm, to be exact, I was already annoyed. Not only wouldn't answer my question for the name of her company, but she refused to even tell me her name.


At first, I wasn't positive it was Allied Interstate, because she called from a different number, which was, 877-478-7645. So I asked to speak to her supervisor, who identified herself as "Marivic", and gave her employee number was "LMC". However, she also refused to tell me the name of her company, despite my repeated requests, and instead, actually told me that she had already answered my questions. No she didn't! Every time I asked for the name of her company, instead of answering, she repeatedly responded that they were trying to locate ___________, and that she couldn't tell me the nature of the call. I didn't ask about the nature of the call, I asked for the name of her company! What kind of nonsense is that?


So I looked the number up and called it back, and sure enough, it was same Allied Interstate, trying to circumvent my request to be placed on their "do not call" list, by using a different number, and refusing, yet again, to answer my direct question and tell me the name of their company.


So I asked the individual who answered the phone for her name, which she gave as "Grace," and then asked for my name and the number I was calling from. To that I responded that I am perfectly aware of the fact that she has caller ID, so she already had that information, now didn't she? Rather than answer (yet again), she repeated her question, and we played that little game for a while until I finally told her to transfer me to a supervisor. The supervisor identified herself as "Jessy", and I told her if she wanted my name and number, to look at her caller ID, and stop playing games. I then asked why I had received a phone call from her company almost a month after I requested to be placed on their "do not call" list, which is yet another violation of federal law (not to mention all the violations of federal law that were repeated during that 2nd call), and rather than answer that question either, she started questioning me about "Clarese's" call, exactly what date and time it was made, probably figuring I didn't keep records and that she could embarrass and intimidate me. Well, I do keep records, and document everything. again, auditor!

Having worked in collections, I'm also perfectly aware that as soon as someone answers or calls a CA, the operator punches the phone number into their computer, and up pops the completely history, containing all the information, as well as the detail of everything said in past conversations. So I informed her that I knew she had already pulled up all that information, and could see it on her computer screen, so please stop playing ignorant. I told her that giving her assurance that I would not receive any more phone calls wouldn't suffice, because "Clarese" told me the same thing, and they called me again anyway.


At this point, she started getting huffy, and started ridiculing and taunting me, continuing to try to get information. So I asked it was that made her imagine that she was somehow entitled to expect any answer, much less the truth from me, when neither her, or anyone else in her company seemed to feel they had to tell the truth about anything, not even something as simple as their name. After all, with that heavy accent and the way she composed her sentences, it was pretty obvious that English was not her native language, and that her name wasn't really "Jessy", and it that "Grace" wasn't telling the truth about her name either. After about 5 minutes of playing games, I finally got her to admit that she lived in the Phillipines, but continued insisting that Jessy really was her name. I finally got tired of her insulting my intellingence , and using the same snotty tone that she used on me, started asking, "Jessy, huh? Did your mother give you that name? Do lots of moms in the Phillipines name their daughters Jessy and Grace?" She hung up on me.

What is wrong with these people? Next time they ask for my name, I swear I'm going to tell them it's, "Bozo the Clown" and see how they like being lied to, that is, if they even notice.

So I called back, and next got a "Vincent", who gave me the "silent treatment" before hanging up on me. Then a "Miracle", who just kept talking over the top of me, before hanging up on me, followed by Miracle, Maria, and then "Jamel", who finally gave me the number of their compliance office (which all the others denied existed), which is 800-811-4214.

Calling that number, I first spoke to a Veronica, and then her supervisor Kim Denia, who still refused to answer my questions, but at least, did so in a professional manner. I told her everything that happened, as well as informing her that I did a little checking, and knew all about the numerous complaints, lawsuits that have been filed against their company, that they had been taken to court by the Attorney General of Minnesota for repeatedly calling innocent consumers after being told to stop, as well as noting that the BBB has given this company a rating of "F". I further notified her that I documented everything, would be filing complaints with the FTC, my state's attorney general's office, as well as the Department of Professional Regulation in my state, which requires that CA's be licensed in order to operate in this state.

Not all states require CAs to be licensed, but in those which do, well, the Department of Professional Regulation can have considerably more "teeth" to take action, even more so than the state Attorney General's office or even the FTC. The FTC collects complaints, which are then made accessable to the various Attorney General offices, for use in filing legal action, which is usually only done on a "state by state" basis, and then, only after they receive enough complaints from residents of their own state.

However states that require CAs to obtain a license, well, the Department of Professional Regulation (or equivalent) usually has the power to investigate and discipline all licensees under their authority. Unlike the Attorney General's office though, the Dept. of Professional Regulation can put licensee out of business without taking the case to court, by simply taking away their license.

So my recomendation is to document every phone call, every time, date, along with the supposed "name" of the person who spoke to you, and the content of the conversation. Study the law governing CAs, so you will recognize and take note of any and every questionable/illegal tactic used, and then report to all govt. agencies,and authorities, including, and especially those in your state.

I also sent copies to my state representative, senator and congressman in Washington, explaining how these practices actually function as training, enabling theives to learn exactly what to say to intimidate and harrass their constituents into giving them information, enabling them to scam and steal their identities, and urging them to pass legislation to put an end to these types of harrassing calls, once and for all.