BBB Warns Public Not to be Duped by United Fraud Protection Group

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - May 13, 2013 - PRLog -- The Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Michigan (BBB) http://easternmichigan.bbb.org is warning the public to be wary of phone calls from a fraudulent company calling itself United Fraud Protection Group or United Fraud Prevention. Complaints to the BBB are coming in from states across the country, including Oregon, California, Arizona, Utah, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas, and Nevada alleging that callers are using intimidation tactics in order to obtain personal information.

The complaints all follow a similar pattern; a representative, purporting to be from United Fraud Protection, calls a consumer stating they are a Civil Investigation Unit and indicates that there is a judgment and/or restraining order placed against the consumer due to an outstanding debt. Often the caller asks the recipient of the call to confirm their Social Security Number and contact information, and states that the consumer must pay a specific amount over the phone in order for the judgment/restraining order to be lifted. The BBB does have record of consumers who were convinced to pay money, only to later find out that the money was never applied to the account in question.

The BBB has attempted to relay complaints to the address provided for United Fraud Protection via USPS, however all mail was returned as undeliverable. This initiated an investigation, in which the BBB has attempted to locate the physical address and verify whether the business exists at the given address.

The BBB contacted the company via a phone number given to one of the complainants. The representative that answered the phone verified that the address, 615 Griswold Street; Suite 726, Detroit, MI 48226 was correct. This address is for The Ford Building in Detroit. The BBB called The Ford Building and a representative reported that this company does not operate in their building and the suite number given does not exist in this building. The BBB also went to the building in question and verified with the building management that the business does not operate out of that building.

The United Protection Group currently has an F rating on the BBB site and more information can be found here: http://www.bbb.org/eastern-michigan/business-reviews/collection-agencies/united-fraud-protection-group-in-detroit-mi-90022064.

BBB offers the following advice to consumers if they receive a suspicious telephone call about an outstanding debt:

·         Ask the debt collector to provide official written documentation which substantiates the debt

·         Do not provide or confirm any bank account, credit card or other personal information over the phone until you have confirmed the legitimacy of the call.

·         File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online if the caller is abusive, uses threats or otherwise violates federal telemarketing laws.

·         Search for the business at bbb.org or contact your BBB at 248.223.9400 for verification

·         Directly contact the business that holds the account in question to verify if there is a debt and what company is handling their collections

About The Better Business Bureau Serving Detroit & Eastern Michigan

The Better Business Bureau Serving Detroit & Eastern Michigan (http://detroit.bbb.org/) is a non-profit organization with the purpose of promoting trust in the marketplace by assisting in the protection of consumers and businesses from fraud and unethical business practices. In addition to its recognized dispute resolution services, the BBB maintains business reviews on the customer service history of more than 90,000 local businesses and provides consumer education materials on numerous topics. The BBB provides its services free to the public and its service territory stretches across Eastern Michigan from Ann Arbor through Metropolitan Detroit, Lansing, Flint, upward to Alpena, and covers the entire Upper Peninsula of the state.