Consumer complaint received 2025-02-11 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Payday loan debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened to arrest you or take you to jail if you do not pay
Company: CCF Intermediate Holdings LLC
State: OH

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a phone call from XXXX XXXX XXXX ; their phone is XXXX, and their email is XXXX. The call was for a payday loan debt from XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX. They said I owed {$500.00} due to interest, which is now 5 times that amount. But if I paid {$350.00} immediately, the account would be considered paid in full. I then asked who the debtor was ; I don't recall borrowing money. And he said you did borrow numerous times and paid them all back instead of this one. I was confused and again asked who the debtor was, and he said Buckeye Lending Solutions sold the debt to them and I needed to pay now or charges would be filed and I would be arrested for fraud and deception. I became scared and said I filed XXXX XXXX in XXXX, and he said payday loans are never included in bankruptcy ; it's a legal debt that has to be paid. I was confused and demanded to see a document proving I owed anything, and he said, I will send it to the email on file, and once you receive it, you need to sign it. I again mentioned why this wasn't included in my bankruptcy, and he said it could not be included because it was a loan I took out and I owed it. So I ended the phone call and went to my email to see the document that was sending me. The document was from XXXX XXXX ; it was a validation of debt from the original creditor Buckeye with no account number. It demanded payment of {$320.00} or a call to set up payment arrangements if applicable. But if I fail to contact the office, they will consider additional remedies to recover the balance due in my local jurisdiction. I had to call this toll-free number, XXXX, and ended with federal law requiring me to inform you that this is a communication from a debt collector. So I had to sign validating the debt, which I did not do because I did not know who the debt was originally from, nor did I feel I owed it. So I ignored it. So the next day, XX/XX/XXXX, the same man called and left a message to call or face charges. I immediately got scared and returned the call. A lady answered she got my information and stated I have the paperwork in front of me that I will be taken down today to have you arrested for fraud and deception for taking out a loan with no intention to pay it back. And when charged, I will be paying the full amount, which was over {$2000.00}. I again pleaded my case that I don't recall taking out a loan. That I didn't have the {$340.00} that they were requesting to pay in full, and then she said, Well, I'm preparing to leave, and you will be arrested today. Then I, being scared, asked if there was any payment arrangement ; could I give something to prevent this? I was so frightened, and I said, I'm confused that if I owed a debt, why wasn't it added to my XXXX bankruptcy? She said it wouldn't be because a payday loan was legally binding ; it was the law. I had to pay it back, and no bankruptcy will discharge them. She said they purchased the loan from XXXXuckeye Lending Solutions, and I need to pay the amount or make arrangements now before the call ends. I then said, When did you purchase it? She said XX/XX/XXXX and asked me for a credit card number and wouldn't accept anything less than {$100.00} for a payment arrangement. I was near tears and told her I did have {$100.00}, all I had, but needed the money to get my XXXX because I was on leave from work. She said if you don't pay that now, you will be arrested. I again plead that it was all I had for XXXX XXXX and she again asked for the debit. Out of fear and desperation, I relinquished the information she requested, and she took the money out of my account quickly and then said, I'm sending an email with biweekly payments for you to pay the rest of the amount ; if not paid by the end of XXXX, you will be arrested and charged, and then hung up. I went to my email and retrieved the email with payment arrangements. I felt so hurt and deflated and had no means to get XXXX XXXX XXXX. Feeling angry I called them back and demanded the account number from the original creditor and she said she couldn't share that information. Only that the debt was purchased from Buckeye Lending Solutions, who I found out after searching online dealt with debts from Checksmart & SpeedyCash. So I called Checksmart headquarters, and they were sympathetic and nice to me. I told them what happened, that it was an old debt, and they looked in several systems they had and saw debts I had were paid in full except one for {$350.00} that was sold to Buckeye Lending Solutions in XXXX ; they also suggested they transfer me to their fraud department XXXX because they wanted me to report how I was treated and that it seemed like that creditor that called was a scammer. So I got transferred over, and the lady who spoke to me looked to see what payday loan company I borrowed from, and she said Check Smart was paid in full, but Speedy Cash showed I never followed through with my loan request and never received any money from them. I was baffled, so I said, So I don't owe anything. She said I checked all our systems and don't see where you owe anything and suggested I go online to the FTC, which I did. I called their number, and the voicemail referred me to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. Now I'm here because this company, XXXX XXXX XXXX, is threatening me with jail time for a debt that they refuse to give me the account number for or any information other than they purchased it from Buckeye Lending Solution, who I can't reach because they permanently closed. I'm scared and fear arrest if I don't send them {$50.00} biweekly until the amount they're demanding is paid in full. Please help me if you can ; this has been so stressful, and my mind is just racing because I don't know whether it's a scam or real, and I fear being taken away from my family so I'm forced to pay money I don't have.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation