If you've noticed a strange number like 800-360-7315 appearing on your caller ID, you're probably wondering who is behind it and why they are calling you.
The answer is Midland Credit Management (MCM), a debt collection company. The reason for their call is that they believe you owe them money.
But there's a catch - they didn't lend you this money. Instead, they bought your debt from the original lender, most likely for a few cents on the dollar, and now they are coming after you to collect.
MCM is the largest debt buyer in the U.S. and a subsidiary of Encore Capital Group. In this article, we will look at who MCM is, why they are calling you, the complaints other consumers have made against them, and what you can do to stop the harassment.
Contact Information for Midland Credit Management
Company Name: Midland Credit Management, Inc.
Entity Type: Debt buyer and third-party collection agency
Parent Company: Encore Capital Group, Inc.
Headquarters: San Diego, CA
Year Founded: 1953
Employee Count: Approximately 4,000 employees across 24 U.S. locations
Service Area: All 50 states plus Puerto Rico
Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating: A+ (not accredited); 1,051 complaints in the last three years
A History of Illegal Practices
If you feel like calls from 800-360-7315 are harassing you, you are not alone. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), 42 state attorneys general, and private class-action lawsuits have collectively fined MCM and its parent company over $230 million in penalties and consumer relief.
In 2022, Massachusetts reached a settlement agreement with MCM for calling consumers as many as 15 times in a single seven-day period, when the state only allows up to two calls in that time frame.
Why is MCM Calling You?
MCM Calls Because They Own Your Debt
When you get a call from the original creditor trying to collect a debt you owe them directly, that is a first-party collection call. But calls from 800-360-7315 are different. This is a debt buyer calling you to collect on a charged-off consumer debt they purchased through their affiliate, Midland Funding, LLC.
Between 2009 and 2015, Encore Capital Group spent approximately $4 billion to purchase around 60 million charged-off consumer debts totaling $128 billion. In 2024, the company bought a record $1 billion in U.S. debt portfolios, so you can expect the calls from 800-360-7315 to continue.
What Kinds of Debts Does MCM Collect?
While MCM collects on most types of consumer debts, the majority of debts they pursue are credit card debts. Many complaints against MCM mention debts from the following original creditors: Synchrony Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, Citibank, Comenity Bank, and Discover.
Other debts MCM collects on include retail store credit, personal loans, telecommunications, utilities, and auto loan deficiency balances.
The type of debt MCM is collecting can impact their collection strategy. Most of the credit card debts they collect lack extensive documentation, and there is often a significant gap between what they paid for the debt and what they can actually prove. That can make a difference if you need to dispute the debt MCM is reporting on your credit.
What Other Consumers Say About Calls from 800-360-7315
Late Night and Frequent Calling
According to RoboKiller, there have been over 38,000 calls from this phone number, and 327 consumers have identified it as a blocked number with a poor reputation.
One CallFilter user reports, "They called at 9 pm, I was in bed because I have to get up early for work. They will call multiple times per day. I do not answer anything marked spam. Did not leave a voicemail."
Another consumer said, "No idea who they are. Phone just identified a phone number, no name. Called at 856pm! No message."
These calls are coming at night when consumers are least prepared to deal with a collection agency.
Calling the Wrong Person or Debt
Some consumers report calls from MCM for debts they do not owe at all. A YouMail user simply says, "I have no outstanding debts."
Another YouMail user goes even further, saying, "Scam collectors. MCM buys up old debt then hassles people to try to collect from anyone who even resembles the name or their relatives. This is a disgraceful company that needs to be shut down. I'm currently suing them for illegal practices and harassment."
On 800notes, a consumer describes a call from MCM where the representative would not give their name, "Called didn't identify said a name couldn't make out what she was saying. I asked her WHO they was she said we will call back later. Why call back if you just called."
This consumer is right to question why the agent wouldn't identify themselves and their company, as that's a required disclosure under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
MCM's History of Regulatory Action
Enforcement Actions by the CFPB
The CFPB has brought two enforcement actions against MCM. In 2015, the Bureau issued a consent order against MCM for collecting debts they knew were not valid, filing lawsuits on debts they had no intention of proving, and using robo-signed affidavits.
The consent order imposed a $10 million civil penalty, up to $42 million in consumer relief, and a $125 million reduction in debt collection.
In 2020, the CFPB sued MCM again for violating the terms of the consent order. The new action added another $15 million in penalties and extended the conduct provisions of the consent order for another five years.
Actions by State Attorneys General and Private Class Actions
In 2018, 42 state attorneys general reached a settlement with Encore and MCM resolving allegations of robo-signing and attempting to collect time-barred debts.
There was also a $20.5 million class action settlement in 2018 resolving allegations that MCM used an automated dialing system to call consumers' cell phones without their consent. The potential class members in this case may have totaled as many as 41 million consumers.
These are not minor infractions. They represent a pattern and practice of conduct by the company calling you from 800-360-7315.
The Power of Disputing Your Credit Report
Why You Should Dispute Your Credit Report
The single most effective step you can take right now is not to answer your phone. It is to request a copy of your credit report and dispute any inaccurate, unverifiable, or improperly reported debt that MCM has placed there. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that everything on your credit report be accurate and verifiable.
If MCM cannot verify a debt they are reporting, the credit reporting bureaus must delete it.
This is how the economics of debt collection work. It costs money for a collector to litigate, document, and verify a debt. Given a choice between investing that money in your debt or the thousands of others on their books that are producing revenue, they would rather not bother. When you force them to verify or delete, they often choose the latter.
Once you successfully dispute and remove an item from your report, the collector does not have the ability to re-report it. Removal is a permanent solution to the problem.
Working with a Consumer Advocacy Firm
When you work with a professional advocacy firm to dispute the debt on your credit report, you send a powerful message that this consumer will not go away. MCM is far more likely to resolve the problem when they know a consumer advocacy firm is involved and prepared to escalate if necessary.
This is not just about a credit report. This is about your financial identity. You have the right to control your financial identity and refuse to accept inaccurate reporting just because a big company placed it there. You have the right to demand that they show you their proof. And when they have no proof, you have the right to demand that they delete it.
Why You Should Not Settle the Debt Directly
The Dangers of Settling Without Verification
Some consumers reading this right now are considering calling MCM to settle the debt directly to make the calls stop. That might sound like a viable strategy, but approach it with caution. How the settlement is reported can help or hurt your credit score. A settled debt can still be reported as a negative item, and if the debt is forgiven, you may owe taxes on the debt.
But the more serious issue here is that when you settle a debt, you are validating that it is yours. If this is not your debt or if it is outside the statute of limitations, you are giving MCM credit for a debt they may not have been able to collect. Disputing your credit report puts the burden of proof where it belongs - on the debt collector.
Information is Power
MCM purchased your debt for pennies on the dollar. They file over 600 lawsuits every month, but part of their strategy is to count on consumers not challenging the validity of the debt. When you understand the documentation on your debt may be incomplete, you have power that no one on the phone can ever take away from you.
The calls from 800-360-7315 are designed to create urgency. A credit report dispute is designed to create accountability.
The Bottom Line
Midland Credit Management is the largest debt buyer in the United States. They are a subsidiary of a company with over $1.3 billion in annual revenue. They have the money to keep calling you.
But they have also been held accountable for their illegal practices. They have been penalized for collecting debts they could not prove and calling people who did not owe them money.
You do not have to live with inaccurate information on your credit report. A well-placed credit report dispute can force MCM to verify the debt or lose the tradeline.
What to Do Next
If you are getting unwanted calls from 800-360-7315, the professionals at FightCollections.com can help. We specialize in disputing invalid collection accounts and making debt collectors comply with their obligations under federal consumer protection laws. Contact us today to start taking back your financial future.
