CRB review: fraudulent debt collection 79

I have not, but if you ask them to produce in writing your agreement to the arrangement that caused you to incur the debt and they can't do it, they have no case. I recommend sending them a registered letter asking them for this documentation. Tell them that if they cannot produce it, you have no legal obligation to pay. Got this advice from a lawyer friend of mine. The legal burden of proof is on them, not you.

I have recently received the exact same letter for the exact same fabricated claim from the exact same creditor for the exact same amount. HHMM..

I have gotten a similar letter. I asked for proof of the debt and they claimed that I was using a UK based dating service (I live in the US). I am not aware of having signed up anywhere.

In my reply to them I am asking them for the IP address of the computer that was used "to sign up under my name." This IP address can be verified by my ISP and that's going to determine if their claim is valid or not.

I have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. They told me that they are 'looking for trends' - please file a complaint as well.

Let's shut down CRB because they are wasting our time.

Check your credit report. Experian had the collection listed, and I am now in the process of having it removed.

I received the same letter from Sarah Hill [protected] at CRB in Ohio requesting $134.99 on behalf of "First Charge Financial". Once they mailed me a scam letter, it's mail fraud, I'll call the postal inspector, too. Thanks for posting this, it helps us all sort these problems out. I'll check back on this site and keep you informed if I can.

I had recently checked my credit report and come to find out that i owed CRB/First Charge Financial 54 dollars with an original credit limit of 40 dollars.I've never heard of the company nor have i done any business with them. I'm 23 years old and disabled due to a back condition. I have enough bills to pay without people trying to scam me for the little money i do have left. Thank you to everyone who is compaing. If it wasn't for this site i would'nt have found out.Funny thing is, if u don't do the research you cant contact them, so thanks to everyone here.

I am a fraud investigator for a large credit card issuer. This collection agency has come up a number of times. They attempt to collect on a fraudulent transaction after the bank has reclaimed the funds. Here's how it works... 1) someone gets your credit card number. 2) they use it to buy some service on the Internet (like web hosting or perhaps a membership to a pay site) 3) you contact your bank and dispute the charge. 4) the bank reclaims the funds on your behalf (lets say $70) - and then 5) the merchant (linked to CRB) then has CRB attempt to collect the money, even though the original transaction was the result of fraud.

CRB's hope is that you will not want a "small" charge to damage your credit, and they hope that you will pay them before it has to come to this. If you are getting collection letters from this company, and you know that it is the result of some earlier fraudulent charges that you disputed, you should contact your credit card issuing bank and let them know about it. Oh, and while you're in a sharing mood, send a copy to the Postal Inspector. It is against the law to use the US Postal Service to collect or demand payment for a fraudulent debt.

Wow! This is quite interesting! I received a letter in the mail from Paul Snyder a few months ago from this company with a debt of $134.99 as well. Upon calling them, I was informed that it was for a over the phone dating service (i believe they said lava line or lava life) that I bounced a check thru. They said the check that was bounced was drawn off of East West Bank. Well, I informed them that it couldn't be me and that they had my middle name wrong as well. They said that them having the wrong middle name doesn't matter and that I am responsible for this charge. I basically told Ms. Owens that I wasn't paying for something I didn't do and that she couldn't place it on my credit report without my social security number (which I asked her to confirm to me and she denied giving me any info on that. She said that I needed to file a police report for identity theft and I would have to fax it to them in order for them not to put it on my credit report. I told her she was not giving me enough info to file a report and that she needed to stop harrassing me until she gave me more info about this. Well guess what... I went to apply for a home loan today and found out that there are 3 items on my credit report reported to Experian from CRB. One was a charge for $200 which now has a balance of $270, another charge for $100 with a balancde now of $135 and the last for $50 with a current balance of $68. I looked them up on the Better Business Bureau site and attempted to call one of the management personel on file and just got a voicemail which convienantly kicks you out before you can leave a message!

One more interesting thing that I didn't mention above. They also do business as Royal Oak Financial Services which is linked to First Charge Financial. Their addresses are just down the street from each other. They were sued in a Maryland civil court... check out this link http://www.superpages.com/bp/Sylvania-OH/Royal-Oak-Financial-Service-L0108612679.htm?SRC=local

crb is on my credit for a charge me later i called them they are saying its for an adult site back on 2005 and for an address i never lived at and they want 200.00 for this i told them im not paying anything they told me they will sue me i told her haha do it

I too, received a notice of collection from CRB for past due charges to a porn website that I never subscribed too.
When I contacted the number listed on the collection notice, I was not provided the information requested - such as full name, address, and phone number for the original creditor listed. I did seek legal counsel and was told to ignor the mailings. I had the same conversation as in some of the other comments regarding the need of a social security number, proof of debt, etc. and was provided nothing from CRB. CRB states there was a charge attempted against a credit card that I no longer have...that was cancelled well before their billing. I contacted the credit card company and they too advised me to ignor the mailings.
I will say I am concerned that this company can (and looks like, will) file a report that reflects on my credit record. I have reported them to the Federal Trade Commission and Postal Inspector offices...but, they are so bogged down, that I have not received a response - and do not feel confident that I ever will.
As an average consumer, in a big corporate world...what other recourse can I exercise that I may not be aware of?
Comments/advice/direction...PLEASE!

I have also received a letter from CRB demanding $71.76. They have been reported to the FBI and I will also report it to the FCC. They must stop this type of financial petifile. They will never get a penny from me. I don't care if they ruin my credit-too late and get in line you ###! My letter is also signed by a Paul Snyder and they say the original creditor is National A-1 Advertising. I looked that name up and they are an advertising agency in Phila, PA.

I received a collection letter yesterday from CRB, stating that I owed 508.30 to National A-1 Advertising. When I call the number listed for CRB it is invalid. I was able to get in touch with someone at National A-1 Advertising, and was told that there were calls made to a 1-800 sex line from December of 2006, and January of 2007. The lady I spoke to told me her name was Ann, she told me that she would send me the whole credit card number that was used. These calls were not made by me, or anyone at my house. I have sent certified letters to both companies ( Natiional A-1 Advertising, and CRB ) disputing the charges. I have excellent credit, and I am a little worried that they will put something negative on my credit report, but I refuse to pay even one penny for something I didn't do!

Yesterday, I received my second letter from CRB demanding $303.59 to First Charge Financial. The second letter stated that I requested a list of the charges, but I did not. Also, the charges listed are on an UNOFFICIAL lookng form as if someone used Excel or Word to create the form. The charges list a Brand Name--LiveLinks, USA, and they claim that I used a phone number that I dropped six months prior to this "alleged" usage. I will be contacting the FCC and the Postal Inspector.

I have a prepaid legal plan, and my lawyer sorted this out in a couple weeks (see previous post). The response the law office got from the collection agency made it seem like an honest mistake, but I think it was because a law office called. If you send an official letter, that may correct things sooner than phone calls. I would also dispute the charges with the credit bureaus. Sooner or later they will tire of all the mistakes and will stop accepting these people's data. Of course they will just change their name and start over.

Don't pay the bill, and check your credit reports. The other thing is that they do call your phone number and leave an intimidating but cryptic message, so inform them that the debt is not yours, and they are to communicate with you in writing.

We just received a letter from CRB for First Charge Financial. My question is, how do they add delinquent credit info to your credit report without your SSN? Furthermore, how do they continue to get away with this crap? I looked them up on the BBB.Org site and they have a fair amount of complaints and as stated above, the resolved issues appear as if it were only a mistake. This is very concerning. Everyone here should file a complaint with the FTC so CRB is on their investigative radar. If only a few people report this fraudulent act, they won't do anything about it.

CRB only looks at first and last names. I just entered an FTC complaint.

You can enter one here: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

I also received a collection letter from CRB for a company called National A1 Advertising which turns out to be for porn/adult dating phone lines and sites. I never heard of the numbers they said i called nor have I ever used that type of service. They waited almost 2 years from the supposed phone calls to send me a letter and they give me a week to pay almost $300 or they will be reporting me. They aren't giving me any info on how to dispute and just keep telling me to pay them. The credit card number they told me was used and declined AFTER the service was used is not mine. They are saying the calls came from my phone number. If they did, it wasn't by me. I am not paying for some phone porn that I didn't use.

I am in the exact same situation with CRB. Someone had stolen our credit card number and used a chat line with it. We disputed the charges to our credit card company and they refunded us our money. Yesterday I received in the mail a letter from CRB stating that I owe them $134.89 (signed by Paul Snyder, [protected]).

I called the number and reached someone (a woman, not Paul Snyder) who told me that, if I don't want to pay, I have to fill out a police report and return some forms that she would send me or else she would ruin my credit score.

My questions are:
1) Should I bother filling out the police report and the forms? I don't want to do anything to enable this scam, and I don't think all this work and hassle should be pushed on me. I already resolved this dispute with my credit card company, and I don't see how I owe anything (my money or my time) to the chat line company or to CRB in any way.

2) Can she actually ruin my credit score? I'd be more than happy to ignore this whole scam, but I'm not sure if she has the ability to make good on her threat (can anyone off the street just ruin my credit score if they wanted to? wouldn't they need proof that I owe them money, which I don't?).

Glad to see that others are posting their experiences online - this is good information!

I tried to dispute the charge with CRB but all they would say is pay them or else it goes to the credit agencies. I am not paying for somethign I didn't use. I tried to rectify but they didn't want to work with me. My credit is already bad so I am not worried about it. I will contact the credit agencies and dispute the claims if it ever shows up. I have also filed complaints against CRB with the FTC.

I received a letter from CRB at 5834 Monroe St of Sylvania OH on 1/29/2010.

CRB claims to have purchasesd a $134.99 debt in my name from First Charge Financial.

The collection notice, signed Raquel Kline 419.517.0061, did lead me to Mrs. Kline. She

played me an audio file of a man, using my name, purchasing 820 minutes of prepaid

time for LiveLinks, a phone dating service. I informed Mrs. Kline that the man on the

recording absolutely wasn't me. She then told me that I am one of many afflicted by this

identity theft and documentation is now on its way to file a police report.

However, I have only two credit cards and a checking account with CitiBank. I check all

my activity every week and never noticed anything unusual for as far back as I

remember.

Thoughts, responses and questions welcome! Let's keep this thread going! What did others

in my position decide to do? What was the outc0me?

I too was a fraud victim of this company! I was trying to refinance my house today and was told that my credit score was lower than what I thought due to a company called CRB/Royal Oak Financial in OH stating I owe $145.00. I have never heard of this company or purchased anything from this company! I want to know what how this company received my information and is using my good credit in a fraudulent way. From what I can gather this was for a purchase in November 09 and the company reported in January 2010 that this was an unpaid balance. I do not use my check card very often and I do not purchase items over the Internet. I want to know how this company received my SS# and what I can do about this being on my credit report. I have put a fraud alert on my credit and I will file a complaint FTC. This company has caused me not to be able to refinance my house for the interest rate I was quoted 2 weeks ago.

I have not receive a letter but RBC is on my credit report as of Jan 2010 stating I never paid $134.00. I have never had anything negative on my credit report. This scares me as to how this company got my SS#. I have read the comments posted and from what I can tell this company is selling porn over the phone and internet. The thing is I have never vistited a porn site or little less called about porn! Therefore, how would a company like this get my ss#. As well as, how can this company get away with this.

We also have just received a phone call from CRB stating that we owe $314.23 for porn services that we did not use. These charges were from 2005! It just so happens to be that we requested dates and times for these calls. Somehow they were made at a time when we were out of town. There is no record of these calls from our phone company. They also said that there was evidence in a phone recording. But they could not produce it. HMM?
I also have placed a complaint with the FTC. For anyone that missed the link, here it is:

You can enter one here: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

Good luck, they are not getting my money no matter what. Let them try to get it.

Today, I have taken off work and filed a police report and put a fraud alert on my credit report. I also, spoke with CRB and signed an affidavit. This has taken time and money from me I will never get back! I hope this company takes the charges off my credit report. I was told this was a charge from 2008 from a dating service from a company First Financial. The phone number they gave me is a phone number I have never had. I called First Financial to try to get more information and this company does not even have a record of my name or SS#. So, my question is how did CRB get my personal info and why are they making me jump through hoops to get this off my credit report! I really think CRB is a fraudlent company so how getting personal information. I too have filed a complaint with FTC.

i also just recieved today a letter from CRB stating i owe $64.95 and i havent used my credit card for anything other than christmas gifts which was obviously 2 months ago, tho nothing ordered offline all baught in stores but i am a bit bothered on how my information is out there by fake companies trying to tuin peoples lives for there benefit. mine was the same address signed by a Ms.Adams...im really hoping this isnt on my credit report because ive had no problems at all up til now and its ridiculous...these type of things are horrible being were in the financial crisis as is in our country..REALLY CRB GET A LIFE and do something productive.

I just got the bill from CRB for a total of $503.99 and original creditor is PHONE BILLER INC. I googled this name and found the company without any phone number. Nor this company's business description was clear. The name on the bill is completely misspelled and I really don't want to give them a call. I remember about a month or two month ago, I was notified by the bank (BOA) that there were funny charge on my debit card. I was told to change the card immediately and they took that off from my account and I wonder if that is the same with this. I will contact the bank and check.

I too received letters from CRB asking for $134.99 and signed by a MS. Adams. I have not contacted them by phone, but will be sending a letter with all the good advice I got from this board. I have also reported them to the FTC, Postla Inspector and have sent the story to my local news channel with the hope they may put the information out there for other poor unsuspecting people to see. I am really annoyed that people think they can treat others with such disrespect. I come from the UK and it has taken me a long time to build up a good credit rating for these people to take it away from me.
I haven't noticed any strange bank transactions and wonder where do they get their information from. The US needs to put tighter laws in place and stop this identity theft, we don't have this problem in the UK because our data privacy laws are much better.
I hope we can stop these people!

I just received a notice from CRB, too. Amount of $65.46 from a creditor called R & R Resources, Inc. I am just going to follow the advice to send a certified letter asking for the documentation. Hopefully, that will end it.

I received a letter from CBR today demanding $67.48 for a debt to First Charge Financial. I am not going to bother calling them, I am just going to send a certified letter stating that I don't know who First Charge Financial is and that they will need to provide me proof that this is my debt in writing.

I just recieved a letter dated 3/5/10 from Paul Snyder [protected] of CRB, stating I owe $98.52 to the original collector - R&R Resources. I did not have any delinquent payments and never heard of this company so I looked up R&R on the web. There wasn't much but it's certainly not a company that I would buy anything from (it's a large oil company in Houston, Tx).

I, too, am going to follow the advice of other postings on this board: check that it's not on my credit report and if it is dispute it, not pay them a cent and file complaints with the FTC and Postal Inspector General.

CRB Send me a letter that i owed $715.42 dollars to FIRST CHARGE FINANCIAL (WHO I NEVER HEARD OF OR DONE BUSINESS WITH. AUTHORITIES SHOULD DO SOMETHING IN REGARDS TO THIS FRAUD!

Phone Biller Inc. is a sex hotline located in the UK/FL I believe. I had my check card number used to place about $250 worth of calls to them. If you call them they won't even tell you what they sell until you give them a bunch of information about yourself. They didn't sound the least bit bothered that I had never done business with them and charges from them were on my card, she already knew how to handle it as if it were common.

Just received my letter stating I owe R & R resources $65.43. Never heard of them and have great credit. Tried looking them up on-line and found nothing on either R & R resources or CRB. (Well except this complaint site hahaha) Have not yet checked my credit report to see if it shows up but I WILL BE VISITING MY LOCAL FRAUD INVESTIGATOR WITH THE LETTER IN HAND! Lets see how they like being harassed...by the cops!

They called me today. I guess sending that certified letter requesting the documents did the trick. I was told that there must have been a mistake and I will be getting a letter to that effect.

Thanks Babaloo for the advice.

WELL I AM SO GLAD TO SEE SO MANY OF US HAVE BEEN SCAMMED BY THE SAME COMPANY. I AM IN CHICAGO AND I HAVE TYPED UP A COMPLIANT IN THE CIRCUIT COUR TOF COOK COUNTY. I WILL BE TURNING THIS OVER TO AN ATTORNEY WHO WILL THEN FILE A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT. UNLIKE OTHERS POSTINGS ON HERE I CONTACTED CRB BECAUSE I NOTICED IT ON MY CREDIT REPORTS. WHEN I INITIALLY CONTACTED THEM THEY ACTED AS IF THEY WERE COLLECTING FOR FIRST CHARGE, THAT IS NOT FACTUAL, THEY PURCHASED THESE BOGUS ACCOUNTS AND ARE ATTEMPTING TO GET MONIES FROM UN SUSPECTING CONSUMERS ON A DEBT THEY CANNOT BE PROVEN. I HAVE WENT ROUND AND ROUND TO GET THIS OFF MY CREDIT, I BELIEVE THE LAW SUIT SHOULD DO THE TRICK. I ALSO CONATACTED THE FTC AND THEY HAVE ADVISED ME TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THEM, THE MORE COMPLAINTS THE MORE THEY WILL LOOK INTO THIS COMPANY. ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS I HELPED BRING DOWN A CHICAGO BASED DEBT BUYER CALLED CAMC, CAPITAL ACQUISTIONS AND MANAGEMENT. I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU LOOK UP THE FTC RULINGS ON THAT CASE AND YOU WILL SEE THE BLANTANT VIOLATIONS WILL NOT GO ON. SO LOOK OUT CRB YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED

Same story. Different alleged creditor, some outfit overseas with a girlie site. Fraudulent transactions which I reported to Visa and the bank tool care of it. These people don't care whether it is fraud or not and have again robo-called to my home after a silence of several months. They don't want me to pay them a visit in Ohio as the outcome will not be at all what they are looking for. They are trying to rip me off for $3900. Robo-call stated for me to call [protected] but they did not have the courage to leave a name. Beware!

I have received the same communications and only the dollar amount varies. I sent for confirmation of the debt and they responded by sending me a very unofficial looking report created in excell. The phone number was an old phone number and at the time & date posted on the calls it was not an active number. Fradulant. These guys need to be shut down, they have been doing this for too many years and stealing money from unsuspecting people who don't want their credit ratings damaged.
- Call the Federal Trade Commission and file a complaint: [protected].
- Go to the Ohio State Attorney General's Web site and file a complaint: http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/SpeakOutOhio/Search-Consumer-Complaints.aspx
Fight this, don't pay them anymore money!

I keep getting blocid ked and unknown caller phone call from CRB that are looking for a man name Bruce whitta everyday for more than a year. Its funny that the phonecalls are usually blocked or under the name unknown. But they are very clear about leaving a phone number and a account number were you can call make the payments right away.
1st I dont know anyone by the name Bruce Whitta
2nd If this is real collectors company than why the number where the phone calls are coming don't show on the caller id, which is obvious that they don't want to be found.
3rd. No debt collector is going to call to collect money without having propper documentation.

HOW CAN I PUT A STOP IN THIS FRAUDULENT COMPANY? DOES ATT CAN KEEP TRACK WHERE THIS LINES ARE OUT FROM? CAN ? ANYONE OUT THERE?

I live in Canada and they sent me a collection notice for $201.77 for a supposed charge from an OCCASH billed site that I already received a credit for. It was a "trial" membership for $1.00 that billed more "if you didn't cancel". Problem is there was no way to cancel. After fighting with them and my credit card company OCCASH issued me a credit and sold the "charge back" down the line to CRB (Credit and Reporting Bureau). CRB advertises that they "buy" charge backs. When a billing company tries to charge a consumer for some sketchy deal and the consumer disputes it, the credit card company charges the original billing company a "charge back". They get a list of charge backs that they tried to scam out of people that the credit card company rejects and sell them to parasites like CRB. CRB then tries to shake down the consumer threatening to ruin their credit or have an "embarrassing" blemish show up for the wife to see. Most people cave. So they run a racket and make money just like the grown ups on Wall Street. No offense but I can see why your country is falling apart. LET ME SEE YOUR PAPERS! Where have I heard that before? Anyway CRB committed mail fraud and broke a couple of RICO predicates when they tried to collect on these fraudulent charges. I reported it to the FBI on their web site, the BBB (already 95+ reports on file), The Ohio Attorney General, The Postmaster General. Took about an hour and made me feel awesome. I got pleasant replies from each of them. I am sure if they get enough complaints they will do something. Even a shakedown phone call would be nice to see. Someone should prank them. Anyway the Feds need to warm up on a small time hustler before they go after the big sharks on Wall Street. Nothing like beating up a small fry to train for the main event. If you get a call from Joy Martin, tell her I said hi and ask her what size orange jumpsuit she plans to wear.

Phone Biller, Inc. cost us over $700 in charges and overdraft fees. I already responded to BBB that I expect every cent back to me. Now CRB is involved. They threatened to call the Police on my husband and I if we didn't pay asap. Woman claims they have audio tapes of my husband making the calls. He told them to send us copies so we can prove that it wasn't him. We have our bank and cell phone company investigating both companies as well. As far as the audio tapes go, Phone Biller never mentioned that they had audio tapes of the calls or else we could have resolved this a long time ago. I already filed a complaint with the BBB on both now I will contact the FTC and consumer affairs as well.

We need to do what we can to shut these people down.

It would be great if we could scam them.