Just a little over an hour ago, I received the following email attached above. I have never heard of Upgrade, INC / U.C (“Universal Credit”) and have never dealt with them prior therefore in ANY capacity, obviously. Very clearly, I am not looking for any sort of ‘funding’, per the terms used in the emailing and quite frankly, my persona, does not need a loan.
I quite frankly did not provide any communications preference at any stage beforehand as the email states at the bottom, so this information is evidently misleading. I’ve never received any email from them before this one, verifying my email was fraudulently used on their site for anything, not for a quote or account creation etc and thus far, not giving me a chance to rectify it imminently should it have been the case.
I strongly believe this is another shady company in operation. As the email claims, “Universal Credit is located at 275 Battery Street, 23rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94111”. This tells us it is supposedly within the grounds of a 30-story 123.1m Office Skyscraper, in the Financial District of San Francisco. 275 Batter Street was also formerly known as Embarcadero West.
I of course plan to write back regarding concern for their business practices (the typical) and indeed lodge formal complaints with, of course, the official and relevant bodies surrounding this matter at hand.
Nicely done, friend! I would also file a complaint about this California-based entity using the link below. Here is what I think is happening: they or their “marketing partners” might be using some shitty and shady “lead generators” that are probably located overseas. These lead generators generate fake leads by inputting the information of people who have zero interest in products advertised. The end result is that you get bombarded with robocalls, emails, texts etc from legitimate businesses. Guess, who is behind usually? Lead generators in Pakistan, India and the Philippines! Despite many folks here doubting it, the Philippines is gradually becoming the capitol of illegal lead generation: they are sly, conniving, treacherous and devious individuals.
I absolutely hate and detest all lead generators and the entire industry. These obnoxious “sales bros” ARE one of the key reasons why robocalls, texts and countless emails harass all of us daily. Just pure evil filth!
WHAT. A. COOKIE. CUTTER. REPLY…
DOES NOT ADDRESS EVERYTHING ELSE. VERY BASIC.
WHAT. A. LOAD. OF SHIT. ROUND. OF. APPLAUSE. - FOR THE EFFORT UPGRADE, INC STAFF HAVE PUT INTO THE CRAFTING OF THIS REPLY
The email stated from the agent, as we know, their systems can’t tell them which specific partner, they claim, I used - FOR STARTERS - yet here, they’ve supposedly identified them as “SUPER MONEY”.
The rest of this is a load of bollocks, obviously, I didn’t submit anything - and they are spreading bullshit. Another cookie cutter reply.
I truly suspect that it is their foreign-based lead generators who are inputting people’s contact information into their database. This is how these shady nasty people make money. It certainly doesn’t mean that they are off the hook, though. Vicarious liability implies that victims like you can go after the bigger players like them.
Here you go, friend! If I were in that situation, I would also file complaints to the state where they are based (California). I previously shared the link with you.
"Subject: Response to Erroneous Loan Requests and Privacy Concerns
Dear [Upgrade Co. Contact Name],
I am writing in response to your recent communication regarding the alleged submission of two loan requests attributed to my name. I must clarify that I have neither submitted nor have any interest in applying for loans with your company. I find this matter to be a serious violation of my privacy and a cause for significant concern.
It is imperative that you investigate this issue thoroughly. I demand to know who entered this information and the specific processes in place to prevent such inaccuracies. Refusing to investigate this matter is unacceptable and raises questions about your commitment to consumer protection and privacy rights.
I suspect that these erroneous requests may have originated from your lead generation services, which have been described in various forums as questionable at best. The use of such services not only reflects poorly on your company but also raises legal concerns under consumer protection laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Vicarious liability may apply here, as you could be held responsible for the actions of your lead generators, especially if they engage in deceptive or harassing practices.
Moreover, your handling of this situation may be in violation of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and similar privacy laws, which require businesses to ensure accurate data handling and to protect consumer privacy.
Given the nature of this issue, I expect the following actions to be taken promptly:
A thorough investigation into the origin of the erroneous loan requests.
A full disclosure of your data handling practices and the measures you have in place to protect consumer privacy.
Immediate termination of any contracts or associations with lead generation companies that engage in deceptive practices.
I look forward to your prompt response addressing these concerns. Failure to rectify this situation may leave me no choice but to seek legal remedies to protect my rights.
I want to go HAM on these fuckwits… They’ve not even addressed anything at all from the prior correspondence I sent them… It originated from their domain name and their own customer service agent in writing confirmed additional details as we all know!
Let me know what I should say/do. What a load of cookie cutter shit, NOW they want to play the innocent “we’ve had our shit fraudulently used” game only? Yeah no chance.
I personally would not even bother with them anymore. They will keep denying everything. Your best bet I think is to keep filing complaints about them to the authorities and regulators.
