• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Attorney's office trying to collect a debt.

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

worriedwendy

Junior Member
Pennsylvania

Attorney's office keeps calling. Got a letter from them few days ago. Saying I owe money to a bank(Providian). To contact them in 30 days in writing, or the debt will be valid. I googled the telephone number and attorney's name. So many complaints with the same stories. I've read that some ppl were sending cease and desist letters thru certified mail, some filed complaints with their state attorney's office.

I might have had a providian account, but not sure because it would have been over 10 years ago. I know for sure of one debt about a decade ago, but that was paid off completey. I read on one of the forums that Providan is out of business. Is this true?

I checked my credit report a few days ago, and these jerks made an inquiry of my credit. Is these even legal? A few days after the inquiry, i got the letter from them. They are even calling my family's house in California looking for me. I feel that this is NOT right. What should i do?
 


giggity69

Junior Member
find out exactly when, if, you incurred this debt. if it was 10 years ago, they are barred by the SOL unless they tolled it somehow, which is unlikely. info may be on your credit report
 

giggity69

Junior Member
maybe a mistake, either in identity or otherwise. contact the ca and see what info they can give you, if any. write the atty office a validation letter within the 30 days and send it CMRR. then they have to prove to you that you owe them, maybe they will realize whatever error has occurred.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
maybe a mistake, either in identity or otherwise. contact the ca and see what info they can give you, if any. write the atty office a validation letter within the 30 days and send it CMRR. then they have to prove to you that you owe them, maybe they will realize whatever error has occurred.
That is not entirely true...close though.
 

giggity69

Junior Member
agreed, they at least need to create a reasonable inference that the debt is valid and owed, but not irrefutable proof.
 

eerelations

Senior Member
Sounds like a scam to me, and very familiar - fake lawyer sends out a kazillion scary letters to people demanding money disguised as a legit debt and some people are so intimidated they actually pay up.
 

justalayman

Senior Member
and due to that, I would suggest contacting the attorney general of each possible scammee's state and the possible scammer's state. Maybe if they get enough complaints about any particular scammer, they will investigate.
 

worriedwendy

Junior Member
thanks to everyone who's responding....

I sent the letter to the attorney's office thru CM & RR asking them to stop calling me and asked for proof of whatever charges there are.
What if they respond with charges and then attempt to sue me?
What is the next step i should take? this is terrible.
 

TigerD

Senior Member
I sent the letter to the attorney's office thru CM & RR asking them to stop calling me and asked for proof of whatever charges there are.
What if they respond with charges and then attempt to sue me?
What is the next step i should take? this is terrible.
Think this through. Did you actually send them a cease and desist letter and also asked them to contact you? Really? Think about that for a minute.

...

Okay. You have thought about it. Isn't that kind of like telling an assailant to stop hitting you, but you also want them to slap you?


Given the pointless letter you sent, I think it is likely that you will be sued. With the exception of Zigner and justalayman, almost everything on this thread is wrong.

Since you have moved past validation, good luck. You may well need it.

DC
 

frustrated12

Junior Member
If there hasn't been any activity on your old account for ten years then the SOL has ran out. If I were you I'd contact a lawyer on this one. All it will take is one letter from your lawyer, and if they really are illegally trying to collect, they will stop. You can get it taken off of your credit report, and you can probably make a little money out of the deal if you want to pursue that avenue. I would.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top