Portfolio Recovery They are very persistant people Internet

I just recently filed a report with the BBB and got it resolved.  Portfolio Recovery closed the account.  We recieved our first letter from them which was confirmation of the account being closed and this was the first time we have ever heard from them besides the phone calls. 

The account was from Sears National Bank in the amount of $596.  I am happy that they will not be contacted anymore.

Upon researching this company I have found out that they try to get people to pay for accounts that don't exsist and some people pay for it and this kind of stuff needs to be stopped.  I wonder how many people have paid for accounts that didn't exsist.

I, too, received calls from Portfolio Recovery day after day, sometimes more than once a day. They even started calling on the weekend. I found out they were debt collectors by searching the Internet, but also read that it is a scam.

I always pay my bills on time and have never used credit cards, so I couldn't figure out why they were calling me. I was home and near the telephone when they called today, so I answered in hopes of stopping the harassment once and for all.

Immediately, the caller said he was calling to collect a credit card debt on behalf of a bank (I don't remember the name now, because it wasn't a bank I've ever used), in the amount of $14,000. I'm like WHAT??? I told him I've never used credit cards and he said, "Oh, yes you do. You did at one time."

I'm normally a calm, quiet person but when I was called a liar and falsely accused of owing something that I clearly don't owe, that made me furious. I was about to tell him he'd better bring proof of the debt to court.

The caller told me to calm down and asked me if my address was _________, if my birth date was ________ and if the last four digits of my SS# was _____.  The answer to all of those questions was NO. I did verify that he had the right NAME, but the rest of the identifying information was incorrect.

I'd better never get a call from Portfolio Recovery again. I'm still shaking although I took something while ago to calm me down. I should still sue Portfolio Recovery for harassment because, really, how much sense does it take to realize they need to verify a person's identity before threatening to drain their finances?

I don't think they care whether they have the right person, as long as they can intimidate someone into paying the charges. You are right in requiring the caller to verify the identity of the person they're seeking. If they don't stop harassing you, I would file complaints with the FTC and the BBB.