I was contacted by an "investigator" named Anthony Maltese who stated that he was calling regardig a bad check I had written to a Venture store back in '92. He stated that they were contracted to collect on bad checks and I could pay the amount of the check plus their fee and it would be cleared from my record, or if I didn't that my name and SSN would be put into a "National Database" and that I wouldn't be able to write checks on my current account and would never be able to write checks again.
I asked for proof and he just faxed me a copy of this check. Before he called me back I did some investigating and found they had been reported numerous times to the BBB and that the Griffith, IN police dept. Was also investigating them because this was a SCAM. They also advised not to send any money as it was a post office box.
So, when Anthony called back I advised him of what I found and he gave me the same song and dance about what was going to happen to me and then asked if I wanted to speak to his supervisor. After speaking w/this supposed supervisor it only made it more clear that it was a scam. I asked how they obtained this check and he stated that when Venture went bankrupt, the judge who ruled over the case decided that all of these people who owed them money still had to pay.
I asked him if he could send me information on the bankruptcy and it said it was public record. So, I asked him where I could get the records, and he said "I don't know". I also advised him of the reports w/the BBB and he said that when he gets the complaints on his company he doesn't respond back. And also asked him about the investigation by the police dept... He said that there is a detective there that "doesn't like him" and I asked who that was and his same respose was "I don't know".
I have also looked into the statue of limitations for bad checks, and since the Venture home office was in Missoure, I wrote the check in Illinois, and this scam company is in Indiana, I figured I'd get the number of years for each.
Illinios is 4 years, Missouri is 4 years, and Indiana is 6 years. Statue of limitations are laws that prevent a company or person from going after someone and cannot be turned over by a judges supposed decision.
0 comments