Archive for debt collectors
In a recent post, the Federal Bureau of Investigation warns of a telephone collection scam related to delinquent payday loans where the scammer calls the victim and demands payment for a delinquent payday loan in order for the victim to avoid legal consequences. These “collection” calls usually involve outrageous threats, including arrest or physical violence, upon the victim’s refusal to pay.
The FBI warns that these scams are particularly effective because the scammers often have accurate information regarding the victim such as a Social Security number, date of birth, and other similar personal information.
If you are the victim of such a call, the FBI recommends the following actions:
- Contact your bank;
- Contact the three major credit bureaus and place an alert on your file;
- Contact your local law enforcement if you feel you are in danger; and
- File a complaint with the FBI.
If you have been harassed by a debt collector, contact our office to discuss your options.
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WSBTV of Atlanta, Georgia recently ran a segment documenting the abusive collection practices of Mann Bracken. WSBTV reports that the Georgia Attorney General is currently suing Mann Bracken over alleged abusive practices.
The segment airs images of Mann Bracken’s infamous 14th floor, described as a “boiler room” which houses Mann Bracken’s abusive collection unit. The segment details the following abusive collection acts by the firm:
- A recording of a call in which a Mann Bracken collector chides a debtor for not affording the debt the same priority as a utility payment;
- Mann Braken’s refusal to heed a consumer’s protest against their collection attempts on the basis that the debt was not owed by her and where the original creditor admitted in writing that the debt was the product of fraud and was not owed by the consumer;
- Attempts to collect debts by placing harrassing telephone calls to elderly relatives;
- Threats to take the consumer’s home;
- Lawsuits against debtors on debts that are clearly time-barred.
Steve Koval, a consumer attorney, comments that Mann Bracken knowingly pursues abusive debt collection tactics because such tactics are profitable, even after accounting for the inevitable FDCPA based lawsuits filed against them.
The segment closes with a very interesting encounter with William Christopher Bracken, III, a co-founder of the firm.
The video can be viewed by clicking here.
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