Threatening Calls from Debt Collector

[anik28]

I've been receiving calls from a number, multiple times a day. I've been ignoring them yet the call 6-7 times a day. I finally picked up and the gentleman told me it being taken to court for a payday loan from way back to 10 years ago and Midland Financial (never head of them) is saying I committed fraud by not paying the debt back. I know these are scare tactics by these people to extort money out of consumers, I don't even have a payday loan from 10 years ago. He has all my personal information including my social security number and told me he could steal my identity if he wanted to. I told him these threatening calls are against the law and I need to be contacted by a lawyer or court if they are legitimate. He then proceeded to tell me I'm a broke loser who doesn't pay my bills (lol, I make almost 90K a year) and that I can't pay him.

the number he's calling from is +1 (855) 897-4781 and is BCAA Mediation, which I think is shell name of a lawyer to try to scare me. 

is this some sort of joke? I don't have any outstanding collections besides one medical account which is not through this agency. My gut reaction is just to keep ignoring them but he's harassing me - threatening and over an account that I know nothing about. 

what is the best way to deal with this? I have to laugh because the people that work for these companies are such low lifes, their job is to extort people and try to collect false debts.

[anik28]

To add; I do not know the exact date of the debt he's claiming, but he stated it was outside the SOL but because l "committed" fraud that the allegations were more serious and they could pursue it legally. Is this true? The total amount he stated is $1000 with fees.

im baffled at this, I probably took out a payday loan over a decade ago. It's never been reported to my credit and I've never received any sort of letter about it. 

[vntrsc]

I guarantee you that it's a scam.  A legitimate collector would not make threats.  It could be a bottom of the barrel JDB that purchased a bunch of very old time-barred accounts.  All those types of people do is call and make threats in order to get unsuspecting consumers to pay.  A couple of common claims they make is fraud and arrest.  I used to get calls like that and just laughed at them and hung up.

Try blocking the number.  If they call from another number, just ignore it.  Also, you can file a complaint with the CFPB and, possibly, with your state's Department of Consumer Affairs or Attorney General.  

[FireMedic1]

Tell him I'm recording your call with threats and will send it to the FTC.

https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/ 

[satio]

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@FireMedic1 wrote:

Tell him I'm recording your call with threats and will send it to the FTC.

https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/ 

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+1 on this.

This was my immediate thought from the opening post.

I would also be inclined to tell the caller to pound sand.

[anik28]

Thanks for the insight. When I told him the debt was from over a decade ago, he proceeded with the nasty threats and called me a broke loser. 

I guess my biggest thing is how something can crop up past the SOL, that never was reported to my credit, never received a call or letter about this debt or the validity of it. Their scare tactics feel baseless but they will not stop calling me from different numbers. I've done so much work to pay off all my bad debts and negative accounts of the past to only 1 medical collection, this really threw me off guard with the threats of legal action and personal attacks. 

[FireMedic1]

I had one say I cant tell you who the OC is until you tell me your SS#. Yeah right. Blocked!

[vntrsc]

The caller can't do a thing to you.  Your state's laws determine how the SOL can be revived on a time-barred debt.  In some states a payment can revive it.  Other states require a consumer to agree in writing to pay a debt.   Just to be on the safe side, as long as you don't acknowledge that you owe a debt or agree to pay it, you're fine.

In fact, there are a couple of states where a debt cannot be revived at all once it's time-barred.  Those states are Wisconsin and Mississippi.

In regard to credit reporting, he can't report it.  The date of first delinquency (date the account went into default and was never brought back to a current status) determines the 7-year reporting period.  Once an account is charged off, that date can never be changed.  It falls of a credit report approximately 7 to 7.5 years from the date of first delinquency.   From what you have stated, it seems the account is past the reporting period.

I would not answer calls coming from numbers I don't recognize.  If you happen to answer one, either do what @FireMedic1 recommended or laugh at the guy and hang up.

[Shooting-For-800]

Send certified mail to demand all correspondence by mail.

He has to follow it.

If he breaks that, tell him he is on a recorded line and record it.

Then sue him for like $5k per call.

GL!

[vntrsc]

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@Shooting-For-800 wrote:

Send certified mail to demand all correspondence by mail.

He has to follow it.

If he breaks that, tell him he is on a recorded line and record it.

Then sue him for like $5k per call.

GL!

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The problem with scammers is that they usually cannot be located. They either will not provide an address or they'll provide a fake one.   It wouldn't surprise me if these scammers are operating out of Mom and Dad's basement.