(443) 313-1381

O.K. This is Portfolio Recovery Services' modus operandi:

I moved to Colorado 9 years ago from another state. Upon moving here, I got my current phone number. Almost immediately I started getting calls for an "Angela Braxton" from a collection agency. During 2004 and 2005, I called Portfolio Recovery Services (PRS) numerous times to let them know that I'm not Angela Braxton and have no idea who she is. PRS ignored my pleas to stop calling and kept calling me anyway, sometimes day and night.

Finally, I got the feature from Qwest (now CenturyLink) that allows a person to block 25 numbers. Over the next few years, I kept blocking numbers from PRS. As you poor guys know, PRS will then start calling from a different number. Eventually, I ran out of blocking possibilities. So I cleaned out all those 25 blocked numbers and started afresh. As usual, I continue to get calls from PRS asking for Angela Braxton. I keep blocking the new numbers PRS uses to call its "victims."

At 8:46 this morning I got another call from PRS which went to messages. In the meantime I decided to enjoy this constant harassment and have a little fun at their expense. I decided, "O.K., I'll pretend to be Angela Braxton" and returned their call claiming to be Angela Braxton.

They wanted to know if my address is in Aurora. It is not, and so I said so. On second thought, I should have said "Yes." PRS' second question was about my social security number, giving the last 4 digits of what Angela's social security number is supposed to be. Again, I said that was not my SS number, which is true.

And then I blew it big time. They started asking other questions. I said I could not help them because I was not the Angela Braxton they were looking for. When they started to ask for information about me, I said "You have no idea who I am, where I live, what my SS number is. You know nothing about me, so just try to go after me for whatever you want!"

Now, maybe if I've planted some good ideas in those of you who might be more creative than I am, go to it! Let's have a little fun and help stop this nonsense. Maybe if everyone pitched in and shared their experiences here as to what they tried and how successful their efforts were, we might hit on an idea or two that will make this type of harassment come to a screeching halt!

Bon voyage!

Overly persistent collectors who call from many numbers.

I receive calls from various numbers, never messages. I would like to know how they obtain my phone number. There should be laws to protect the consumers.

I try not to answer calls I don't recognize. But I believe it's a scam.