OBSERVATIONS
A few days ago I saw a voicemail on my cell phone from the phone number "Unknown." I just listened to the message. It is 42 seconds long. An Asian American sounding man started the message with, "This is a urgent message intended for [my wife's maiden name]. My name is Eddie Cao. I'm contacting you in reference to a complaint that's been forwarded to my office. In order for you to discuss this pending action being filed against you, you need to be in contact with an issuing agent that's handling this matter. Call 877-862-5319 and use reference number [######]. Again, this is a highly time sensitive matter and I highly recommend that you respond to this message."
The man did not state his company's name.
OPINION
I have years of experience evading shady bill collectors. I respond to companies that engage in what I believe to be good business practices.
Not leaving the name of the company, and Not mentioning what the issue is about, leaves me to conclude with a high probability of certainty that the phone number is a bill collection agency. In my experience, aggressive agencies will carefully use language to give the impression that the issue is a legal court matter.
For example, see the quote above. He uses the words "complaint" and "filed". His company could have received a contract to collect an unpaid bill. The request by the company hiring his collection agency could certainly be called a "complaint." Like: "she never paid her bill!" is a complaint. As for the word "filed", the physical act of his company putting a paper document about my wife's bill into a filing cabinet or computer file folder could certainly be called "filed." "Filed" and "complaint" are words that are also used in the civil legal system in relation to the first steps of a lawsuit. Surely the bill collector knows that. I bet that voicemails worded this way get a higher call return rate than others. Nevertheless, it is deceptive. Needless to say, neither me nor my wife will be calling them back.
OBSERVATIONS
A few days ago I saw a voicemail on my cell phone from the phone number "Unknown." I just listened to the message. It is 42 seconds long. An Asian American sounding man started the message with, "This is a urgent message intended for [my wife's maiden name]. My name is Eddie Cao. I'm contacting you in reference to a complaint that's been forwarded to my office. In order for you to discuss this pending action being filed against you, you need to be in contact with an issuing agent that's handling this matter. Call 877-862-5319 and use reference number [######]. Again, this is a highly time sensitive matter and I highly recommend that you respond to this message."
The man did not state his company's name.
OPINION
I have years of experience evading shady bill collectors. I respond to companies that engage in what I believe to be good business practices.
Not leaving the name of the company, and Not mentioning what the issue is about, leaves me to conclude with a high probability of certainty that the phone number is a bill collection agency. In my experience, aggressive agencies will carefully use language to give the impression that the issue is a legal court matter.
For example, see the quote above. He uses the words "complaint" and "filed". His company could have received a contract to collect an unpaid bill. The request by the company hiring his collection agency could certainly be called a "complaint." Like: "she never paid her bill!" is a complaint. As for the word "filed", the physical act of his company putting a paper document about my wife's bill into a filing cabinet or computer file folder could certainly be called "filed." "Filed" and "complaint" are words that are also used in the civil legal system in relation to the first steps of a lawsuit. Surely the bill collector knows that. I bet that voicemails worded this way get a higher call return rate than others. Nevertheless, it is deceptive. Needless to say, neither me nor my wife will be calling them back.
Caller type: Collection Agency
Caller: Eddie Cao chow
Company: They did not provide a name
Number: 877-862-5319
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