A recent local news story has highlighted the “bad apples” in the debt collection industry. A local Atlanta Debt Collection business was accused of impersonating law enforcement to demand payments on payday loans.
The company was ordered to pay a large $4.4 million dollar judgment due to their illegal activities.
The case points to the importance of hiring a professional law firm to address your debt collection needs. The law firm of Howe & Associates are experienced at collecting outstanding business debts, utilizing effective legal methods that are effective and business like. The firm has a long history of recovering bad debt for our clients.
This unscrupulous practice is not limited to Georgia. The Attorney General of Alabama also recently warned scammers claiming to be from his office. The scammers were demanding payment in order to avoid arrest.
He offered the following advice, which is also appropriate for residents of Georgia :
“Please know that any call you may receive from the Attorney General’s Office, or any law enforcement agency or court office for that matter, to collect money is a scam. Furthermore, debt collectors cannot arrest you. If, for any reason, law enforcement or the courts have an issue with you, you will usually be notified in writing and be ordered to contact the clerk’s office, either in person or by telephone.”
” Persons should never assume phone calls and caller IDs which claim to be from law enforcement, the courts or the IRS, are genuine. You should always seek to verify them by first calling those agencies directly.”
You can read the full story of the recent judgment against the unscrupulous Atlanta company at the AJC’s website.