Consumer complaint received 2018-06-18
Company: U.S. BANCORP
State: NH
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened to sue you for very old debt

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a voicemail from someone saying their name was XXXX XXXX claiming to be a process server, no company name given and that she was going to be serving me at my home address or place of employment on XX/XX/XXXX to take me to court. I was told to call XXXX. I called that number and it does not state the name of the company. After several rings, the phone was finally picked up by someone who again did not state the name of the company. She said her name was XXXX and that they had purchased a debt from U.S. Bank. She threatened that if I didn't pay {$1400.00} over the phone that day at that moment with my debit card that I would be taken to court and made to pay around {$5000.00} in legal fees. I asked for documentation of the debt because I did not previously receive anything. She said US Bank was well known for not performing due diligence but that she wasn't required by law to provide documentation of the debt. She said she would email me an agreement to pay only if and when I was at a computer at that moment and would e-sign while on the phone with her agreeing that I would pay with my debit card. I again asked for documentation of the debt but was told I didn't have to pay if I didn't want to, I could just pay the {$5000.00} once I was served and taken to court if I'd rather do that. I told XXXX that I wanted to call the bank to confirm. She said she would give me until Monday which is today at which point she would have me served at home or at work if I hadn't paid by then. I was refused the name of the company until I agreed to sign the agreement to pay via e-sign in my email which they wouldn't send to me until I was at a computer and while on the phone with them. I called US Bank Monday XX/XX/XXXX and they informed me that they sold a debt in my name to XXXX XXXX XXXX several years ago for an account that I had over a decade ago. I was informed by US BANK that XXXX XXXX XXXX was now out of business and the bank had no idea who would be contacting me about this debt. I also then found out from my sister, my brother and my parents that they had each received a phone call from the process server threatening to serve me and take me to court. I have tried identifying the name of the company by reverse lookup of the phone number but couldn't find a legitimate company with that number. I told XXXX from this unknown debt collector company that I had no issue paying any legitimate debts I had as long as I was shown documentation of the balance owed which she refused to give me. I don't feel comfortable giving out my debit card information to someone unwilling to give me a company name and unwilling to show me documentation of the amount owed. So, I decided to file a complaint because I feel like this method of threatening or scaring me into paying something I have no documentation of to a company I don't have information on, is just wrong and possibly illegal. I have the voicemail saved on my phone from the supposed process server.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation