Consumer complaint received 2019-05-23
Company: Populus Financial Group, Inc. (F/K/A Ace Cash Express)
State: WA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Payday loan debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Collected or attempted to collect exempt funds

Complaint:
Below is 1 of 3 letter I received from the XXXX office of Washington State in regards to ACE Cash Express. The company that called me today XXXX and XXXX told me that I was on a recorded line and as long as I gave them a credit card over the phone they would call the debt fulfilled. There Robocaller said it was a message from TSA There phone XXXX. The refused to give me there address due to their safety. They told me that I owed {$890.00}. This loan was taken out inXX/XX/XXXX.. And I have records of other calls that I got where I actually paid money over the phone to companies stating that they work for Ace Cash Express . This is the 5th company that has been sold my SSI number in the 3 months. They called my work and refuse to take the number off their records. Yes I confirmed my SSN what different does it make they have it and calling and harassing me Here is the letter from the XXXX  from XX/XX/XXXXand there have been 11 different companies that have called me since this date to ACE. 

XXXX XXXX and XXXX have told me this will be filed into XXXX County Court. Unless I pay the {$890.00} over the with a debit I want it STOPPED.. I have paid the jerk repeatedly until figured out it was a scam. 

. 
XXXX : XXXX MI XXXX Complaint Processing ( XXXX ) XXXX Sent : Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX To : XXXX Subject : XXXX : A notice from the Washington State Attorney General 's Office XXXX XXXX ATTORNEY GENERAL OF WASHINGTON Consumer Protection Division XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, WA XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX XX/XX/2014 XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, WA XXXX XXXX : XXXX XXXX , Ace Cash Express and XXXX XXXX File # : XXXX Dear XXXX XXXX XXXX : Thank you for contacting the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney Generals Office. We received the consumer complaint you submitted to our office regarding XXXX XXXX, Ace Cash Express and XXXX XXXX   contacting you and demanding payment on debts they claim you owe. 

XXXX XXXX, Ace Cash Express and XXXX XXXX may be operating a collection scam. Because our office receives many complaints regarding this issue, we have compiled the information below from various sources including the Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) to assist consumers identify steps they can take if they receive a call they suspect is a collection scam. You can learn more about consumer scams on the ( FTC ) website at http : //www.consumer.ftc.gov/. 

The Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ), the nation 's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. 

A caller may be a fake debt collector if he/she : is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize ; refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number ; asks you for personal financial or sensitive information ; or exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency. 

If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector : Ask the caller for his name, company , street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written " validation notice. '' The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. 

If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you. 

Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller 's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing. 

Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name. 


Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate but you think the collector may not be contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt. 

If the communication with XXXX XXXX, Ace Cash Express and XXXX XXXX  suggests knowledge of your social security number or financial account numbers, you may wish to take steps to protect yourself against identity theft. You may obtain information about how to protect yourself from identity theft on our website at XXXXttp : //XXXX. 

Following is information from our website about collection agencies that may be of assistance to you. 

When a Collection Agency Contacts You. 
The first time a collection agency contacts you, it must give its name and address, and the name of the original creditor ( the business or person you owe money to ). It must also tell you in writing the amount of the debt and any fees which have been added, such as interest or collection fees. You must also be informed of your right to dispute the information. 
A collection agency can not call or write to you more than three times a week. Only one of those calls can be at work. You can not be called between 9 pm and 8 am ; A collection agency can not harass, intimidate, threaten, or embarrass you ; A collection agency can not threaten violence, criminal prosecution, or use offensive language ; and If you send a written statement requesting a collection agency to stop, it can not continue to call or write to you to demand payment. 

Consumer complaints provide valuable information that our office uses to identify patterns of unfair or deceptive practices that may warrant enforcement of the Consumer Protection Act. We value the important information that we receive from consumers like you. We will retain the information you submitted as part of our public record. In addition, your complaint will be exported to the Federal Trade Commissions ( FTC ) Consumer Sentinel database. 

Consumer complaints are public records and are available to the public for copying or inspection in compliance with the Washington State Public Records Act, RCW 42.56. 

We hope this information will be of assistance to you. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX Program Specialist 3 Consumer Protection Division

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation