I got a call from my step-mother saying that someone called her saying that I was being sued and they were going to serve me papers. She told the woman, who was boardline harassing on the phone, that I did not live there anymore and had not for 9 years and to stop calling her. She told her to have me call: 714-278-0233, ask for the "Legal Administrator" give him/her a Civil #12421 (not actual number, I forgot it). Well, I have no idea what it is about, and ignore it. A few days later my cell phone starts getting UNKNOWN and PRIVATE calls all day. A message is NEVER left. When those go unanswered, I start getting calls from 714-872-5036,714-872-5032 and other similar numbers... Again NO MESSAGE IS EVER LEFT.
Finally, my co-worker gets a call at work, he sits right next to me, and is told I am being sued and he wants personal. As we are a small branch office without personal, it seems very strange. I have the call transfered to me and the guy tells me that I am going to be served papers and am being sued. He claimed to be a process server and gives me some name.
Now, I have never heard of a process server calling you and telling you that you will be served, they just show up and serve you!!! Anyway, he is somewhat convincing and tells me since I have not been served yet, maybe I can work out a deal with the collection agency. He gives me the same cryptic info above (legal admin, civil#, etc).
I wait an hour or so and call the number. I give all the info and I am told I owe $2136.40 from an old HSBC credit card I had 6 years ago. I haggle with the guy on the phone going over various options to pay it back. He wants half now, and I tell him that I am not paying him that in lieu of paying my rent. He then starts asking if I can get someone in my family to put it on thier credit card... I say no! He tells me that I will be sued then. When he is out of options, he tells me that maybe his "Boss" who owns the place will cut me a deal. He transfers me to some A*-clown name Thomas Morris. He answers the phone saying, "Mr. Morris!"
I talk with him, and he tells me that they will get there money one way or another and it insistant that I pay immediately. He is convincing... Especially since I thinking I will be served papers soon. He agrees to a payment plan over 6 months and want a debit card or checking info. I tell him I need to go home and get a check and ask if I can call him back at 5pm when I get home. He says no to that becuase he will be gone by then. I say, you will, I thought you were on the West Coast... This throws him for a loop... After 2 seconds of mumbling, he say right, I will be leaving today at 2pm. This makes me come to my senses and I tell him, okay I will call you back in an hour when I have a check (I pretend I am going home). This buys me some time.
I immediate call my aunt, who is a lawyer who specilized on debt collection. I get her on her cell phone while she is at the store. She tells me not to pay him anything and ask for "Proof of the Debt." She agrees to call him when she gets home and asks me to fax this proof of debt if the send it to me. I do as she says and call Thomas Morris back. I ask for "Proof of the Debt, " and he asks me if I have my checking info... I say I do, and he says he will fax me "the agreement" in 5-10 mins. Now I aksed for "Proof of the Debt, " not "the agreement." But anyway, I decide to see what he sends. I end the call saying that I will also not be giving he any checking information until my lawyer speaks to him and tell me this is legit.
1 hour later I get a fax from him... It is not proof of anything... It is something anyone could have done on MS WORD. My aunt does some checking, and it turns out Thomas Morris and his company is one big scam. They have no lawyers, the are under invetigation by the feds, there are not suing anyone. If you get a call from them, tell them not to call you back and hang-up! I have reported them to the AG of IL and CA, inaddition to the BBB.
Don't ever give them any money!!!
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