Big Brother's name is John Leskey

[liveonearth]

I just got a phone call from a guy who said his name was John Leskey, and who claimed he works for URSLP. When I asked him to explain what URSLP is, he was unwilling to explain. Googling those letters doesn't get me anywhere. John was looking for a guy (C) that I used to work on the river with some 15 years ago. C is out of the country, last I heard, through a friend of a friend. When I asked John how he got my number he said that I was listed as a "possible associate" of my former raft guide co-worker. When I asked him if he was with a collection agency, there was a long pause before he answered that it was personal business. So I'm guessing that he is trying to collect from C. And considering his tactics, I don't blame C if he blows this guy and whatever debt off. I offered John the hotmail address that I have for C, and he said he doesn't have email! What bullshit. He calls me because he knows I used to work with C, but he doesn't have email. There is something completely wrong about this.

Because this guy was after an old friend of mine, I invite you and everyone to call him up.
Let him know that "possible associates" don't welcome his inquiries.
Here are his numbers:
713-266-9876 extension 3084
800-891-5035 x3084 (I called this number without the extension and the message said "the number you have called is currently not assigned" WTF?)
The number he was calling FROM is 866-891-6939. He called just before 9am on 5/30/07.

Whoever he is, and whatever he is after, I do not like his methods. And I do not like getting collections calls for a person that I worked with 15 years ago. If that counts as an "associate" then I have a billion associates! And I am not responsible for their financial issues.

Amended 3/14/08: Just got a comment (on another entry) that another person by the name of Lisa Reynolds is harassing people using the same phone numbers.

Amended 4/16/09: New comment reveals Leskey hasn't changed his approach. Googling his name today yields these:

Googling his name yields this today:
http://www.callercomplaints.com/SearchResult.aspx?Phone=866-582-4084

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-866-582-4084

Amended 2/18/10: New commenter just filed a complaint with ftc.gov after a call from one Charlene S. Smith looking for a neighbor. Charlene contact: 866-516-6961 x4138. Prior FTC charges against her company: Civil Action No.: H-02-1410 (sl), FTC File No.: 002-3133.

Comments

[neptunia67.livejournal.com]

Yep, most definitely a collection agency. Their tactics are slimy. Hopefully you told him to remove your name as a contact and that he is not allowed to call you anymore.

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

I did but I don't trust him.
An associate my ASS.
Grumble...

[(Anonymous)]

Its URS, Inc. - American Express collection agency.

[(Anonymous)]

http://www.urs-inc.com/recovery/index.cfm

actually, looks like its not just for american express...but could be any debt.

American Express

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this info! I had a very bad experience with AmEx years ago, and will NEVER do any business with them again. Their customer service stinks, and they are sneaky/slimey/dishonest/misleading at every level.

Same Call Number

[(Anonymous)]

Hey y'all,

I recently received a call from 866-891-6939 at 2100 hours CST. The lady on the phone gave me the same sketchy feeling. She was trying to get in touch of a young man who might live a couple of houses down from me for "personal reasons". She would not give me her last name, only stated that she was calling from Houston, TX and that he could get in touch with her at 800-304-8855 x3981.

She got my number by looking up telephone numbers by address of those living by this man. When I googled the name of the man she was looking for all I could find was a DUI arrest last November. That arrest report gave me a match for the age that she gave me.

I came across this post by googling the number she called from.

It sounds to me like this lady is looking to collect from this man. Possibly rent?, possibly credit issues? Who knows.

I know the family that lives in the house where she was seeking this young man. They have a boy that I went to high school with who is the same age as this young man so I'll probably talk to him to find out more information.

The whole deal is just plain weird.
-TD
thebeatgoesononon@hotmail.com

Re: Same Call Number

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this. It gives me a very uneasy feeling when people are using ME to look for other people that aren't even close to me. I'll be interested to learn, if it ever comes out, exactly who is behind these calls.

another call from John Leskey

[(Anonymous)]

A friend of mine with some financial troubles got a call from this same individual from 1-800-304-8855 x 3084. Seems like collection agencies might be using this individual or "agency" - URSLP - for underhanded methods of reaching people. Is there some way to STOP these kinds of calls??? Need to be reported.

Re: another call from John Leskey

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I don't know anything about it. But judging from the fact that these calls seem to continue and be widespread, I'd guess it's a large organized money collector. If you have any NEW info on this scenario, please post it here. Maybe we'll find out enough to bust 'em.

Re: another call from John Leskey

[(Anonymous)]

I received a similar call from Leskey and he was extremely difficult about identifying himself. At the end I had learned that he represented "URSLP", was calling from Houston (as if this was supposed to give him some standing) and his callback number was 1 800 304-8855 (ext 3084). He did explain he knew I was a neighbor of the individual (obviously he used a criss-cross directory). The individual in question moved away from here 3 or 4 years ago and I wouldn't tell Leskey even if I knew where she moved to. I have no problem with people trying to recoup their losses, but they don't have the right to be devious about it.

devious

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Thanks. The way this guy operates makes me wonder if he works for the feds. =-[

They are calling me too...

[(Anonymous)]

They have been calling me for more almost a year now on a debt I owed to American Express. This week I was out of town and they called into the helpdesk at my company and harrased the tech who answered asking for the name, contact infomation for our CEO, CIO, and CFO. They did the same thing to our receptionist. They have called and harrased my wife, my brother, and my father (I don't really care about him though, he is a pathetic drunk anyway). At any rate, I belong to a civic group with a bunch of lawyers and I after the reading I have been doing, I am considering filing a law suit against them. If anyone would like to join me and make it a class action suit, leave a comment here.

Re: They are calling me too...

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

I would be interested in assisting if possible. I did not know that this collection agency had anything to do with AmEx but I am not surprised, considering that I have had prior piss poor dealings with AmEx. They have the worst "customer service" department on earth. I ended up paying them off (money that I did not owe) just to get rid of them. Ever since then I have sent business away from AmEx every chance that I get.

[(Anonymous)]

I work for a collection agency and I believe I can help. I am sorry to tell all of you that collection agencys have many many ways of trying to locate people. Calling neighbours, friends, past associates, family members, even past employers is a good source of info for them. And I am sure that it will be a shock for you to learn that this is all legal. In the defense of the collection agency, it is slimy and kinda rude for them to do this but on the other hand, it's very slimy and rude for people to just drop off the radar and think they don;t have to pay bills that they owe. Now, in your defend, you have every right to say this person does not live here, I do not talk to them or have any idea where they may be. Be sure to state this all clearly to them and that you do not want them calling anymore. If they continue to call ask to speak to a manager or supervisor and explain the situation to them. If you are still having issues, ask them what govmnt agency you can contact to report them for not honoring your request to not be contactd, by law they have to give you that info. If all else fails, call you local BBB. Keep in mind most of the people that call and talk to you directly are not the ones who are getting your information to call about this other person. There are actualy agencys out there that their sole job is to find any way possible to find this person or anyone who may have contact with them. The person calling you is just doing their job. also by law, they can not tell you they are a collection agency to protect the other person, that is why they say it is personal business. On belahf of collection agents everywhere, we don't like calling and bugging people either but again it is our job to call the number that is put infront of us to try to contact that person. I hope this helps! Good luck everyone!

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your input!

John Leskey

[(Anonymous)]

I also received phone calls at my home from someone giving this name looking for a neighbor. This person even called my elderly mother asking her if I knew the neighbor. I understand just doing a job to collect a debt, but to call and question a relative of a neighbor of the person that owes the debt is absurd. Especially when she is obviously elderly. The number I was given for callback was 866-516-6961 ext #4913. The phone call however came from 888-733-1265

Re: John Leskey

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Thanks. So we know John Leskey is still working.

URSLP

[(Anonymous)]

05/13/09 1:06 pm just got a call from Carlos Cervantes looking for god who knows from this same place. His number is 866-5882-4085 x 9160. He also would not explain what URSLP was.

[(Anonymous)]

The collections cons continue. Just filed this complaint with ftc.gov
I received a call from Charlene S. Smith at U.R.S. in Houston. She said they're a
"diversified financial institution." She's been trying to contact my former neighbor
because she has some information for him. She got our phone number from a
crisscross web search on our street. I said I might be able to get in contact with him,
but I wanted to think about it first. She said to ask him to call her at 866-516-6961.
Her direct extension is 4138. I did a reverse phone lookup and found a) several
postings of calls from U.R.S. looking for neighbors; b) prior FTC charges against this
company: (Civil Action No.: H-02-1410 (sl)) (FTC File No.: 002-3133).

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Awesome, thanks for the update, and thanks for filing.