Seeking Major Advice HERE!! – We’re being Scammed!!
Hubby has been receiving some harassing phone calls at work and on his cell phone about an apparent online payday loan for $300 from Cash Advance USA.
The "Legal Department" has been calling his job and yelling and cursing at him, his coworkers, his supervisor, and his store director!!
I talked to a representative today and they have Hubby's SSN, bank account number, our address, his employer's information and they say we received $300 in January and have not paid it back. They want us to pay $789.00 in order to make it all stop – or – they have an affidavit ready to file with our county court regarding financial fraud or something like that!!
Here's the deal: Hubby did not have a checking account in January, we did NOT receive $300 from anyone online, since his checking account opened in May he has NOT received any deposits for $300, and we have no idea what they are talking about!!
Now, we have taken out payday loans in the past and we currently have one through a walk-in company here in town so Hubby called them to find out if they are the ones calling. They are NOT!!
I started researching online and Cash Advance USA is being used by a group of people claiming to be a Legal Department and harassing people for money they don't owe. I have read all the complaints and they are exactly what we are experiencing, only different phone numbers each time.
So…what do we do???!!! The calls are scary and we know they do not have any clout behind them – BUT – they are calling Hubby at work – A LOT!!!!
Hubby has called our local police and they have an open case now, but we haven't heard back from the detective…so now what??!!
The same thing happened to me and they scared me into giving them my bank info. I called and told them I’m aware of their scam. What they do is change business names every so often. You’re pretty much going to have to change your phone number to get rid of them. Even though I told them I know of their scam they changed the name of their company and STILL call me!! They’ll call all your family members too, it’s a horrible thing for them to do.
What they do is buy an old debt to a payday loan place that has passed it’s statute of limitations and then they harass you and scare you. They will say they are going to file something with the county and for everyone it is always the same amount and same company that they supposedly owe. If you start googling it you will find news articles and more on their scams. They used to use the name L Ryan Copeland for their law office then changed it to something else. Now I believe they are working under an attorney with the last name Brown.
What jerks, in this economy to scare people out of their money. Especially considering it isn’t a debt owed nor are they a legit company. If you know of an attorney I would advise handing off the company’s number and letting them deal with it.
Thank you so much for the advice about the attorney. We are learning more and more about this scam and apparently it is an epidemic scam right now!!!
Hubby changed his cell phone number and they have not called his work; however, they have moved on to his Payroll Department. They presented to the department like they wanted to garnish his wages and so on… Payroll called the store director and informed him, but also informed him that Hubby is not the only employee in the company being scammed!!! (He works for a large grocery chain). We have contacted the police department and they have assigned a detective, but I don’t expect it to go anywhere because they are calling from a Pennsylvania number.
We are not worried about the calls and, after today, I am no longer worried about him losing his job, but they do have his SSN, bank account number, and our address. They have not started calling friends and relatives yet, but I’m expecting that next!!
Hubby says don’t worry because even if they did try to steal his identity he has such terrible credit that they wouldn’t get anything except more bill collectors calling them!!! Haha!!! He’s a silver-lining kind of guy sometimes!!
I would call them to check up on the case. Maybe even get a lawyer. If they aren’t legit it is fraud, you could sue them till they are silly!
How horrible. If you were in the UK I would be able to give you all the legal advice you need but unfortunately your laws are a lot different in the US. I hope you get it sorted and it soon stops!