Law Office Of Timothy Collins ripoff, illegal debt collection, fraud, harassment Buffalo New York

In June 2005 I received a call from Collins Law Office. A woman named Marcela told me they had gotten a debt from Visa in my name and would settle for $1250. She told me she would reduce it to $1000 and waive the attorney fees.

She then told me she needed to have my bank account number and information on file so that Collins Law Office could collect the $1000 by the end of the month. She told me I had to have the bank information on file by the end of the day. I was scared and I gave her my information in hopes that I could somehow come up with $1000 by the end of the month.

I am a mother of 2 and currently not working outside my home. I told my mother of what had happened to me and she began investigating with Consumer Affairs. I was then notified that Collins Law Office was a fraudulent company illegally collecting debts.

On June 6 I sent a certified letter to Collins Law Office requesting verification of my debt in writing and requesting that they no longer contact me by phone, but by mail only. I tracked the letter and confirmed that they (Collins Law Office) did, in fact, receive the letter and sign for it 3 days later. I also had to close my bank account due to the fact that Collins Law Office now had my account number and information.

During the last week of June, I received 4 phone messages from Marcela from Collins Law Office regarding the debt and the bank information that I gave to them. I had to write a second letter on July 4, again stating that I wanted verification of my debt in writing and not to contact me by phone. I have heard nothing from Collins Law Office since that date.

This is the second time I was contacted by Collins Law Office. The first time was in November 2004, and I was unaware of my rights to fair debt collection practices. At that time, I paid $2500 to Collins Law Office for a credit card debt not knowing that the company was fraudulant. My husband had to take out a loan to pay the first debt because Collins Law Office told me I would be taken to court and face attorney's fees along with the debt they were already collecting if I did not pay within the 30 days they gave me.

Heather
Arlington, Washington
U.S.A.