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Snail mail scam?

Discussion in 'Other Discussions' started by Gina B, Feb 24, 2012.

  1. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    Good grief, people will try anything.

    I received a letter stating it is from Northland Group, Inc.. In big bold letters it says "You past due account balance: $917.46
    Then it says: Your settlement offer: $412.86

    It states the current creditor is some place called LVNV Funding LLV but the previous creditor original bill is a credit card company.

    I don't have credit cards.

    The last time I had any credit cards was around 6 years ago, paid them off and haven't had any since.

    I checked out the company online and while it seems they're really a company, they apparently have a very bad rep and people are saying they are receiving bills for credit they never had and I found it interesting to see that a lot of them listed the past due claim as $918.00 or very close. People are also saying they are getting bills for credit cards they defaulted on, paid a settlement, and now this company is going after them for it anyhow.

    So, guess I'll wait and see what happens, but I don't plan on responding unless they try to sue for it, at which point I'll be more than happy to respond to the courts. However, the majority of people who said they received bogus bills from them totally ignored them and nothing happened, so I highly doubt they'd out themselves on bogus claims by bringing it to the court's attention.

    I'm wondering though...who do you call to report stuff like this? I'm guessing that they do it because it's profitable, so there's probably people who see the big bill, panic, see that the one-time settlement offer is so much lower, and immediately write a check.

    Oh, and the kicker. I turned the paper over and in small print on the back, it says that once they receive your check, you are automatically granting them permission to use the information on your check to withdraw from your bank account. It goes on to say that once they receive the check, the bill may be higher than it was at the time they sent the bill to you, so they may withdraw a higher amount. It also says they may do this the same day they receive the check and that you will not get your check back from your bank.

    HMMMMM.
     
  2. abcgrad94

    abcgrad94 Active Member

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    Maybe the Atty General or Better Business Bureau could do something?

    The scammers are using the mail service to commit their crime, so that's a pretty bad offense.
     
  3. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    Gina, to me, the biggest crime of all is the crime of stupidity committed by anyone who actually sends them a check! :laugh: :laugh:
     
  4. mandym

    mandym New Member

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    You need to check your credit report and make sure they have not reported. Be sure and check all three. If they have be sure and challenge it. the reporting agencies are required by law to validate that it is yours. If it is not they are required by law to remove it.
     
  5. Bobby Hamilton

    Bobby Hamilton New Member

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    In my experience, the BBB is worthless. I've seen them ignore legit complaints, and give good ratings to poor companies.
     
  6. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    As Mandy stated, check with the credit burea, all three of them

    And then since they came in the mail, call your local postmaster for further info.

    Please follow thru.

    Salty
     
  7. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    That's the kicker with the credit bureau. Yes, my id was stolen a few years ago, but now they don't believe I'm me and I gave up on the stupidity since it wasn't worth the stress and my credit was already shot by then, so let 'em have at it. I would love to turn it around and start having them pay my rent or something though. HA!

    I seriously doubt this has anything to do with that though. Who would bother with all the hassle they would have to go through just to get a few hundred bucks on a credit card, then not pay it? If they seriously wanted to keep my identification, they'd build up the credit until it was good and then get a much higher limit and go have fun. At least that's what I would think of doing if I were a criminal! Then again, I guess criminals aren't known for being logical or they'd just get a job and not risk prison.
     
  8. following-Him

    following-Him Active Member

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    Here in the UK we would report such a scam to Trading Standards.
     
  9. Jon-Marc

    Jon-Marc New Member

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    I keep getting letters about a bill I didn't charge and don't owe. It comes a different company each time. I sent for a credit card years ago and waited two weeks before activating it. The first time I tried to use it, it already had over $500 charged on it to Walmart. The limit on it was $600. I've refused to pay it since I didn't charge it, and no one else had access to my card since I live alone. What I believe happened is that someone who works for the credit card company used my card number after I activated it. No one else had access to it. I recently got another notice about it, and I wrote to them and told them what I just wrote here--I won't pay it because I didn't charge it.

    All they have is my PO box, and I didn't use a return address on the envelope.
     
  10. menageriekeeper

    menageriekeeper Active Member

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    yep, the postmaster and the attorney general of your state should both be made aware of that. Especially that fine print on the back.
     
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