Six months ago, there was nothing on the internet concerning these people. The miracle of modern technology! Now there's this wonderful thread on this wonderful website. I post this as information for all victims, and not to encourage any unlawful or mean conduct toward the perpetrators of this fraud.
I'm presently suing the people responsible for bringing you "mapnad viatel cons." They are . . . (drum roll, please), Danny Lyle Becker, Jr., a/k/a Dan Becker, a/k/a D.L. Becker, a/k/a Daniel Becker, and his lovely wife, Pamela Kay Bussell Becker, a/k/a Pamela Becker, a/k/a Pam Becker. Now, when you see a trail of aliases like this, you've got to know something's up! Yep.
I'm presently suing this lovely consortium of crooks and cheats, in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois (Urbana Division). You may sign up for a PACER/ECF account at any U.S. Court's
website (near you) to access all the documents I refer to here. They're cheap, free to sign up, and you can download pages for $.08 each. That's cheaper than Kinko's. Or, just email me directly and I'll send you a .pdf of my current complaint against these people, gratis.
First, mapnad viatel cons. is just a phony name. It is not a corporation, nor an LLC, nor an LLP. It is not an entity separate and distinct from those who simply use it as a phony name. There were a number of telephone service companies using the name Viatel (incorporated and bankrupted in Delaware) in the early 00's, but they're gone now. One of Viatel's companies, or
subsidiaries, was called econophone (I'm skipping all the corporate mumbo-jumbo here because it just doesn't matter). econophone provided telephone service. It looks like the Beckers acquired their accounts
receivable in the bankruptcy proceedings. The legitimacy of these receivables is, by the comments on this thread, in question. In fact, that's one of the bones of my contention. I never had an account with
econophone. I believe they "slammed" my long distance service. That's switching your service without your authorization or approval. Also, the total bill the Beckers were trying to collect was under $21.00 the whole time. They sent me numerous letters and also reported this bogus debt to the national consumer reporting agencies (credit bureaus) Experian and Equifax. They did this in spite of my demands that, if they did report the bogus debt, they also report that the debt was disputed (required by FCRA). If the Beckers don't indicate that your "debt" is disputed, they've given you the right to sue them. I did!
Unfortunately, most people probably just paid that $21 rather than bring a federal suit.
The Beckers made a lot of money from those people who didn't know their rights. Most people probably don't know the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act provides for as much as $1000 in statutory damages (which are usually awarded without argument). The Fair Credit Reporting Act provides for statutory damages, punitive damages and attorney fees. So, if you have to hire an attorney, they'll probably be paid by the bad guys! You may not want to file suit yourself but, do be aware that the government is probably going to very soon, and you can assist this by filing another complaint with them. Or, if you want to just mimic my own pleading, you have my best wishes.
The important thing is, if we all sue the Beckers, they'll just disappear sooner or later. They're pure trash! I am not an attorney (and what I say here is not legal advice), but the more people who file suit against these crooks or complain to law enforcement officials the better. You can visit their website at www.boss1pcs.com (and I suggest you send them a lot of phony requests for information, like you're a business needing collections services!), or you can call them at home.
The Beckers' home (rented, I believe) address is 4202 Amistad Dr. Midland, TX 79707 and their phone
number is (432) 262-3660 (though I suspect that'll be disconnected pretty soon!).
You may also learn about the horrid way the Beckers have treated their former business associates and friends by searching the bankruptcy court docket for the Western District of Texas, Midland Division
(Bankruptcy Petition #'s: 03-70437-rbk and #: 02-70018-rbk).
Now, I do not urge retribution or retaliation against anyone, but these people are just inherently dishonest, so if you need to find them to have them served with summonses, this is all I encourage. It appears that they have four young children, so I'd hate to see anyone scare or harm the kids.
Note this, please do not contact the children for anything! However, lying cheats like the Beckers should also not be able to hide behind their kids, or by avoiding phone calls and refusing to respond to letters sent to their business address (which, by the way, is Business Office Systems & Solutions Collection
Services Division [another phony name!] 511 W. Ohio, Suite 501 Midland, TX 79701 (800) 687-6344, (432) 570-9009).
Most of the crap you read on their website is phony, deceptive or misleading. For instance, their business may once have been in a partnership with a valid, legitimate and honest business called Texas Business Office Systems & Solutions (TBOSS) but TBOSS no longer has anything to do with the Beckers. That relationship was severed long ago.
They don't explain that. Please do not hound TBOSS, its former agents, officers or attorneys. They are honorable people and have better things to do than defend their prior relationship with someone who may have
pulled the wool over their eyes, just as they have so many other people. mapnad viatel cons. is a phony name, and using it is illegal under federal and Texas law.
Business Office Systems & Solutions (LLC, LLP or pdq, whatever names they use) is a phony, fictitious name, also illegal under Texas law, and use of it in connection with the collection of debt is also unlawful. They have failed to register any of their phony names with the Midland County Clerk or, in the case of their corporate alter ego, with the Secretary of State. The Beckers hold some interest in a legitimate Texas corporation (SCAT Corp.--get it? scat, as in offal?). However, I expect in my lawsuit in the federal court in Illinois that I'll get an order (quo warranto) ousting the corporation from its franchise. See, a corporation cannot engage in all these illegal activities without recourse to consumers like you and me.
In Texas, an action in quo warranto must be brought by the district attorney, so please do write to them and encourage this.
The Beckers will probably just adopt a different phony name or move somewhere else where they can continue to rip people off. A debt collector in Texas is required to procure a surety bond. The Beckers did, but their bond has been canceled. The bond they did have was also under one of their phony names. How the insurance company allowed this to happen is just shameful (Unitrin Ins. Co.). Those of you who've been harmed between the dates of the issuance of the bond under the phony name and the date of its cancellation may be able to prosecute a claim against the insurance company. I'd encourage you to try.
You may also contact the local law enforcement officials to complain of their illegal conduct. The Midland County, Texas District Attorney and Texas Attorney General are presently looking into our allegations, and I predict one or the other will be bringing suit very soon (how'd'ya like that, ol' Dan, you lying, cheating p***k?). I don't want to post it here without contacting her first. I'll also let her know of this thread and encourage the District Attorney to post a release or contact info.
Ken
Loda, Illinois
U.S.A.