Debt Collection Scams: Travis Walker

Debt Collection Scams

Travis Walker

Did you receive a phone call (or email) from Travis Walker claiming to be a lawyer or debt collector, saying you owed a debt and could be arrested if you didn't pay immediately? Did they say something like, "you will be arrested"

DON'T pay it! First, we are unaware of any legitimate debt collectors contacting people by email (how would they even know an email address associated with a debt?) And legitimate debt collectors must, under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, send a letter within 5 days of contacting you, stating what the debt is, why it's owed and how much they believe you owe. The recipient then has 30 days to respond by either contesting it in writing or making payment arrangements.

Examples:

 Note from the victim:

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 7:10 PM

 

To whom it may concern,

 

I have received a call from my step-daughter (Robin) about her notification of going to jail if she did not provide $646.oo within one hour to a lawyer claimed to be Travis Walker.  After a very brief call with her and the "Lawyer" calling her back, I pulled a quick inquiry on the internet and found this website "http://www.ripoffreport.com/cash-services/travis-walker-from-f/travis-walker-from-first-state-31a5c.htm" 

 

Sure enough, this was the exact story that she had explained to me over the phone and when she told the "lawyer" that I would be calling him to discuss this matter, she was told that he was filing the paperwork and that she would be arrested because he wasn't going to explain this to several people.  She was eventually calmed down with this web page but she was contacted between 5 pm and 6 pm EST several times.  She lives in the Greensboro area and was not sure who to contact to hopefully get this individual caught.  The following numbers are available for you to contact:

 

 

<names and phone numbers redacted>

 

I am not certain if this can be tracked via her cell phone incoming calls or not, but I do not want to see someone else get caught with this scam.  Thankfully she had to call us for money or else she would have been scammed.

 

Best Regards,

Franklin

 

 

Learn more about debt collection rights and laws

  1. See this page for what to do, step by step
  2. What may a debt collector NOT say or do?
  3. You need to know your rights, which are primarily spelled out in the Fair Debt Collection Act.  Click on the link to read it!  It is not too look and is not hard to read! 
  4. You can file a compliant against a debt collector with the FTC - Use this form to submit a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection about a particular company or organization..
  5. You can fight back with a lawsuit - First, see the answer to this question, then see Handel on the Law to find a recommended lawyer near you. You may also be able to file a lawsuit in small claims court yourself.

And see this page for commonly asked questions about your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

More Resources

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

If you believe you may have fallen victim to an internet scam and wish to report it, please file a complaint with the U.S. government Internet Fraud Complaints Center

 

 

 

For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.