Credit Issue, Sort Of

[dsnort]

A couple of years ago someone stole a book of checks from me and went on a spending spree. I reported the theft to the local law enforcement, closed the account, yada, yada, yada. Went through a spell with the vendors who received these bad checks, providing them with the information from the cops, filling out affidavits, etc, etc.

Everything has kind of settled down now, except for one vendor who was the victim of one of these checks. I have provided them with the case #, and filled out affidavits for them, but about every six months I get a new letter from a new collection agent promising dire consequences if I don't pay the amount owed immediately. Just got one in yesterday. And some of the affidavits they want you to fill out are outrageous, asking for personal information including account numbers, routing numbers, passwords! And putting a codicil at the bottom that if you don't provide all of the info they ask for, they'll sue you anyway!

I am sorry that they were victimized, but enough is enough! This has gone way into harassment at this point IMO, and I'm getting ready to back them off.

Anybody have any suggestions? I'd rather not engage a lawyer at this point, but it may be coming to that!

 

[redwarrior]

If all they are doing is mailing you letters and there are no harassing phone calls, just let them keep wasting their postage.

Have you checked your credit history to be sure that they have not posted anything on it? That would be cause for an attorney, IMO.

They may be just trying to intimidate you into paying them even though you are clear.

 

[iShater]

Don't provide that information, it might be a way for more problems.

This is a good question to ask here link as I am sure others have been in this situation and would benefit from a recommendation.

 

[sushi]

A couple of years ago someone stole a book of checks from me and went on a spending spree. I reported the theft to the local law enforcement, closed the account, yada, yada, yada. Went through a spell with the vendors who received these bad checks, providing them with the information from the cops, filling out affidavits, etc, etc.

Everything has kind of settled down now, except for one vendor who was the victim of one of these checks. I have provided them with the case #, and filled out affidavits for them, but about every six months I get a new letter from a new collection agent promising dire consequences if I don't pay the amount owed immediately. Just got one in yesterday. And some of the affidavits they want you to fill out are outrageous, asking for personal information including account numbers, routing numbers, passwords! And putting a codicil at the bottom that if you don't provide all of the info they ask for, they'll sue you anyway!

I am sorry that they were victimized, but enough is enough! This has gone way into harassment at this point IMO, and I'm getting ready to back them off.

Anybody have any suggestions? I'd rather not engage a lawyer at this point, but it may be coming to that!

Something doesn't ring right.

A collection agency would not need the information that you are stating. This might be a fishing type scam that presents itself like a collection agency.

Tread carefully.

 

[yg17]

Let them sue you, I think any judge with half a brain would throw that case out of court.

 

[dsnort]

Something doesn't ring right.

A collection agency would not need the information that you are stating. This might be a fishing type scam that presents itself like a collection agency.

Tread carefully.

Yeah, that thought occurred to me too. The one affidavit that requested that info got sent into the rubbish bin after being torn into very small pieces.

Let them sue you, I think any judge with half a brain would throw that case out of court.

I live in Florida, I'm not sure we have any Judges with half a brain.....

I think I'm going to try to contact the vendor direct, work it out with them, and make clear that this is the last step before they find themselves a defendant in court.

 

[steve2112]

I would notify the debt collection company to stop contacting me regarding this supposed debt. Let them know that any further contact will be in violation of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and further violations will be reported to the FTC and DA. Do this especially if they start calling and harassing you. As others have said, I would try and contact the original vendor and tell them to withdraw this claim, since they have been provided proof that it was fraud. If necessary, threaten them with legal action. Sometimes, being nice won't cut it, and you have to get in somebody's face.

I don't know how much that will help, though. I know this isn't the case with your situation, but often old debts that the original vendor has given up on collecting get sold for pennies on the dollar by these borderline scam companies who just try to squeeze any money out of the sucker...err, debtor. Often, the original vendor has no idea what is being done in their name.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Contact the person who keeps doing it and demand for them to stop sending all notifications until they can prove you owe them the money (which of course they can not) after that they start eating a huge fine eat time they contact you with out the proof.

 

[Sun Baked]

Provide the collection agent with the info again, tell them when you notified the vendor of the stolen checks ... and if they keep contacting you file a small claims action for violations of the credit collections act. aka, the threat to sue.

They cannot threaten legal action, unless they are prepared to sue.