Over the past couple of weeks you have received two letters from a debt collection agency. Both letters politely asked you to settle an outstanding consumer debt. You ignored the letters and a week later, you receive a letter from what looks like a law firm. The letter claims the law firm has initiated a lawsuit and you have seven days to make payment arrangements or else the lawsuit will move forward to a civil court. As they say, looks can be deceiving and in the case of the supposed law firm, deception has arrived in the form of a third party debt collection agency performing an act of impersonation.
About Global Collection Agency
With the reputation of leaving repeated automated phone calls, Global Collection Agency has received dozens of complaints from consumers that have landed on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) web page devoted to the bill collector. The BBB conducted an independent review of the debt collection agency and found the company is not worthy of receiving accreditation from the consumer advocacy organization. Based in Chicago, Global Collection Agency handles a wide variety of outstanding credit card and personal loan accounts.
What does Misrepresentation Mean?
In the example we mentioned at the start of this article, the third party debt collector that impersonated a law firm might have committed two violations of the FDCPA. Under the FDCPA, a bill collector such as Global Collection Agency is not allowed to threaten you with the filing of a lawsuit. Although the claim of initiating a lawsuit is not a direct threat, a highly skilled lawyer who specializes in litigating FDCPA cases can help you present a compelling case that results in the awarding of monetary damages.
Impersonating a law firm is a much more obvious violation of the FDCPA. The groundbreaking federal consumer protection law prohibits bill collectors from impersonating any government agency, as well as all private sector organizations. Therefore, impersonating a law firm while trying to collect a delinquent credit card or personal loan account violates the deception provision of the FDCPA. Once again, a licensed consumer protection attorney can help you present a strong case in front of a civil court judge.
![Did Global Collection Agency Misrepresent Themselves?*]()
Are You Entitled to Monetary Damages?
After an exhaustive review of your case, the FDCPA lawyer hired to help you will decide if there is enough evidence to file a claim against Global Collection Agency. If your FDCPA lawyer feels there is not enough evidence, this does not mean you cannot push back against the third party debt collector. The FDCPA offers several other remedies that do not involve filing lawsuit. Your FDCPA lawyer might decide to contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to file a formal complaint against Global Collection Agency. The FTC has several ways to make the bill collector pay for violating one or more provisions of the FDCPA.
Never permit a debt collection agency to issue threats or use deception in an attempt to get you to pay off an outstanding consumer debt. Schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced consumer protection lawyer who has successfully litigated FDCPA cases.
Additional Resources
*Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Global Collection Agency, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to compensation.