Victim Location 98607
Total money lost $1,568
Type of a scam Debt Collections
A few days before Christmas, I received a call from SMB & Associates stating I had defaulted on a payday loan. They said I had made arrangements to pay it, but then closed the account I had written the checks on. I was told papers were going to be served, and if I didn’t pay the $1,168 they claimed I owed, I would be going to jail. They knew all my personal information: full name, date of birth, Social Security number, previous address and even bank information from an old account. So I made arrangements to pay them because they sounded legitimate.
After making monthly payments for 5 months, I wanted to pay off the remaining balance. They then charged my account twice, and when I asked for that to be fixed, I was told they would return my money only after I got a statement from my bank promising I wouldn’t reverse any charges. When I told them I still had not received any documentation for the debt, they told me I was being rude and hung up on me. I got online to look for another phone number for the company so I could talk to a supervisor about the issue, and that is when I learned they are not a real company.