Some bankruptcy and debt collector stories seem a bit over the top. This one is way over the top. But it’s also a good example of the lengths that debt collectors will go to.
An Erie, PA-based debt collection agency set up its office to look like a courtroom and held fake hearings. All in an effort to mislead people into giving up their bank information and other personal data. As a result, Pennsylvania’s State Attorney General has filed suit against Unicredit America, Inc. (also identified as “Unicredit Debt Resolution Center”).
According to the Attorney General’s press release:
[f]ictitious court proceedings were used to intimidate consumers into providing access to bank accounts, making immediate payments or surrendering vehicle titles and other assets – sometimes dispatching Unicredit employees to consumers’ homes in order to retrieve documents or have consumers sign payment agreements.
Unicredit also apparently issued civil subpoenas to get people to show up at their office, and staff members at Unicredit were instructed to refer to the office as “the courtroom.” Additionally, court-like furniture and decorations were used, such as a raised judge’s bench and two tables with chairs in front of the “bench.” There was also a witness stand, law books on the shelves, seating for the “public,” and in some instances a person in black would sit in the judge-like area.
Of course, if this had happened in New York, they’d probably also have tried to collect from you on an alleged sale of the Brooklyn Bridge.
This story is so crazy it’s hard not to want to laugh. But the fact that it actually happened demonstrates that debt collectors can be completely unscrupulous. So before you start making decisions about how to handle your debt, it’s important to talk with someone you can trust. Someone who has experience and knows how to pick out the scams. Because it’s not always as obvious as a fake courtroom.
If you are in need of New York debt relief, please feel free to contact me for a free initial consultation. I’ve been helping people for years to deal with their New York debt and bankruptcy problems, and I can help you figure out all of your options and determine the best strategy moving forward.
Contact Bruce Weiner, Esq.
EMAIL Bruce Weiner
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(718) 855-6840 (Local)
(866) 402-8476 (Toll Free)
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Go to fair debt collection practices act to learn more about Rosenberg Musso & Weiner LLP and/or to set up a free consultation.
