Minnesota Sues Jamaican Call Center Over Fraudulent Debt Collection Calls

Minnesota’s Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against Jamaican call center firm Global Gateway Solutions, accusing the operator of making fraudulent debt collection calls to state residents.
“Global Gateway tried to bully [Minnesota residents] into paying off fake payday loans they had never taken out, including threatening to file lawsuits, having the person arrested, or sending the sheriff to their home if they didn’t pay the money,” says a statement from Attorney General Lori Swanson.
Minnesota law requires debt collectors to provide debt verification and allow people to dispute those debts. According to the lawsuit, Global Gateway failed to do both.
The call center firm did not dismiss the allegation, but said that its employees call customers on behalf of its clients by using a script provided and approved by the client, according to a report by RJRNewsonline.
Following a series of threatening calls, a woman in Brooklyn Park paid Global Gateway $366.95. But a month later, the woman received similar calls from the call center seeking repayment. The callers threatened to file lawsuit if she did not pay off a payday loan within two days.
Global Gateway, according to reports, operates in Jamaica as First Recovery Associates, Northwest Recovery Associates and National Recovery Associates. The company is one of Jamaica’s oldest locally-owned call centers.