Texas Check Processors are a fraudulent company that apparently is duping people all over Texas. Here's their modus operandi: They send out postcards and faxes to merchants all over the state offering to "buy" their bad checks from them. They offer to pay the merchants up front for their bad checks at up to 100% of the face amount of the checks. They invite the merchants to fax over copies of their returned items and they will review the checks. After this supposed review is done, the Texas Check Processors claim that they will contact the merchant and offer him/her the appropriate percentage for the bad checks. Here's the only catch. They NEVER contact the merchant and they NEVER have been known to pay any merchant for ANY check.
However, they now have faxed copies of the checks and the name and address of the store where the transaction took place. They then begin the contact process telephonically and many times, show up at your door threatening prosecution. They identify themselves as either law enforcement or as investigators, both of which are crimes. If they identify themselves as law enforcement, you can contact your local police department and file a police report for impersonating a law enforcement officer. If they identify themselves as private investigators, you can contact the Texas Department of Public Safety Investigations Unit at (281) 517-1200. Acting as an unlicensed investigator in the state of Texas is a Class A Misdemeanor and the DPS takes these violations pretty seriously.
Because they are unable to produce any cases that they have actually prosecuted, they are in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Act. The act clearly states that a Debt Collector cannot make any threats of action they have no intention of taking. Because they are not the victim, they cannot be a complainant to file criminal charges.
The State of Texas also requires that all 3rd party debt collection agencies have a $10,000 Surety Bond on file with the Secretary of State, which The Texas Check Processors do not.
So they are not with any law enforcement agency, they are not licensed investigators and they are not authorized to collect debts in the state of Texas. Why would anyone pay these guys anything. Writing a bad check is one thing, but these guys should be prosecuted themselves.
Which reminds me, they typically use bogus names. Detective Hill, Detective Piyar Watts, Jimmy Smith, John Jones, etc.
Their real names are: Michael Donnell Hale (the ring leader) has a previous criminal record for theft by check. Ricky Cortez has a felony conviction for theft by check. Ed Hazel-convicted felon. There's probably more information on the other guys hiding behind their aliases, but does it really matter? Criminal Records are considered public information, so, seek and ye shall find.
I recommend that if these guys are calling your or showing up at your house attempting to extort money from you or your family, call the police.
How do I know all this? I was foolish enough to respond to that stupid postcard and faxed them my checks. I never heard from them again and then hired a legitimate company to go after my money. The company I hired wasted a bunch of their time chasing after the bad checks that the Texas Check Processors had collected and pocketed every cent they could collect.
Don't be a victim. Do what I've done and file complaints to everyone you can if you somehow get mixed up with these con artists.
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