C & M Associates Group, Inc.

The company is Chadworrh & Macon’s & Associates Griup inc
923 New Castle Ave
Westchester, IL 60154
The owner is wait for it...PASTOR Carl Mabin
He is the Senior Pastor @ God’s Congregation Worship Center. Www.carlmabinsministry.com
630-620-0810
1 S 071 Luther Ave. Lombard, IL 60148

Hello.

This collection company claims they will clear several thousand dollars of debt for only $500, but researching them online I am hear they are a scam. What is the best course of action?

We had other things to do today day, everything was done in a hurry, and the panic mode is on, so some details did get jumbled around. I will try to relay them as best as I can.

A family member of mine has some unpaid debts that are very old. Some of the debts are from previous marriage over 15 years ago where they couldn't find the other spouse so they went after this family member instead.

For a week or two she has been getting calls and emails from this company that claims that will clear over $1,000 in this one old credit card debt for only $500. All they want is a debit card or a post dated check. If I recall correctly, this credit card might have been opened in 2008 but stopped being used in 2011. Later today they send her an email saying they found out that she has four other debts, but they will still clear them all for $500. Although they say they will fax it in 20 min, they never did and two hours later upon request they had to email the statements. This company is called "C & M Associates Group, Inc" and here is a picture of one of their email attachments, with some parts censored at URL "http://imgur.com/XpiSdPk". Their phone number is (877) 889-6936.

Further, from a different phone number / company has been calling her telling her that she will be summoned into court for unpaid debts, and will be served at her place of work if she doesn't provide her living address etc. And it was something like "tell us where you are so we can serve you, or we will serve you at work. If you have got a problem with that, please call the debt collector and dispute it with them" or something. At first the phone number was blocked on caller ID but later, I can't remember how, she found out their phone number was (888) 229-5357 and the name of the company was Hemingway and Associates...or maybe that was the phone number of the debt collector. It's not too clear to me.

I was asked to look them up. At first she told me one of people from the collection agency was a lawyer, but later she told me it was the company that would serve her a court summons were the lawyers.

I looked up the debt collection company at the secretary of state in Illinois, where they are based, at URL "www.ilsos.gov/corporatellc", where you can find an image of the results of at "http://imgur.com/CZsbK7b". I also found their information at the BBB at URL "www.bbb.org/chicago/business-reviews/debt-relief-services/c-m-associates-group-...⇄ where they had a B-rating, but only one complaint for debt collection.

Because I was at first under the impression that one person was a lawyer, I also did my best to contact the bar association in Illinois, which eventually led me to the "Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois" at URL "www.iardc.org", which has a lawyer look up tool at "https://www.iardc.org/lawyersearch.asp". It was (quadruple) checked to see if any of the names associated with that group were lawyers or not, and every name I could find associated with that group was not a lawyer in Illinois. I thought at least the registered agent (according to the secretary of state) had to be a lawyer.

When things got REAL bad was when I looked them up by phone number.

www.justanswer.com/law/5hock-hello-yesterday-08-30-contacted-associate.html
www.revdex.com/reviews/c-m-associates-group-inc/266702
They appeared to be kind of slimey debt collectors who occasionally claim to be lawyers or sue. Usually they would bring up very old debts, get names and locations wrong. Stuff like calling a woman about an unpaid debt from 2002 that belongs to an old ex-boyfriend she met in 2008.

Later I found worse information, on the fourth page of 800notes.com regarding the collection company's phone number.

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-889-6936/4
Here is what one poster said, who claimed to work for the debt collection company wrote this "Everyone is correct, we, I was a scammer with the company. I did not know the debts were SOL, they changed the dates in the system to reflect current, it was not until we talk with consumers that the debt was out of stats, so I quit. The company name is Chatworth and Macons, the owner's name are Carl and Gina Mabins, they buy old debt and resurface it for collections. NO should ever pay unless your state SOL is still within range. This owner calls himself a preacher and his wife sings in the choir, big time crook. The Illinois states Atty office is currently investigating their business. If they call you tape the conversation, they do not have an attorney in the office, they pretend too and you will not be sued or garnish, its all a ploy. They are going down". I don't know how trustworthy or not that is, but I can tell you that Carl Mabins is listed as the president/owner according to Illinois secretary of state, and Chadworth and Macons are listed as alternate names for the company according to the BBB.

The XXX-XXX-XXXX has continually called our home and immediatly disconnected when we answer. They called my father in law and stated he was listed as a reference, but somehow they obtianed his information for his NEW phone # and NEW adress that they claim we gave them in 2005. Which didnt exist then. spearking to [redacted] XXX-XXX-XXXX ext [redacted] then [redacted] ext [redacted] They asked for my spouse SS# which I refused to provided but they provided to me the first 3 digits and last 4 claiming may 7, 2005 we opened a account with [redacted]/ crime busters for a alarm and paid upto 12/30/2005 at an old adress XXXXX w [redacted] dr. they then stated it was a ghost company not [redacted] when I advised we NEVER had [redacted] they explained a ghost company that uses crime busters. they have NEVER provided any proof or paperwork or letters as they stated they have. they just kept insisting we pay $3076.87 as a settlement. they mentioned they checked my spouses credit and finances and see that he has the funds to pay this settlement. When I advised of identity theft for my spouse they said they paid $218.14 o a intensive search to ensure it was him. They insisted we pay immediatly so we can get the settlement amount offered. Isnt the statue of limitations in [redacted] 6 years if it was open in 2005 that is well past 6 years. They advised they would hold the account and per my request mail me a letter regarding the settlement, but they cannot provide me with any contractual proof of the debt as it doesnt exist and is unfounded.