Anyone know how to handle sneaky debt collectors?

Debt Management
1

Over the past week, my dad’s been getting calls for me, and he told them I haven’t lived there in over 10 years, but they keep calling him. He gave me the number and said to talk to someone named ‘Amanda.’

Today, I missed a call and got a voicemail. This guy named Nicolas says he’s with some office and wants my “voluntary involvement” before it “escalates.” He goes on about income and assets and mentions my credit history like he’s doing me a favor.

Then I get a text saying it’s my “last opportunity” to deal with this. Right after, my mom and fiancée got similar messages. My mom said they even told her my birthdate, and they’re from ARS Services collecting on behalf of NetCredit (which I do owe money to in collections). I know they aren’t supposed to discuss my debt with anyone else, right?

So, I called back with *67 to see who they really are. Right away, Nicolas says he knows I called from a private number, so I hung up. Later, I called back using the number my dad had for Amanda, and Nicolas answers, asking if I’m me and stating my birthdate. He says he’s collecting for NetCredit, but I told him to stop bothering my friends and family since they’ve been calling them non-stop.

He claims it was the “first time” calling them, which isn’t true. My dad says they’ve been calling him daily. Then Nicolas says “Amanda” isn’t real, just a bot, but my dad talked to a real person. I told him it’s illegal to discuss my debt with anyone but me, and he denied they ever did. I read him the text they sent to my mom and fiancée that says it’s from a debt collector, and he just kept denying it.

The only thing I got in the mail about my NetCredit account was that it was sold to Plaza Services, LLC a while back, but nothing from ‘ARS Services.’ I’m pretty confused since when I called, someone answered and said ‘AARS Services’ before transferring me to Nicolas. Not sure what to make of all this.

2

I used to be a debt collector.

They’re not supposed to tell anyone but you anything other than their company name and that they need to contact you. If you’ve got voicemails saved, you might want to reach out to a lawyer who deals with this kind of stuff. Depending on your state, you could have a case against them for violating privacy laws.

3

@Finch
Good to know! I have the texts and voicemails saved. They even told me they record all calls, which is kind of funny. And they didn’t ask for my info; they just read out my birthdate like that’s how you verify.

4

@Taryn
That’s an FDCPA violation. Look up attorneys who handle these cases. They could owe you up to $1k plus legal fees. Your dad might have a claim too, and if he’s on the Do Not Call list, he could get $500 per call under FCC rules.

5

They can contact others to try to get your info if you’re ignoring them, but they can’t say it’s for a debt.

6

Remy said:
They can contact others to try to get your info if you’re ignoring them, but they can’t say it’s for a debt.

Yeah, but they actually told my mom it was for a debt and even said the name of the creditor.

7

@Taryn
They can say your name, but they shouldn’t mention it’s about debt. Just that they’re trying to reach you.

8

Remy said:
@Taryn
They can say your name, but they shouldn’t mention it’s about debt. Just that they’re trying to reach you.

They’re not even supposed to say ‘business matter.’ It can be a violation under federal law. They can ask to locate you but not give misleading reasons.

9

Plaza Services… I had a debt with them ages ago, but I don’t even remember what for. Send them a cease and desist letter; just search for a sample online.

Also, if you call an 800 number, they can sometimes see your real number. Some apps unmask blocked numbers by rerouting them through 800 numbers. What state are you in? Check if they can garnish wages or anything if it goes to court.

10

@Onyx
I’m actually not even sure this is Plaza Services. I’ve heard ‘ARS’ and ‘AARS Services,’ so I don’t know who they really are. Plus, the number they’re calling from isn’t an 800 number—it’s a 716 area code from upstate NY. I’m in Texas, and as far as I know, they can’t garnish wages here, but I’ve heard weird stories.

11

@Taryn
Some of what you said sounds familiar. I checked some old voicemails, and there was a company in Buffalo that kept mentioning my attorney. Sounded like a strip mall debt collector working for Plaza Services.

They kept pushing stuff like ‘get it settled before it goes to your work,’ and if you don’t take care of it voluntarily, it’ll escalate. I talked to a lawyer, and they said debt collectors can’t threaten anything they can’t legally do.

Anyway, I got them to give me their address after a lot of pushing and then sent a cease and desist. This whole thing just seems like a way to scare people into paying.

12

@Onyx
Sounds just like my situation. Did you actually manage to send a cease and desist, and did it work?

13

Taryn said:
@Onyx
Sounds just like my situation. Did you actually manage to send a cease and desist, and did it work?

Yep, I got their address and sent a letter threatening to sue for harassment if they contacted me or my family again. I even hinted I’d recorded calls. This was back in 2019, so they might be sneakier now, but a cease and desist should at least make them stop reaching out.

14

Check this out. If it’s an old debt, they might not be able to do anything.

https://www.thebalancemoney.com/state-by-state-list-of-statute-of-limitations-on-debt-960881

15

Honestly, sounds a bit like a scam. People with leaked info try to trick you into saying things like ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to use your voice for shady stuff.

16

Tell your family they’re trying to shame you into paying and are violating laws. Maybe talk to a lawyer or reach out to a watchdog group.

17

I’ve gotten calls like this for years. Real debt collectors send you letters or go through court. These fake ones just use fake names and numbers, often on really old debts they bought for nothing. They want you to feel scared and pay without asking questions.

18

Maybe pay off the debt so you don’t get calls like this. Being in debt and gambling doesn’t mix.

19

Reese said:
Maybe pay off the debt so you don’t get calls like this. Being in debt and gambling doesn’t mix.

Oh look, we have someone here preaching about being debt-free.

20

Reese said:
Maybe pay off the debt so you don’t get calls like this. Being in debt and gambling doesn’t mix.

Sure, paying off debt is smart, but if it’s in collections, they’ve already made up their mind. Messed-up credit might stop them from taking on more debt anyway.