I wrote a few checks to Firepay in June. I made an accounting error and both checks bounced. A few more seperate transactions went through, and my bank account was overdrawn over $1000. My account was frozen and shut down.
A few weeks later I got a phone call and an email from Michael King of Firepay's Fraud division. Mr. King told me that if I didn't pay the full amount, that he would initiate an investigation for check fraud.
I replied to the email, telling Mr. King that I wanted to work things out, but that because of my financial situation I wouldn't be able to make a payment for a few weeks.
Mr. King emailed me back, telling me that he would let me make two payments of half the amount due over the next month and a half. I told him that that would be fine and that I would schedule a western union money order to make the payments.
Mr. King responded by telling me that he wouldn't accept money orders, only a checking account that he could debit. Because of my financial situation, I am unable to open a checking account.
I then received a phone call from my mother (this was about a week after Mr. King's initial contact). She told me that Mr. King had called her and threatened her, telling her that if Firepay did not recieve the money due, I would go to jail for fraud. He manipulated my mother into putting the money into a checking account that was scheduled to be debited to Firepay. I told my mother to get the money out of the account and stop all payments, which she did. I later found out that Mr. King had also contacted other relatives of mine, and done the same thing; my mother was the only one that tried to pay him.
I don't know how Mr. King got my family's information, that seems a little strange to me; as well as an extreme violation of privacy. I filed complaints with every agency that I could think of, as well as the ISP that Firepay goes through. It is now July 19; thus far I have contacted a lawyer and the FBI.
I now have the funds availiable, and will pay Firepay if they agree to a form of payment I am able to make. However, if they cannot agree to a form of payment by the end of August, I will not pay them.
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