Consumer complaint received 2017-07-12
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: IL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Impersonated attorney, law enforcement, or government official

Complaint:
I got a call today on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX from phone # XXXX and they stated that they were calling from the XXXX County Circuit Court Civil Division ( it also showed on my caller ID ). He gave me his name but I didnt write it down, he explained hed been trying to get ahold of me and had been unsuccessful. The person asked me if someone over the age of XXXX would be home tomorrow to be able to sign? I said No, I work, why? He then stated he needed to give me papers and someone over the age of XXXX needed to sign. He then verified my name and address.Then he said well how about the weekend? you can call this # XXXX and you can set up to pick up on the weekend, I can give you the case #. I said Ok? From who? He went on to explain that he has a sealed envelope and didnt know what was in it, he just needed to give this to me. I was thinking out loud and said Oh maybe its the ticket that I got last month but I already paid it He said Yeah sometimes these things take time to clear up, you need to call them to find out what they need. Then he said It says here its a XXXX Form, to schedule to pick up the paperwork you need to call this # XXXX and when you call you need to give them this case # XXXX At that moment I write down the information, and we disconnected. The first thing I did was look up the phone # XXXX and indeed that came up as the XXXX County Circuit Court Division. Im thinking well let me clarify this, I did get a ticket back in XX/XX/XXXX but I did pay it. I thought Id call them give them the proof that I paid the ticket and be done with it. I call the # XXXX and this XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX answers the phone, and he tells me that the reason why they are trying to deliver these papers its a debt that was from XXXX but in reality it is Discover Bank trying to collect the debt back from XXXX, he verified my SS #, my name, my address. He said XXXX had nothing to do with it, it was Discover Bank that was coming after me because they covered the debt? I was confused but I explained to him that that the credit card had been stolen ( in like XXXX ) and there were charges there that I didnt make, but by the time I sent the police report and everything XXXX had already sent me to collections and they told me I had to deal with them. And collection company after collection company trying to retrieve the payment I kept faxing over the police report and they didnt drop the debt. Then he said So you are acknowledging that this debt is yours? I said Yes but What is the SS # that you have? It must be a mistake He read my whole SS #, I said Yes that is my SS #. And then he went on Well you are still liable, I can not negotiate the amount anymore, and it sounds like youre being honest so I need you to fax over the police report, but you opened the account back in XX/XX/XXXX and made payments on it, then in XX/XX/XXXX thats when you stopped. When you go up against the judge he is going to look at that and go in favor for the Bank, not you. The Court gets commision on these type of cases. And you will be charged all the interests, fees, and its going to be more than the {$1700.00} that I am telling you owe right now, and thats the half of what the Bank is trying to get. If you go to court you will have to pay everything. I said I dont have the police report in front of me, I need to go and look for it, and then I can send it to you and it must have been in XXXX then, its been so long. He said We can call the police department right now on 3 way and get this over with and get the police report I said I can not I am still at work and my break is over, I would need to go home and look for the report, I can then fax it to you. He then responded Well once you get served then I will not be able to work with you anymore, and you could get served within this hour. I said Im at work, and I work for a XXXX XXXX and its not easy to get through, I will call you once I have it and fax it to you. He said It doesnt matter if you work in the White House people will get served even if you work at the White House. We hung up. All while I was on the XXXX County Clerks office website trying to find the case # XXXX and it didnt bring up anything. I XXXX the XXXX # and couldnt find any info on that phone #. When I got off work I then called the XXXX County Circuit Civil Division # XXXX to ask them why I could see the case # finally a person name XXXX answered the call and I explained that someone from the XXXX County had called me and told them everything they told me, and then the other person I called and what he had told me. XXXX told me it sounded like a scam and hes never heard of the XXXX Form. He asked me to call him back tomorrow and hed be able to look up if there was something against me. When I got home I found the police report and I called back this XXXX to get more information about this place. He went on and told me that he was from XXXX XXXX XXXX and they are located in California, and that the reason the case # doesnt exist is because its not a public case # but that once they serve me that it would be public. After I gave him the date of the police report which was XXXX he then said I was still liable for {$600.00}. I said The person that called me stating they had to serve me some papers said they were calling from the XXXX County Clerks office and there is no such case # XXXX calmly explained We dont know who the bank hired to serve you the papers and that case # is internal. Once they serve you then you will have a public case # right now there is none because they still have not served you and remember we are in California we are not there ( in IL ). And it doesnt necessarily mean that we know what agency was hired to serve the papers its up to the bank and we have no control over that. I said Well I will have my attorney call you to make sure that you are, who you say you are. XXXX said What is her name and phone # we can call her on 3 way right now. I said I will call her tomorrow, it is past XXXX and no longer available and I will have her call you to verify that you are legit. XXXX responded Have her call me then, but nothing is going to change the fee is still not going to change even if she calls me. In the meantime if you get served then it will be the full amount of {$1700.00} plus all the fees, and interest. I said Well I need to be safe and make sure that you are legit and this is not a scam. What is your full name and what is the Attorneys office that you are calling from? He responded I understand you have every right to do so. My name is XXXX XXXX my extension # XXXX and I am with XXXX XXXX XXXX we are in California. And at that moment I hung up. I tried to search XXXX XXXX XXXX and couldnt find anything under the State of California. I also XXXX XXXX Form and it is a Plaintiffs Claim and ORDER to go to Small Claims Court but this document is for the State of California. After the first person that called me posing to call from the XXXX County Circuit Court I am very suspicious that this is all a scam especially because when I called XXXX County they said it was a scam and that they will never call a person to inform that they are trying to look for you to serve you papers.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation