Consumer complaint received 2018-01-15
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.
State: FL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened to arrest you or take you to jail if you do not pay

Complaint:
Firm Name to investigate/Contact : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX   XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  Phone : XXXX Staff member who threatened me and contacted various people in my community : XXXX XXXX DEBT Information : The debt in question was settled on XX/XX/XXXX with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX who purchased the debt from the original creditor, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I do have a Letter of Settlement from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and had previously provided and notified all credit repositories in writing and via email. 
This company 's tactics needs to investigated -- so far I have been verbally threatened with arrest, legal action and law suits, arrest, garnishment of wages, AND this company representative has phoned people within my community spreading slanderous statements. 
I have been provided NO proof of this debt -- this XXXX XXXX only wants me to pay over {$1400.00} " over the phone immediately '' to avoid arrest, law suits, placing liens against my car and legal fines exceeding $ 20K. 

On Friday, XX/XX/XXXX-- I received four consecutive phone calls between XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX -no message was left until at XXXX. The XXXX XXXX the voice message threatened legal action on an old debt PREVIOUSLY SETTLED on XX/XX/XXXX with another company. 
The phone calls originated from : XXXX. The message was left by XXXX XXXX with NO firm name or recognizing information. 
The employee of XXXX, XXXX XXXX, referenced a file : XXXX On Saturday, XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX EST -- I was told by two different people residing my community and has the same surname as my maiden name that XXXX XXXX has telephoned them stating that I owe money and he is " hunting '' me to arrest for outstanding debts. 
I have never provided any type of verbal permission or power of attorney to him OR his firm to contact anyone to discuss this fraudulent debt issue. 
Background -- On Friday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX EST, I returned the call to XXXX XXXX XXXX to find out the basis of such an ominous threatening message finally left for me at XXXX XXXX EST. 
First Call Back at XXXX XXXX XXXX -- I phoned back and was told to leave a message. 
At XXXX XXXX I was phoned, again, by someone named XXXX XXXX who indicated that he was an attorney working in the " Pre-Legation Department '' of XXXX XXXX XXXX who was seeking immediate payment of {$1300.00} for payment of an old debit to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
I explained that the debt had been settled and I could provide the Letter of Settlement. 
I then began asking questions about his company - What was the Federal ID Number or Corporation ID? What state was he calling from? What was the formal name of the corporation? What was the name of the law firm with which he is working? When did he pass the bar? Also to please clarify if he is an attorney or a paralegal or what? 
XXXX XXXX became enraged -- shouting and threatening me. He told me that I would be served papers unless I paid immediately and he had done an asset search on me so he planned to garish my wages, place a lien on my little XXXX, take me to court and I would have to pay at least $ 10- $ 20K in fines and penalties. 
I advised him that he should not be speaking to me this manner and I needed some information about his company first so I could provide to my attorney to straighten everything out. He became even more enraged, screaming at me that he wanted the name of my attorney. I told that I first needed the information about his firm -- XXXX XXXX then hung up on me and ended the conversation. 
This conversation lasted 3 minutes from start to finish according to my phone timer. 

Second Call Back at XXXX XXXX EST - I phoned back -- I was still calm and wanted to resolve the issue and provide the Letter of Settlement. 
XXXX XXXX was again reconnected with me via the phone even though I asked for his supervisor OR anyone else to discuss the situaton. I calmly explained to XXXX XXXX, again, that I understood that his company probably purchased a package of unsecured debts as I was beginning to understand how the debt market worked and in my case, I could easily provide payment BUT I needed information about his firm. 
I then read the Settlement Letter to XXXX XXXX who, again, began screaming and threatening me with arrest stating the Letter of Settlement was unacceptable. I asked him to calmly explain what was wrong with the letter and, if necessary, I would reach out to the previous debt collection company to request a revised letter to meet his CA law firm. Then XXXX XXXX, again, lost his temper, screaming and began threatening me with lawsuits, garnishment of wages, arrest actions etc. He told me that he was recording our conversation and I responded by telling him that I was also recording the conversation. XXXX XXXX then hung up on me a second time. 
This conversation lasted appox. 11 minutes in duration according to my phone timer. 
Third Call -- At XXXX XXXX I once more phoned back a third time trying to resolve the problem -- still very calm and I was then connected to a staff person named " XXXX. '' I explained to " XXXX '' that I wanted to provide their firm with the Settlement Letter that I had just read to XXXX XXXX who has a very bad temper and who, in my opinion, requires extensive consumer counseling. 
I told " XXXX '' that XXXX XXXX would NOT provide their company mailing address or any information about the company and kept hanging up on me. " XXXX '' told me that he worked in a different suite that XXXX XXXX. XXXX 'XXXX suite number is XXXX and XXXX XXXX ' suite number is XXXX. 
" XXXX '' said that he did not know anything about corporate or federal ID numbers. 
I asked XXXX to have the company mail any document they have reflecting that I owe money on this account and confirmed my mailing address. 
I also asked " XXXX '' to put a note in the file that XXXX XXXX was NOT to contact me by phone but only contact me in writing. I added that I looked forward to clearing up any issues AND would double check with credit reporting repositories after the holiday weekend to ensure everything was accurately reflected within my credit report. 

" XXXX '' did provide an address for the firm for me to send information : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX On Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX EST -- I was told by two different people residing my small local town/community and who have the same surname as my maiden name that XXXX XXXX has telephoned them stating that I owe money and he is " hunting '' me to arrest for outstanding debts. 

I have never provided any type of verbal permission or power of attorney to him OR his firm to contact anyone to discuss this fraudulent debt issue. 

It appears that he is randomly phoning people in my little community spreading slander in his rage. 

This man frightens me! He has all this information about me and I know virtually nothing about him. 

This company 's tactics needs to investigated -- so far I have been verbally threatened with arrest, legal action and law suits, arrest, garnishment of wages, AND this company representative has phoned people within my community spreading slanderous statements. 

I have been provided NO proof of this debt -- this XXXX XXXX only wants me to pay " over the phone immediately '' to avoid arrest, law suits, and fines exceeding $ 20K Local FL attorneys reviewed the situation and advised me that this company is a scam and I should report to your agency. 

These people need located and appropriately fined under the federal and states laws for threatening bully tactics, not providing any proof of payment and for contacting other people about this issue spreading slanderous lies. 

This company representative has verbally threatened me with arrest, legal action and law suits, arrest, garnishment of wages, AND this company representative has phoned people within my community spreading slanderous statements. 

For all I know, this company is pretending to be a law firm and this person is impersonating a lawyer. 

I have been provided NO proof of this debt -- he only wants me to pay " over the phone immediately! '' I want a letter of apology and to know that his firm will be investigated and fined by the States of California AND Florida.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation