someone trying to scam me
Date: Fri, 09/23/2011 - 22:31
it seems i have a small debt of $96.90 that is for an item called septic helper. it is sold by a copy called Miller-Plante Inc.(i believe they are out of florida).
for over a month now, i get these phone calls that shows no name and a local number and when i answer it, it is someone saying they are calling about a past due bill i have with miller plante for this product. most of the times the call has sooooo much static that i cant understand anything they say.. a couple of times it would show the name of the person who had the number last and for all i know, it is someone my hubby knows that i dont.
.. after the first call, i did a search on the number after the call to find it was a local person with their name and number. i called it back and it had been disconnected. the next time they called, i did the same thing- same results. the 3rd time this happened, as soon as i answered the static was horrible and i couldnt understand a word, so i said "i can not hear you, call back".. which he did and the call was perfectly clear...
he again said he was calling about the past due bill i have with miller plante for the septic helper product. as soon as he stopped talking, i said, "sir, why is it that when you call me about this matter, that the number shows up as a local call, and when i hang up from these calls and call the number back, it tells me it is disconnected and no longer in service? how are you calling me using a number like this? what type of pc program are you using to do this? I will be notifying my phone company and local sheriff dept about this tomorrow to file a report, and they can find out where & who is making these calls like this".. he quickly hung up. he has only tried it 2 times since then..
after the last time i spoke to him, if i get calls with any local numbers showing up unless it has a business name or someone's name or number that i recognize, i don t answer it., once my phone stops ringing, i call the number back . if it is a legit call, i get someone on the other end. if i get a recording that the number is disconnected, i know who it was... i have about 5-6 numbers written down and gave the numbers to the phone company and to our sheriff dept...
has anyone else had calls like this???
I don???t have any personal experience about this matter. I
I don???t have any personal experience about this matter. I think it???s a scam. You can file a complaint against them to the state Attorney General or FTC.
i had another call yesterday about this bill... same thing, a p
i had another call yesterday about this bill...
same thing, a phone number local to my city. he asked for me by name, and after saying "this is she", he began the spill on collecting the debt, but not telling me his name, what collection agency he was from.. so i asked him, and he told me. i asked where he was calling from and he said atlanta. i gave him the 3rd degree, asking things like "if you are calling from atlanta, why is it that my caller id shows a number within my city?", "why is it that when i hang up from this call and call the number back it says it is disconnected number?" "why is it if i search this number on the internet, it gives me an individuals name and number that lives within 10 minutes of me?".. he responded with "we have no control over what shows up on your caller id, that is something within your phone company"... i informed him i have had several calls just like this one and that i have reported them to my phone company, and that if he is calling from a legitimate collection agency in atlanta, that it should show up on my caller id the actual number he is calling from and possibly a business name, and that if i call the number back, i should at least get a recording or a person that states the name of the agency. i asked him how do i know this is not a scam? he said i could call miller plante at their 800 number and i told him, "oh believe me i will & i will not be setting up any kind of payment with anyone in regards to this debt ".
i have dealt with enough collection agencies recently that i know, no matter how small the debt is, one of the first things they say is the big spill about "this is an attempt to collect a debt. blah blah blah".. he did not say anything, only wanting me to pay or set up pay arrangement...he kept saying he dont understand why such a small amount can not be paid on, and i told him "look mister, i don t know that you are who you say you are, and i have no proof that i owe this debt, your agency has never sent me anything via mail, all you do is call. send me proof by mail that i owe this debt. and second of all, we have other debts that are valid and are older debts than the one you are claiming we owe, and those other debts come first."
he said "maybe i should call you back at another time".. and i told him, "if you can not call from a legitimate collection agency phone number that will show up on my caller id, and i can hang up my phone and call that number back to verify, do not bother calling me again!" and i hung up on the guy... he must think i am an idiot...NOT
Any legitimate debt collector knows the first commandment of deb
Any legitimate debt collector knows the first commandment of debt collection, as embossed in stone tablet 809(a):
Thou shalt send formal collection (dunning) notice within 5 days of any initial communication with the consumer.
Lack of dunning notice after their first communication is a strong sign to beware........Just advise them that you are awaiting their written provision of a collection notice, and hang up.
If you can get their address, just send them a DV request. That alone imposes a statutory cease communication bar on them until they provide validation.