Misleading (fraudulent?) letter from DCA

[titmus]

I received a hand-delivered letter from Philips Collection Services Ltd about a debt to a credit card company.

 

The debt should be statute barred as the last payment was in Jan 2004.

 

At the top of the letter (which is titled Notice of Attendance) there are some boxes which have been filled in by hand, such as date, client name, ref no, etc.

 

In the box marked 'Debt Type' is written "Magistrate Court".

 

As this looks like a pathetic attempt to pass off a statute barred civil debt as some sort of criminal case, I wonder if there are grounds for them to be pursued for trying to obtain money by deception?

[cerberusalert]

Are you certain there isn't a CCJ against you?

 

You can check online CCJs, court orders & fines - Search yourself and others - Trust Online but it costs £8 IIRC.

[titmus]

Pretty sure, wasn't on a credit check I did last year.

 

In any case, that would be a County Court matter, not a Magistrate's Court (criminal) one.

[dannyboy660]

Magistrates don't deal with unsecured credit debts, they would only be involved in unpaid Council Tax etc.

 

The best course of action is to go into your local Magistrates Court in person and show them the letter. Don't be too surprised if they don't know anything about it. Make sure it is brought to the attention of the senior Clerk, and the duty Solicitor (if there is one).

 

I would guess this is an attempt to intimidate you into paying money that you may not owe by inferring that by not doing so, you will commit a criminal offence - which is of course b******t.

[Huff&Puff]

This is the 3rd or 4th one of those that I've seen on here in the last few days - none of the other Caggers had a CCJ against them. You must complain to both Trading Standards and the OFT. I am in full agreement with you, I don't see what else you can call it, other than fraud.

[titmus]

Right, I've received an updated credit file from Equifax, and this definitely isn't a CCJ.

 

Any advice on who to shop them to?

[debt4get]

as above

[rameses_qc]

And as well as that, it could be seen as an attempt to gain by deception. Why not let the local Constabulary know? Not that they will want to do anything, as they'll say it's a civil matter, but deception is a criminal matter. makes no difference whether you're deceived or not, it's the attempt that counts