Consumer complaint received 01/15/2016 about Debt collection (Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)) with Eastpoint Recovery Group, Inc (FL).
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Impersonated an attorney or official

Complaint: Last summer I was contacted by a man who said he was Attorney XXXX XXXX working to collect a debt I owed for bed purchased I made at XXXX XXXX. He said he represented Eastpoint Group and was in XXXX, NY. He was very polite, as was I, and I explained that my loan agreement gave me 5 years to pay off the debt and if I did not within XXXX, would begin to accrue interest. He told me a lot of people make those mistakes and I was supposed to make payments during the 5 years anyway. I began allowing him to take {$100.00} from my account every payday ( and they collected {$500.00} ). I asked XXXX XXXX to send me some forms in the mail so I coulod verify the account and show the total debt and the payoff. I did not receive any paperwork, and due to a medical injury, lost my secondary employment. I called XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) and explained my situation and again asked him to mail paperwork to me. My intention was to pay off the debt as soon asd i received my IRS refund, and he was agreeable to that. Then another person from Eastpoint began calling my mother 's house downstate ( I never gave her number and she is almost XXXX years old ). That person said his name was XXXX XXXX with Eastpoint Group ( XXXX ) ; he has called and left messages several times stating that he would have to take more serious action if he could not get in touch with me ( which scared my mother ). She does n't answer and lets home phone calls go to voicemail. Last evening, my husband got a call on his cellphone from XXXX and a female asked him for me. I answered on his cell phone and the female immediately began harassing me about a debt. When I found out she was with Eastpoint, I told her I was already working with Attorney XXXX XXXX with her company and he was aware of my situation and I was waiting on my IRS return to pay in full. I then told her I was still waiting on paperwork and had received nothing by USPS yet. I told her I would not speak with anyone else until I received something verifying who they were and what I owed, who was the original debtor and what was left to pay off. She refused to agree to sending me any validation paperwork and became extremely rude and actually screamed at me in a shrill voice, " I do n't think you are going to pay this off! '' At that point I just hung up. I then called XXXX XXXX and asked him to return my call today due to another person calling with harassing and disturbing behavior. He has not called back. 

I did online research and have read about fraudulent collectors, and also found out that XXXX XXXX is not an attorney as he told me he was. This evening, I called back the number the woman called from last night and it went to voicemail where the message identified the woman as XXXX XXXX or XXXX - I could not clearly hear the last name. 

I am very concerned that this company already has {$500.00} from me, they have never sent a validation notice or any actual paperwork at all, and I see numerous complaints about the company. I want to pay off my debt but do n't know whether this is a true collection or fraud, due to the lies told and the tactics used by several of their employees.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation