Date Posted: 
Thursday, April 27, 2023

Updated: April 27, 2023
Originally Posted: April 06, 2023
Alert Number: CA056248_3/29/23(3/24)

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) has received a complaint from a Washington State consumer against “Plainview Lenders.”  The consumer reported the company offered the borrower a loan after asking for all interests paid prior; once the payment was received the borrower did not receive the loan or the refund.

Plainview Lenders is not licensed to offer any consumer loan in the State of Washington by the Department, by WA State Department of Licensing, by WA State Department of Revenue, or by the WA State Secretary of State.

In its correspondence with the consumer, Plainview Lenders provided the subsequent contact information (note, this information could not be verified by the Department):

315 5th Ave. S.
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone 877*830*3428
[www.plainviewlenders.com]

“Plainview Lenders” is not affiliated with and should not be confused with the following similarly named businesses:

PlainView Lending, LLC (NMLS #1779293). Previously licensed in TX only, no longer currently active.

Plainview Financial Services (NMLS # 1669256). Previously licensed in MD only, no longer currently active.

DFI cautions that unlicensed entities often engage in certain practices that indicate they are committing a fraud or otherwise violating Washington State law.  For instance, such entities often use non-business email addresses (such as -@gmail.com, @yahoo.com, or other similar easily obtained email addresses) to send correspondence, threaten legal or criminal action if consumers do not reply immediately, or contain a variety of typographical and spelling errors in their correspondence to consumers. 

However, at times, e-mails or letters from unlicensed entities engaging in fraudulent activity will contain accurate personal information, such as current or past addresses, active phone numbers, or social security numbers.  The Department encourages consumers who receive communications containing personal information to contact their banks, credit reporting agencies, and the Social Security Administration to ensure there is no unauthorized activity on their accounts.

Debt Collection Laws

If you received a loan from a lender or owed money to a business and someone other than the lender or business is now attempting to collect from you, the collection activity may be subject to the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).  If you receive a communication from a party claiming that a debt is owed, you should request a “written validation notice,” which must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the FDCPA.  If you have questions regarding debt collection laws, contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP, or online at www.ftc.gov.

If someone threatens to garnish your wages, contact your employer, or uses threatening, intimidating, or offensive language, report such actions to state and federal regulators. See below for how to contact the appropriate state and federal regulator.

Report Suspicious Activity, Scams or Fraud 

Washington State residents only: If you suspect illegal or fraudulent activity involving a financial product or service, please contact the Department at 1-877-RING-DFI (746-4334), or online at www.dfi.wa.gov.

If you feel you have been the victim of a scam please contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357) or online at www.ftc.gov; or contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (855) 411-CFPB (2372) or online at www.consumerfinance.gov.  You may also wish to contact the Office of the Attorney general at www.atg.wa.gov.

If you feel you have been the victim of a scam involving the internet please contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center online at www.ic3.gov.

If you live in another state, go to this webpage to find the regulator in your home state