Consumer complaint received 2018-05-15
Company: HSBC NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC.
State: OK
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX - Messages were left for me on my voicemail regarding a legal action including the filing of a lawsuit and a complaint with the court for possible pending actions filed against me. They included a phone number and a file number. They also called my fathers law office, stating that I had requested legal documents that had been undeliverable, with the same name, phone, and case number. I contacted them and was told that a credit card I had opened in XX/XX/XXXX was in question, for an amount over {$2000.00}, and that the legal department had sent a packet with a settlement amount and details about what would happen should I NOT pay that settlement amount ( they would take me to court ). The address they had I have not lived at in 14 years, so I was put on hold to " discuss with the attorneys '' if I could have an extension since I hadn't received any paperwork. " The attorneys '' said yes, but I had to pay {$800.00} today if I didn't want them to take me to court. I don't remember ever having this credit card, and felt really upset about having to settle TODAY. I asked for paperwork containing my signatures, account info, etc., and was told that the collection agency did NOT have that information, it would be my attorney 's job to request in the discovery phase of the court case, which would come down on me hard and fast if I didn't pay today. They would, however, send me an email with the creditors and the collection agency 's information. The refusal to share any kind of paperwork or get me in touch with the financial institution itself were cause for concern. I told XXXX that I would need some time today to think about it, and was shockingly told I had 30 minutes or the offer was invalid. I told her I'd call back upon receiving the email, which had basically ZERO information about the creditor or the collection agency. It did provide an address but I was unable to validate that or the company name. I decided to take matters into my own hands and I called the creditor ( a banking financial institution ) and was told that the account number I had been provided was not one of theirs, nor could they find my name or social security number in any of their files. Moreover, they wouldn't have waited 14 years to attempt to resolve. Guys, I almost fell for it. Of COURSE I'd rather pay {$800.00} than go to court, have that on my record, and pay over {$2000.00} plus attorney fees! The tone the agent got with me when I started asking questions was shocking - very rude and defensive. She kept telling me " It is not my job to provide you with anything. It is my job to collect on behalf of my client, if you want to go to court, I don't care. You now have 23 minutes to make your decision. '' etc etc. 

Further, they had my name listed incorrectly, told my father on the phone that they were from XXXX XXXX XXXX trying to deliver a package and requesting my address, but never mentioned anything about that to me. 

The agency information on the email they sent me : XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, CA, XXXX. Phone : XXXX The phone calls I received were from UKNOWN and the call back number was : XXXX. Messages were from a XXXX but XXXX XXXX is who I spoke to. 
The creditor I was accused of having was : HSBC. 

I have screenshots of everything as well as the letter I was sent, the voicemail, etc., that I am happy to provide.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation