Bogus NSF claim? Help please!

[CleoNC]

What is the name of your state? Missouri

My elderly mother received a phone call today from Rephen Law Firm (based in NY) demanding payment to settle an NSF check that Mom supposedly wrote to a small company in her town. The check was written in March 2004, in the amount of $35.00, however, Rephen is demanding settlement of $165.00 immediately, but to another agency. They have not sent anything to her in writing.

Mom says that she has never received any notification from either the company, or the bank indicating that a check had been returned. I told her to contact her bank and have them do an account history to see if the check had cleared back in March. She is beside herself with worry. This CA called looking for Mom at my sister's home. My sister's phone number is nowhere on Mom's checks, only Mom's own phone number. Mom does not understand how nearly 7 months time could go by before she is ever even advised that there was a problem with a check, and thinks that the whole claim by Rephen is bogus.

Do you have any advice on what else she can do? It sounds totally hokey to me. Thanks very much in advance!

 

[racer72]

Have you looked at Mom's bank statements or in some way determined that the check cleared the bank? Can't give you any more info till you answer that question.

 

[MXPRINCE]

Same thing happend to me, but my suppossed NSF check was from 13 years ago, and some "law firm", called me the other day demanding a payment, the "firm" is based in New Jersey, same as NY, a lot of cons out there. Anyways, I told the person that I never received any notice from the store or the bank about this NSF, and that I needed proof. He never called back. Somehow these jerks get a hold of your address and your License Number, and that is how they scam thousands of people.

 

[Ladynred]

I'd be willing to bet the NJ firm was JBC & Associates ??? Total scumbags, with more than 1 class action going against them. Not to mention a couple of state AG's have banned the scum at JBC from collecting in their states. They make many ILLEGAL threats along with a raft of other illegal tactics. Ancient checks are gravy to them when they pick on people who don't know they're full of crap and cannot collect, let alone do all the nasty things they threaten !

Rephen is another similar collector. Find out if there was any problem with a check. If there's nothing, send Rephen packing.