Jefferson Capital Systems - First North America Bank Trying to Rip Off the Little Guy or Gal Internet

I also was contacted by Jefferson Capital about a debt that was paid in full and closed over five years ago. Contacting and dealing with them will do you no good at all as they are a scam.

First of all file a dispute on your credit report (www.annualcreditreport.com). The credit reporting agency will investigate and remove it if they find out it was fraud or error.

Second, file a report with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) and the Federal Trades Commission (www.ftc.gov). The FTC has already filed suit again Jefferson Capital because of "Deceptive Credit Card Marketing"

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/06/compucredit.shtm

What they are trying to do is scare and harrass you into giving them money and getting a new credit card. Obviously you know this already and luckily you were smart enough not to send them any money. Try going through the credit reporting agency, BBB, and FTC. Don't let their negative comments on your credit report push you into sending them anything. I have seen comments about people who sent them money and still have negative comments on their credit report.

One place to start would be

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre18.shtm

(just search on "collection agency rights") you will get lots of hits that will help you find your rights and what you can do about it. I am not in any way up on the law but first guess is an eight year old debt may not even be collectiable and if so the collection agency knows that and they will try and hound you to pay quickly before you find out. THe one line of interest is requirement of the collection agency


What must the debt collector tell you about the debt?
Within five days after you are first contacted, the collector must send you a written notice telling you the amount of money you owe; the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money; and what action to take if you believe you do not owe the money.


have they provided you with this if not then tell them they are required to (the above site is a US government site.) There is probably much more infomation there to help you.

Mark