Consumer complaint received 2024-03-12
Product: Debt collection — Payday loan debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: Imperial Recovery Consultants, LLC (VA)

My wife received a call from " Imperial Recovery Consultants '' about me supposedly owing a debt for a bounced check back in XXXX. They had personal information like past addresses and bank names. 

My wife handed me the phone since I happened to be next to her and the first gentlemen I talked to " XXXX '' was from the legal office and explained that I had submitted for an online payday loan from " XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX '' for the amount of {$820.00} somewhere between XXXX ( could not specify the transaction date ). " XXXX '' stated I provided a check # XXXX as a method of payment. XXXX said he would transfer me to another person who had additional details about my case. XXXX provided the complaint number they used ( # XXXX ) and provided a call back number after I said I wanted to call my bank to look up the transaction history ( the number provided was XXXX ). I was transferred to an individual named " XXXX '' who sounded almost the same and said they would be filing a court order at XXXX the same day ( so in the next hour ) for the amount of {$1300.00} if I didn't pay within the next 30-minutes. The company sent me an email from " XXXX '' and a word document that contained the following text ( I did not download it due to the nature of possible malware and when I attempted to copy the text from the preview pane it came back in symbols and non-text format ) : " Imperial Recovery Consultants XXXX This letter is a legal demand for a payment of the original outstanding check incurred by you as identified below. Our office has been assigned the reference case, including all rights and legal obligations regarding this contract. Letters concerning this issue were sent to you. However, there has been no response and/or you have not offered to resolve this matter. 

At this time, all payments and/or correspondence should be directed to this office. The original creditor retains no financial interest in your account. The option of dealing with the original creditor is no longer available to you. Your outstanding check is currently being reviewed for potential legal action by this office. If you choose to resolve this matter voluntarily, you may take the following actions : YOU MAY PAY THE STOP ACTION IN THE AMOUNT OF : {$1300.00} ON OR BEFORE XX/XX/year> WITH CERTIFIED FUNDS Failure to comply with the above demand will result in our office, without further notice, declaring the entire balance due and pursuing you legally to the fullest extent of the law. 

If you have any questions or concerns about this case, please contact our office at XXXX M-F XXXX - XXXX ( EST ) Please refer to the case number listed below. 

Respectfully, XXXX, XXXX. 

Original Creditor : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX  : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Original Balance : {$820.00} Account Number : XXXX Case Number : XXXX '' I did not mention to them that the account number listed was not mine. I told them I was going to call my bank to confirm/deny and he " granted '' me a " 30-minute extension ''. After talking with my bank, they did not see any deposit that they claimed was made during the period mentioned and that it was highly likely a scam. The comment was also made by the bank that the company would shown up on my credit report since it was a non-payment prior to it going into collections. 

I looked online to see if there was any information on the company and found the XXXX had multiple complaints of fraud and additional notices of it being a scam through other websites. 

When I called the company back to try and extract additional information about the company they said they were not going to provide any information and hung up the phone.