Potential Email Scam Alert

Summary

If you receive an email about a debt garnishment order, verify the senders identity. Debt collectors must follow the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which includes providing a court order and allowing you to dispute the debt. If the email lacks contact information or seems suspicious, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and avoid responding directly. Always verify before taking any action to protect yourself from potential scams.

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California
Hi ****, you've mentioned California, which I understand is your location. Could you please provide more details about the specific legal issue you're facing? This will help me give you more accurate information.
I received an email from what looks like could be an attorney. I attached it below:
Hello ****, could you provide more details about the contents of the email you received? This will help me understand the situation better and provide the most suitable legal information.
Case Format- Fair Debt Collection Act * (FC/SC) Legal Charges-Section *(A), Clause *(US). Case File #: NCD14837-AQ12 Due Amount: *.* Respective Debtor, We received a garnishment order from a court to [freeze/remove] funds in your account. The amount of the garnishment order was for $*.*. We are sending you this notice to let you know what we have done in response to the garnishment order. If you are looking to resolve this matter then kindly respond back through this e-mail. Best Wishes, Settlement Department David Johnson
Hi ****, it seems like you've received a wage garnishment order. Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act:
- Debt collectors can't garnish your wages without a court order (* U.S.C. § 1692f).
- They must provide you with the opportunity to dispute the debt (§ 1692g).
- They can't use false, deceptive, or misleading representation (§ 1692e).
If you believe this didn't happen, you may want to consult a lawyer in California.
I think this may be a scam. I looked at the email address and the firm doesn’t come up in a search.
Hi ****, it's good to be cautious. Could you tell me more about why you suspect this might be a scam? Is there anything specific about the email that raised your suspicion?
it was sent from a John Brown
Hi ****, thank you for sharing that. Did this John Brown provide any contact information or a physical address in the email? That can often help to verify if it is a scam or not.
Was sent from a David Brown
Hi ****, it's crucial to verify the sender's identity in such cases. If you can't find the firm in your search and there's no contact information or physical address, it's possible this could be a scam. Be careful and consider reporting it to your local authorities or the Federal Trade Commission.
officerdavidbrown@johnsonlawfirms.net
Hi ****, thank you for providing the email address. Have you tried contacting this email address for further clarification? It's important to confirm their legitimacy before taking any action.
I don’t wanna send an email to the email address cause I’m afraid they’ll try to follow up with some illegal activities against me
Understandable, ****. Instead, report the email to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftccomplaintassistant.gov. You can also forward the email to spam@uce.gov, FTC's spam database. Stay safe and always verify before taking action.
OK thank you
You're welcome, ****. If you have any other questions or need further advice, don't hesitate to ask. Stay safe.