| Palisade describes itself as an "American diversified | | | | were more than 675,000 names in all. Palisades, aka |
| financial services company." They offer the following | | | | Asta Funding, disguised as a New Jersey law firm |
| range of services: | | | | named Pressler & Pressler, bought the stolen |
| •   debt collection services; | | | | information, along with several other collection firms, |
| •   debt consolidation services; | | | | and then used it to harass these people for outdated |
| •   collection agency software; | | | | debts. |
| •   collection attorney software; | | | | Numerous complaints emerged to the Department of |
| •   debt collection software; | | | | Banking and Insurance against Palisades Collection |
| •   credit card originating; | | | | Agency and attention was granted to them stopping |
| •   credit card processing; | | | | the conspiracy. Prosecuting attorneys in New Jersey |
| •   bad debt servicing; | | | | called the acts: "crimes that would make Al Capone |
| •   debt settlement; | | | | blush." The official charges lodged against Palisades |
| •   and many other similar | | | | were called Grand Larceny - multiple counts. |
| services. | | | | When a debt collection agency engages in such |
| Palisades, aka Asta Funding was ranked the absolute | | | | activities, it should be banished from ever doing |
| worst in customer service amongst competing | | | | business again. The ringleaders of this atrocity should, |
| collection agencies. Furthermore, they are proven | | | | of course, still be incarcerated with no chance of |
| crooks. Now, every collection agency has their share | | | | release. However, Palisades is still a thriving entity. |
| of disgruntled debtors that lash out. Palisades | | | | The politics of the corrupt legal system have once |
| collection agency however, has lawsuit after lawsuit | | | | again failed to truly protect consumers. |
| filed against them by those disgruntled consumers as | | | | It would be highly recommended to be extremely |
| well as the Federal Trade Commission itself. | | | | suspicious if you are ever contacted by Palisades |
| Palisades was a key player in a long-running scheme | | | | Collection Agency representatives. It's difficult to |
| with a multi-convicted criminal named Orazio Lembo. | | | | imagine how the US government allows these |
| He would pay bank employees from Bank of | | | | criminals to continue to operate. Certainly get |
| America, Commerce Bank, Wachovia, PNC and | | | | everything in writing if you ever have the |
| several others for personal information, including the | | | | unfortunate displeasure of having to deal with them. |
| social security numbers, of account holders. There | | | | |