Consumer complaint received 2022-04-15
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.
State: AZ
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Impersonated attorney, law enforcement, or government official

Complaint:
After calling numerous times daily at all hours for years ( since I was laid off in XX/XX/XXXX thanks to COVID ) after numerous requests to stop calling, XXXX and their agent Midland Credit Management XXXX Encore Capital Group of XXXX XXXX CA called this morning ( XX/XX/XXXX ) from a fake number from XXXX area code XXXX from Minnesota. I answered the call thinking it was regarding my job applictions, the moment I said hello the person said they are calling for XXXX XXXX about a potential lawsuit. I asked if she/he/they were an attorney they rerfused I ended call. I called back person who answered gave me the company name and address but refused to give me their California bar #, confirm if they have a California Bar #, confirm is they are even licesned to practice law in California or let me speak with an attorney there based on the threat of litigation. I mentioned violating US FDCPA and California XXXX. 

This apears to be the continuatio of a pattern that the New York State Attorney General, the US DOJ and CFPB have already sued them and prosecuted them for in the past. When individuals repeatedly break the law the go to jail and eventually get 3 strikes Background : In XX/XX/XXXX, New York State Attorney General XXXX XXXX sued Encore Capital over unethical practices and forced Encore Capital to pay a {$670000.00} penalty and vacate more than XXXX court judgments against borrowers. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, both Encore and XXXX XXXX XXXX, the United States two largest publicly held debt buyers, were charged with violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the XXXX XXXX XXXX Reform and Consumer Protection Act by filing " lawsuits against consumers without having the intent to prove many of the debts, winning the vast majority of the lawsuits by default when consumers failed to defend themselves. '' The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau imposed an enforcement action on Encore Capital for pressuring borrowers " to pay with false statements, with lawsuits and with the use of using so-called robo-signed court documents. '' According to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  Encore paid " {$42.00} XXXX in consumer refunds and a {$10.00} XXXX penalty '' and an injunction to " stop collections on debts totaling more than {$120.00} XXXX. '' Suggsed reolution .... 

Stop threatening people with non existant litigation stop violating US FDCPA and CA XXXX like they have been apparently since before XXXX. 

" Justice '' maybe? 

Criminal prosecution against their President, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX CEO XXXX XXXX and whomever is still encouraging employee to continue violating state and federal laws. It time we actually start holding corporation accountable like we do individuals. They should not be above the law and allowed, as a large powerful corporation with {$1.00} XXXX in assets, to do anything they wish violate all of our laws and get wealthy doing so with no serious consequences or repurcussions. Apparently the fines of {$52.00} XXXX ( 3 % ) were insufficient as a deterrent for a {$1.00} XXXX company. That was merely a traffic ticket for a {$1.00} XXXX company. Like in the XXXX financial crisis with massive fraud and robo signing fraud NO ONE is going to jail. Why? I though " corporations are people too '', well people go to jail, then they can go to jail too right? 
Are these criminals above the law? It seems there are two systems of " justice '' in the United States now. One sustem of justice for the weatlhy oligarchs and powerful corporation and a different ( seperate but UNEQUAL ) system of justice for us serfs and peasants. Modern slavery. We are the XXXX and XXXX Bank, Encore Capital Group are the modern plantation owners and XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX manage the plantations.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation