Scam? municipal services bureau

[I Am Weaver]

girlfriend was called by an unknown number a bunch and finally answered... the lady informed her that she was with MSB (turned out to be municipal services bureau on airport blvd) and that she had an outstanding "no insurance" ticket that needed to be cleared up now... the lady had her first name slightly wrong and the address wrong (i think its part of the scam-to be able to say that you havent received their letters etc...) and that she needed to pay $110 by debit card now...

i googled it and found an actual website etc but it looks fake... does the govt really "sell off debts" like this to what appears to be a collection agency?

girlfriend had a wreck about that time last year but wasnt issued a citation for not having her insurance...

the lady used every sales technique in the book "a warrant will be issued wed if you dont clear this up now..." "ma'am... i will report to the courts that you are not being cooperative" etc etc...


anyone heard of this place?

[Disco Stu]

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080128/20080128005815.html?.v=1

Company looks legit.

[Nocturnus]

Donno, they are listed on http://www.occc.state.tx.us/pages/agency/Index9.html

[rearviewmirror]

http://www.klr650.net/forums/images/smilies/worthless.gif

[I Am Weaver]

her insurance company said that its not on her driving record...

and i searched APD and found no warrant...

Anthony...what the hell pics you want?!

[Disco Stu]

her insurance company said that its not on her driving record...

and i searched APD and found no warrant...

Anthony...what the hell pics you want?!

Could the ticket be with an entity other than APD? Did you ask to receive a copy of the ticket?

If the dept is not hers, this is pretty good advice:

http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/2004/01/22/index.html


scroll down

[I Am Weaver]

Could the ticket be with an entity other than APD? Did you ask to receive a copy of the ticket?

If the dept is not hers, this is pretty good advice:

http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/2004/01/22/index.html


scroll down

was going to have her call back today.... the lady was quite rude (maybe it IS govt agent) and it seemed shady to me... wanted a debit number right then and there...

[Disco Stu]

was going to have her call back today.... the lady was quite rude (maybe it IS govt agent) and it seemed shady to me... wanted a debit number right then and there...

Did you read the yahoo finance link---the company is a debt collector. CoA gave them a contract. If you really think she was rude write a letter to the city.
Even if your gf finds out that the ticket is hers, never pay over the phone with a check or debit card. Use a credit card and not one of those fake ones that is tied to your bank account.

[I Am Weaver]

Did you read the yahoo finance link---the company is a debt collector. CoA gave them a contract. If you really think she was rude write a letter to the city.
Even if your gf finds out that the ticket is hers, never pay over the phone with a check or debit card. Use a credit card and not one of those fake ones that is tied to your bank account.


i read the yahoo link... but it was a press release by them.... hell, i can set up a dba and a press release correct?

its the same date as her wreck but its not on her driving record... it just seems rather shady...

why would courts/municipal services need a debt collector? i mean hell, dont they have the most authority out of anyone? they issue a warrant... and can pick you up or take you to jail when youre picked up again... that seems more effective than phone calls...

[I Am Weaver]

Donno, they are listed on http://www.occc.state.tx.us/pages/agency/Index9.html

where? i dont see it.

[I Am Weaver]

http://austin.citysearch.com/profile/10219799/austin_tx/municipal_services_bureau.html

[Disco Stu]

i read the yahoo link... but it was a press release by them.... hell, i can set up a dba and a press release correct?

its the same date as her wreck but its not on her driving record... it just seems rather shady...

why would courts/municipal services need a debt collector? i mean hell, dont they have the most authority out of anyone? they issue a warrant... and can pick you up or take you to jail when youre picked up again... that seems more effective than phone calls...


http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council_meetings/item_attachments.cfm?meetingid=89&itemid=3818&item=25

[I Am Weaver]

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council_meetings/item_attachments.cfm?meetingid=89&itemid=3818&item=25

interesting... read the citysearch link?

she/we know better than to give that kind of info over the phone... i also know how easy it is to get public info on people and then request payment...

just making sure its legit... and if it is, id rather her pay the court....

[I Am Weaver]

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-512-454-4757

[I Am Weaver]

The "Municipal Services Bureau" (MSB) is a REAL collection agency, but as others have written above, their calls do appear fraudulent and they are bullies! I do have a pending traffic court case with no fine due until a judgement is reached by the court. MSB appeared fraudulent because at first they (FRANK Ext #3262) refused to ID himself, the location of MSB, or the reason for his call except to say it was a Court matter, for a court that does not exist here in my state. Not being able to get official names correct (Frank could have used GOOGLE) is a red flag that it could be a phishing expedition for my personal info. I requested he back up what he was requesting in writing to my address that I confirmed was correct and Frank refused, so I hung up and called the State court offices and they have confirmed MSB was in error.

[Nocturnus]

American Collectors Association of Texas
Attn: Dwain James
6505 Airport Blvd, Suite 100
Austin, TX 78752-3627
512-458-8666/800-957-3328
email: iinfo@texascollectors.com

same address as MSB and Gilla.

[I Am Weaver]

American Collectors Association of Texas
Attn: Dwain James
6505 Airport Blvd, Suite 100
Austin, TX 78752-3627
512-458-8666/800-957-3328
email: iinfo@texascollectors.com

same address as MSB and Gilla.

ah.

well everything im finding is saying the same... that they are in fact legit, but their practices are not...

[unsub1]

That's what a collector was doing with me a while back, he had all my info but slightly off. I'm still not sure what he was trying to get me to say over the phone but he claimed I owed a $1100 credit card bill from 1995 (before I had a credit card). It took a couple rounds of complaints to the BBB and the Texas Attorney General to get them to drop it. Fun!

[CalVinsBike]

Any third party can be dismissed from collecting a debt from you. Tell them to cease and desist and that you will resolve this with the original debtor. By law they must comply and stop harassing you. Basically you are firing them from collecting on your debt.

[rearviewmirror]

Tell them to pound sand if they call her again. Collection agencies never work with the rules or laws.

[I Am Weaver]

Tell them to pound sand if they call her again. Collection agencies never work with the rules or laws.

let me write this down... pound sand.... where the hell did that originate?

luckily she is weary of giving out any info etc... and when she told me who she'd been talking to and what they said i started looking into it... too easy to set up a dba etc and just start fooling people...

ill post up once this is sorted. teacher next door told me they had been bugged about an energy bill (saw that MSB does that too...) and it turned out to be the wrong (insert her husbands name here)

[John911]

They are legit. I worked for the Alamo Heights Police Dept. from 1989 to 2002 and MSB was routinely given the warrants that our Warrant Officer was not able to resolve. They did a decent job considering that our Warrant Officer at the time was pretty effective.

It was my understanding that they collected on warrants for quite a few municipalities throughout the state.

As far as their candor and tactics, I don't know.

[I Am Weaver]

They are legit. I worked for the Alamo Heights Police Dept. from 1989 to 2002 and MSB was routinely given the warrants that our Warrant Officer was not able to resolve. They did a decent job considering that our Warrant Officer at the time was pretty effective.

It was my understanding that they collected on warrants for quite a few municipalities throughout the state.

As far as their candor and tactics, I don't know.

im not doubting them being a legit service. im doubting that their services are not flawed.... from talking to several people now, it seems as though they are making MANY errors in collection... if its not on her driving record... then?

[fat bob]

Get rid of your phone, they're a nuisance anyway. If you must have a phone, unplug it and only use it when you need to make outbound calls. We ditched the land line years ago, haven't looked back since. Very liberating IMO.

[I Am Weaver]

Get rid of your phone, they're a nuisance anyway. If you must have a phone, unplug it and only use it when you need to make outbound calls. We ditched the land line years ago, haven't looked back since. Very liberating IMO.

we have no landline... i havent had one for 10 years +

they were calling her cell...

turns out MSB is legit... just very SHITTY at what they do... she didnt have the citation they stated but she did owe the amount they said... amazing how a company like this has her first name wrong, address wrong, and actual reason for fine wrong... wtf...

[Coolhand]

This is some scary stuff. Keep us posted. I hate this crap.... like the time last year when one of the credit agencies, in it's infinite wisdom, combined my credit report with at least 6 other distinct people (who all had shitty credit). Definately no value added to my life.