Mt mother in Law just got this message left on her voicemail

[First Timer]

My mother in law just got left this voicemail:My name is [name]

This number was recorded as a contact number for [my name]. My name is [name] and I have an order for them to appear in court on several different charges. We may pursue them at work, school or home to get notary signature on the legal documents. You do have the right to contact the plaintiff at [number] and refer to case #1234CO. This is considered service.

WTF? I suspect this is the old JDB debt that I beat in court last year. I had gotten called by another JDB after it was DWP in court. I tiold them the info and they went away.

In Colorado, you have to be served in person to a family member, but this was a message to my MIL in another state. And can you leave a message like that?

Edited October 26, 2012 by First Timer

[1stStep]

No- she needs to save that for you.... theres a fat FDCPA violation

[First Timer]

No- she needs to save that for you.... theres a fat FDCPA violation

I asked her to to save it.

To say the least, I am flabbergasted. My wife is in tears because they called her mother and now her mother thinks I'm going to get arrested. Jesus Christ these people are scum. That was not my contact number, ever - probably got it off an old application file.

[Cliff2009]

Some people have all the luck.

[First Timer]

Any chance this is a scam? Calling a relative leaving a message stating they are court orders to appear, but you can call the plaintiff, blah blah blah. Then they extort the parent to keep their poor kid out of jail? This seems like such a blatant violation to be done by a collection agency today...

[bmc100]

My wife was getting calls like that..they were being left on my voicemailm her VM, my fathers VM.

I gave the number and the recording to an attorney...they thought it was a scam

[howucan2]

Any chance this is a scam? Calling a relative leaving a message stating they are court orders to appear, but you can call the plaintiff, blah blah blah. Then they extort the parent to keep their poor kid out of jail? This seems like such a blatant violation to be done by a collection agency today...

Here is what to do; Get the caller ID number and Google it, find out who is calling.

Get a tape recorder have her put the phone on speakers and play that message while you record (may take a couple takes but it will work).

Send a fax letter to the scumbag to cease communication with that THIRD PARTY number XYZW , IMMEDIATELY ! Make sure put your address and name on that communication so they know who it's coming from, Save the fax receipt and letter for later law suit.

This will calm the chaos for now .

Find a consumer attorney and sue or if you're confident do it yourself.

[Coltfan1972]

Some people have all the luck.

EXACTLY !!

[First Timer]

Here is what to do; Get the caller ID number and Google it, find out who is calling.

Get a tape recorder have her put the phone on speakers and play that message while you record (may take a couple takes but it will work).

Send a fax letter to the scumbag to cease communication with that THIRD PARTY number XYZW , IMMEDIATELY ! Make sure put your address and name on that communication so they know who it's coming from, Save the fax receipt and letter for later law suit.

This will calm the chaos for now .

Find a consumer attorney and sue or if you're confident do it yourself.

The caller ID was blocked. I called the number left and it was an answering machine that said "Thank you for calling Integrity Group. Our hours are 8-6 M-F. Please leave a message with your name and case number. BEEEP"

I Googled "Integrity Group" and I get nothing related to collections. But I did find a couple of references to a scam sounding a lot like this - calling a relative - threatening that they will send police to arrest them if they didn't pay for their relative... From reading, it sounds like they get a lot of people with this.

I'm going to call the number to tomorrow and pretend to be my father-in-law and see what happens. Call record will be rolling.

[BV80]

Call the court to see if a case has been filed against you. If not, there's a big chance it's a scam.

The call is definitely in violation of the FDCPA, but the problem with these scammer is in locating them in order to sue them.

[First Timer]

Call the court to see if a case has been filed against you. If not, there's a big chance it's a scam.

The call is definitely in violation of the FDCPA, but the problem with these scammer is in locating them in order to sue them.

The case number they gave is in the wrong format. Here in Colorado it would be 12c1234, not 1234CO. The first two numbers are the year filed, letter is the court and the last 4 are the case number for that year. I'll call them anyway.

Besides, I've lived in the same house for 10 years. Pretty easy to serve.

[First Timer]

I called this morning to the number and pretended to be my father in law. Without stating my name, I just said a message had been left on my answering machine for my son-in law who lives in another state. I said the message was highly personal and I suspect the message, which said that my SIL was facing multiple charges and that a court appearance was required, was likely a against the FDCPA. I requested her name, the company name, which they said was Integrity Group and Associates and gave me an address in Grandville, MI.

They transferred me to a supervisor who said, "No they wouldn't say that. We use investigators to locate people and they only leave a phone number and case number".

I replied, "Well, I have the recording and they clearly stated that my son in law was facing multiple charges and that they would be sending the authorities to his work and home."

She said, "sorry - we have this as a family contact number. It's just an attempt to collect a debt."

I then asked if they were licensed to collect debt in the state of Michigan and she replied, "Yes". I asked her if they were licensed to collect debt in the State of Wyoming, where they called. She replied "Yes". I asked her if they were licensed in the State of Colorado, where my SIL resides. She replied, "Yes". I told her to remove the phone number and information and never call that number again. I also said I would relay a message to my "son-in-law".

This phone call is recorded.

I got off the phone and googled the name and address in Michigan and got nothing on the company. I then searched the name in the Michigan state business license database and got nothing.

An hour later I called them using my real name and I complained about the message to my relative and that it was illegal. They transferred me to "Nick Stone", who they said was their legal supervisor. I told him about the message and he said I was wrong, that they hadn't called me. It was a private investigator and that they wouldn't say that. I told him I had it recorded and I need to know their license # to collect debt in Michigan. He said they are not a collection agency, just a "pre-litigation firm".

I said, "Well, my father-in-law called this morning in response to your message and he was clearly told they were collecting a debt".

Nick said that my FIL was mistaken. I said, "My FIL recorded the call and emailed it to me. She clearly said is was to collect a debt." I again asked for their license number to collect debt and and he said it wasn't necessary because they are not trying to collect a debt. I asked - "so why are you trying to contact me?"

He replied, "You are mistaken. We didn't contact you. Our investigators did and we have recording of those calls."

I told him I had a recording also. I asked why he wanted to reach me. He said that this was an opportunity talk about "the case" and "the violations".

I asked, "Violations? That sounds like a criminal accusation".

We went the rounds on him saying that they are just an internediary, a paper processing firm and that they don't call people. He then asked me for part of my social security number to verify the case information. I replied, "Give me your license number in the state of Michigan so I can verify that you are a legal business in the State of Michigan. I am not comfortable releasing any of my personal information when you won't even identify who you are."

He said, "You have our name, our address, my name and my phone number - that should be enough to verify that you are John A. Smith as recorded in the case file."

I said, "AHA! Say that name again?" He repeated it. "That is NOT my name. My name is John D. Smith, not John A. Smith. "D" as in David. John David Smith.

He said, "So you've changed you name?"

"No, That was the name I was born with. The one on my birth certificate." He kept asking about changing my name and questioning my actual name. He then referenced that he also had a birthdate. I said, "Listen my birthdate in March, 1965."

He said, "so your you are.... what - 49 years old?"

"No, I'm 47 years old."

"And this social security number, 521-21. The first 5 numbers. That's not yours?"

"Repeat that for me again? what was that number", I asked? He repeated it.

"NO", I replied, "That is NOT the first five numbers of my social security number"

"That's not your number, " he stated/questioned.

"NO. Not even close", I replied.

He said, "Well Mr John "D" Smith, (emphasis on the D)

I interrupted, "DAVID. My name is John DAVID Smith"

He said, "Mr John, it looks like we have contacted the wrong person. I'll make notes in the case and that will take of it."

I said, "NO, that will NOT take care of it. You didn't contact me. You called my RELATIVES and told them I was being charged on multiple counts and that I had to appear in court! You told them that you would be sending the authorities to my work and my home!"

"Sir it was just a mistaken identity", he replied.

"My In-Laws were mortified thinking I was going to jail. They called my wife and she was in TEARS last night and threatening to DIVORCE me if I was arrested. That I had shamed her in front of her parents and how could she ever trust me because I had never told her about this. This is NOT just a case of mistaken identity!"

"Now -- I need to know your business license number in the state of Michigan and I need to know what other contacts you have made to my friends or family in regards to this "case".

He then hung up.

I have that entire conversation recorded as well. I need an aggressive lawyer in Michigan.

[Public Enemy]

It's christmas in October.

[1stStep]

You don't need a lawyer in MI, just get one in your home state...

Also, check the firm's name being licensed as a PI... I had one calling me that was not licensed in AZ, but was in TX... once I filed my complaint with the AZ DPS - those calls stopped very fast.

My guess is they claim they are PIs to get around the collections law - but unlicensed PI activity is enough to get law enforcement involved...

[howucan2]

What do you know, now you're the PI

Good JOB ! I find a consumer attorney to peel their skin, maybe send a complaint to local authorities to go after them for impersonation (PI also requires license and bond in my state).

[BrunoTheJDBkiller]

Break out the champagne on this one, these guys are in big trouble.

[Guest usctrojanalum]

this scam might not even related to debt collection, it sounds like it could be wider ranging scam where they just call relatives of people hoping to get them to pay to protect their family members. would be great to look into them further.

[kutuzov]

It's not really a conventional JDB FDCPA violation, is more on the scam scope for sure, maybe they are a mix of the two, but old out of SOL debts for pennies, just to get peoples data and then target family members, who knows, but is for sure an interesting thing to go after.

[KentWA]

As was said before - Some People Have All The Luck. If it was me I would have a complaint written and headed to the local court house, suing not only the company, but Nick Stone, the owner(s) about a dozen John Doe's so I could include even their janitor. All this closely followed with hand delivering copies of the recordings and the complaint to every news editor within the area, the state AG in your state, your FIL state and their state.

Of course my suit would ask for Jury Trail and $3 million in punitive damages.

[First Timer]

Just got off the phone with a very helpful consumer attorney in Michigan and it is a scam. She listened to the calls, looked up the info we had and this isn't a real company, just a sophisticated scam network. They just happened to get the wrong guy than they were looking for. They hack or buy stolen records from payday loans and settled debts and then start calling relatives trying to extort money. The address in Michigan is a mailbox forwarding service. I've reported it to the Attorneys General of Michigan, Colorado and Wyoming.

There's nobody to sue, unfortunately.

Edited October 26, 2012 by First Timer

[Guest usctrojanalum]

yep, i figured it did not have much to do with actual collecting of debts or a company in the business of collecting debts. sounds like a scam where they get people who had debt then try to skip trace their relatives and extort them into paying for debts that dont even exist, or that even care about collecting. i doubt there are any "balances" or anything like that. any sucker that is going to give them any money they will accept any amount and just say its paid in full whether its $300 or $3000

[BV80]

Unfortunately, this occurs all too often. I've received the scammer calls. All we can do is post this information to inform consumers that these individuals exist. They're not legitimate companies but instead are individuals trying to take advantage of people who are vulnerable and uninformed.

Your thread is helpful and informative.

[TomnTex]

I would immediately notify other relatives and friends about this so that they don't get suckered into it. Especially parents and grand parents.