Asset Recovery Associates, ARA Held me for an hour and a half on the phone telling me that I indeed owed a debt, and they were going to garnish my wages, and submit a judgement to have to appear before a judge. Chicago Illinois

I was called at 6:30AM when I entered my classroom (I am a teacher) to prepare for my class. They said I opened a CC in 1995 from First USA and never paid the balance. It has since accrued to over $8000, including their fee of $3700. I told them I never heard of that CC. They started pulling up other information of debt during that time. They said that I had to pay the debt to get out of going before a judge. They were filing with the county in two days. They said they were going to garnish my wages, and/or take it out of other credit cards that I have. They would be willing to settle for less. They would overnight me the paperwork to settle out of court if I made a good faith payment. I told them I had children coming in, and I didn't have time to do that. They told me if I didn't do it right then, that they would go ahead and file. I told them I would pay them $25.00, so I gave them my routing number and account number. After I hung up the phone I was so distraught I told my coworkers and they immediatly said to call the bank and have them tell me what to do. The bank said that I should reconstruct my account and routing number because they sounded like a scam. The bank checked my credit report and said there was nothing bad in it. They checked Experian. I checked Credit Karma, and also, nothing outstanding. I told these people that I no longer lived in the previous address, but that I moved two months ago. They now have my new address, in order to send the paperwork. I never received ANY phone calls, letters, emails, NOTHING that had me think that I was in default of any loan or credit card. These people prey on innocent victims. How horrible. I wanted to cry all day! Try teaching a first grade class with that over your head. Horrible people! 

I am not sure what will happen once they find they can't cash the $25.00, but I am told that they cannot garnish wages, or anything like that.