Hello everyone.
I have been alerted to a scam going after college students. There is a company emailing college students, claiming they owe money for old book rentals. The company emailing is called Payoffmyclaim. They have a website under the same name. The email being sent to students tells the student to go to a Paymybook website, and it is identical to the Payoffmyclaim website. For a cherry on top, the Paymybook’s motto is, “And while we may not always be grammatically correct we will treat you with respect.”
I usually do not get involved with scam websites. I know to ignore them and move on, but after seeing someone almost fall for this, I realized I needed to spread the word about this scam. The last thing college students need is to worry about losing money to scammers. If a scam baiter would like to know about the bookstore information, please contact me. I would post the company’s info, but I do not think they are involved with the scam. But this being said, I will provide as much private info as I can to help bring these guys down.
Here is the email sent to the student victim. Please note, the College I go to always posts a warning to the students about every email which does not directly come from the school. I kept the warning in this post, to at least show the school tries to prevent these things from happening. I have also taken out the name and email of the person who almost got scammed, for their privacy, as well as the name of the school.
From: [email protected] [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2022 4:29 PM
To: Name of Student and Student Email
Subject: Final Attempt to Reach You
CAUTION: This message originated from outside the Name of College student email system. Exercise caution with links and do not open or preview unsolicited attachments. Never send your Social Security Number, driver’s license, federal ID, or bank account/credit ion to anyone by email.
card informat
PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL
RE: Account Number 71664906
Dear Name of Student:
We are contacting you regarding your account with Name of College. This will be our final attempt to contact you.
Please contact us by 1:00 PM PST on 5/23/2022 at 800-979-8917 to make payment arrangements. You may also view your account and make a payment at www.paymybook.com.
After 5/23/2022, your account is scheduled to be released to our attorney collection firm for additional collection efforts. Please also be advised that once your account is released to our attorney collection firm your collection fees may increase, so it is extremely beneficial to contact us prior to 5/23/2022. If you do not contact us by this date, FCR Collection Services will no longer have your account and you will need to contact:
The Law Office of Jon Ritter
(866) 930-0233
Please note you are receiving this electronic reminder because you provided your e-mail address and consent. If you would like to discontinue receiving e-mail notifications about your account, please call us at 800-979-8917 to advise us you no longer consent to email notifications.
Our client values your business, and we thank you in advance for helping to resolve this matter.
THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT.
ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.
THIS IS A COMMUNICATION FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR.
The following state disclosures only apply to residents of that particular state. This list does not contain a complete list of your consumer rights that you have under Federal, State or Local Laws.
California
The state Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act require that, except under unusual circumstances, collectors may not contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. They may not harass you by using threats of violence or arrest or by using obscene language. Collectors may not use false or misleading statements or call you at work if they know or have reason to know that you may not receive personal calls at work. For the most part, collectors may not tell another person, other than your attorney or spouse, about your debt. Collectors may contact another person to confirm your location or enforce a judgment. For more information about debt collection activities, you may contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or www.ftp.gov
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California collection license number - application pending.
Colorado
Colorado Manager, Inc., 8690 Wolff Court, Suite 110, Westminster, CO 80031 (303) 920-4763, www.coloradoattorneygeneral.gov/ca. A consumer has the right to request in writing that a debt collector or collection agency cease further communication with the consumer. A written request to cease communication will not prohibit the debt collector or collection agency from taking any other action authorized by law to collect the debt. Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 12-14-105(3)(e) (West, WESTLAW through H.B. 1240, 66th Gen. Assembly, 2nd Reg. Sess. (Colo. 2008)). For information about the Colorado Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, see WWW.COAG.GOV/CAR.
Maine
Collection agency’s phone number: 800-979-8917. Collection agency’s hours of operation: Monday- Friday 8:00am-5:00pm PST
Massachusetts
Collection agency’s hours of operation: Monday- Friday 8:00am-5:00pm PST
NOTICE OF IMPORTANT RIGHTS. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE A WRITTEN OR ORAL REQUEST THAT TELEPHONE CALLS REGARDING YOUR DEBT MOT BE MADE TO YOU AT YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. ANY SUCH ORAL REQUEST WILL BE VALID FOR ONLY TEN (10) DAYS UNLESS YOU PROVIDE WRITTEN CONFIRMATION OF THE REQUEST POSTMARKED OR DELIVERED WITHIN SEVEN (7) DAYS OF SUCH REQUEST. YOU MAY TERMINATE THE REQUEST BY WRITING TO THIS AGENCY.
Minnesota
If you feel that your concerns have not been addressed, please contact FEDChex Recovery at 800-979-8917 and allow us the opportunity to try and address your concerns. Or, you have the option to address any concerns with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, which can be reached at 651-296-3353 or 1-800-657-387.
Nevada
If you pay or agree to pay the debt or any portion of the debt, the payment or agreement to pay may be construed as: (1) acknowledgment of the debt by the consumer; and (2) a waiver of any applicable statute of limitations set forth in NRS 11.190 that otherwise precludes the collection of the debt; and (3) if you do not understand or have questions concerning your legal rights or obligations relating to the debt, you should seek legal advice.
New York
This collection agency is licensed in New York City, License Number: 1470215
Debt collectors, in accordance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq., are prohibited from engaging in abusive, deceptive, and unfair debt collection efforts, including but not limited to: a) the use or threat of violence; b) the use of obscene or profane language; and c) repeated phone calls made with the intent to annoy, abuse, or harass.
If a creditor or debt collector receives a money judgment against you in court, state and federal laws may prevent the following types of income from being taken to pay the debt:
- Supplemental security income, (SSI); 2. Social security; 3. Public assistance (welfare); 4. Spousal support, maintenance (alimony) or child support; 5. Unemployment benefits; 6. Disability benefits; 7. Workers’ compensation benefits; 8. Public or private pensions; 9. Veterans’ benefits; 10. Federal student loans, federal student grants, and federal work study funds; and 11. Ninety percent of your wages or salary earned in the last sixty days.
North Carolina
North Carolina Department of Insurance Permit Number: 4009
Tennessee
This collections agency is licensed by the Collection Service Board, State Department of Commerce and Insurance, James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, Tennessee 37243.
Washington
You have a right to request your original account number or redacted original account number, date of your last payment, and an itemized statement from the creditor.
Wisconsin
This collection agency is licensed by the Division of Banking in the Wisconsin Department of Financial institutions, www.wdfi.org.
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