A true story. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Forgive me if this is a bit long winded, but considering all that I've seen online and my own personal experience, I am very frustrated. As the story goes, my sister—who lives with my parents in a neighboring town—was contacted this afternoon asking for my parents, by name of course and asking questions about a new mortgage or something of the sort. So, assuming that the man was on a first name basis with my parents, my sister gave away my mother's work telephone number.
Mom has a nice desk job at a bank in town, and was called by a Paul Trider. This is the e-mail that she sent to me after her conversation with him:
Subject: exxxxxxxtreeeeemly important that you contact me
Branden
I have had a man calling me at work saying he is an investigator from? And that he wants to serve you papers from the sheriffs' office and has that your IRS stuff was sent to the house. I told him you didn't live there and if he had his records straight he would know you were married. He said I know he's married but his tax stuff is listed to your home. I said no it isn't. I don't know where he is so that is all I can tell you. He said well the girl at your house told me to call you.' I talked to your sister and she said he was trying to get in touch with me for a mortgage and called her Beth like he knew her. That is why she gave him my work number.
His name is Paul Trider 1-888-346-3978 ext 105
Please take care of this.
I love you
MOM
So, at about 5:30pm tonight, I contacted Paul and asked him what was going on. He stated to me firstly that he was unable to discuss the details of my case considering that it was already in the process of being filed as a lawsuit. He then went on to tell me that I had outstanding debt in the amount of six-thousand dollars from Clout Visa, only about fifteen-hundred is what I actually charged. Then, without a breath, he continues to say that I'm being sued for falsifying legal documents. According to Paul, back in 2002 when I signed up for the card, I had stated that I made $35k when my taxes didn't reflect that at all. He then went on to say that credit card companies often times will file criminal charges against clients who default on their bill. I was immediately in fear. I figured I as an upstanding citizen of the law, was going to jail for probably shading in the wrong bubble. Then Paul, with his sneaky law talk says that he might be able to help me if I would be able to come up with the $1,500 by next Tuesday. He then said, after I hung up with your very unpleasant mother, I immediately asked my senior partner John Nicolia what to do with it, and he said to file it (as in a lawsuit)' WHOA! So, something that my mother said to him effected my debt? How is that fair?
So scared, I called him back. I cut to the chase and told him I asked my parents and my grandparents and that they couldn't give me the money. He said, well considering that your mom works for a bank, he found it hard that she didn't have access to the funds or someone that did. What did he think, that my mom had a the key to a secret door in the back of the vault? Gimme a break! He then went on to tell me that I was in boiling water and that only he could help me. He said, lets do a three-way call with her right now. I then asked what good it would do considering that I had already asked and she said no, did he have the password to actually get her to say yes? Then, he went on to ask how much I thought I could come up with. I told him I'd have to crunch some numbers, but I could call him right back. That must have been the moment that his ears perked up, because from left field, he pulls, just give me a roundabout figure so I can propose it to Mr. Nicolia. I said, probably about $100. He laughed, that's not enough. $100/month? Really? That did it, I said, Paul, I don't know where you're from, but where I'm from, $100 is a lot of money. I have tried to be as polite with you as possible, but now you've mocked me. He then apologized for having offended me, but I'm from New York, milk costs five bucks per gallon. Then came the bombshell. Paul said he didn't have a lot of time, but the water I was in was starting to boil. Falsifying legal documents is a white-collar crime and something about me not being able to pay the debt anyway where I was going, but that he could help. Then he tried the old, I'm your only friend routine as he looked up my parents financial information, he told me, with their credit and resources that either I did something to my parents to deserve them not helping me out, or maybe they just didn't care.
So where do you work at?
Before I tell you that, let me ask you why should I tell you? I asked.
Don't be facetious. I can do a Department of Labor search and find out. Just know that the more cooperative with me that you are the easier it will be.
Doesn't sound like there's any light at the end of my tunnel anyway, so I might as well just take the hard way out.
Well, if that's the way that you want it, so be it. Thanks for waiting the time that I could be with my kids.
Hang-up
I really hope he doesn't have any kids.
No reason for putdowns, because the guy is his own putdown. I just wanted to share my story, and see if this 'falsifying legal documents' thing is a new low for him or if he's done it before. Also, to give some hope to someone like me who was harassed by Eastern Asset Management.
I leave you with a quote from Paul Trider:
Did the executioner agree with all the bloodshed at the guillotine? No. He had a job to do. Same as me—Paul Tride
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