The CBE Group has an unusual distinction in the debt collection industry: they are one of a small number of agencies authorized by the IRS to collect federal tax debt. That government partnership adds a layer of authority to their calls that most collection agencies simply cannot claim – and it may be exactly why their contact feels more urgent and harder to ignore than a typical collector.
Quick Takeaway: CBE Group is a real, IRS-authorized collector founded in 1933 – but seven federal lawsuits between 2017 and 2024 document unlawful collection fees, misleading balance letters, and collection on already-settled accounts. If they are calling without leaving voicemails or sending unexplained texts, that behavior is deliberate. You have the right to demand written validation before paying anything.
But their IRS authorization does not exempt them from the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Between 2017 and 2024, CBE Group faced at least seven documented federal lawsuits – several of them class actions – alleging deceptive collection fees, misleading debt letters, and collection on already-settled accounts. If they are contacting you, understanding what that record shows is the right place to start.
If the CBE Group has violated your rights, you may recover up to $1,000 in statutory damages plus attorney fees. Call +1 844-638-1122 for a free consultation with The Wood Firm PLLC.
What Is The CBE Group
The CBE Group, Inc. (also known as CBE Companies) is a third-party debt collection agency headquartered in Cedar Falls, Iowa, founded in 1933. They also operate offices in Waterloo, Iowa, and have expanded nationally.
Their formal legal name has changed over time – consumers searching “the cbe group inc-formerly vac” are recognizing a name that appeared on older correspondence.
CBE Group collects for clients across financial services, telecommunications, utilities, healthcare, and government accounts. Their most distinctive client relationship is with the IRS: CBE is one of a small number of private collection agencies authorized under the federal Private Debt Collection program to collect certain federal tax debts on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service. That program requires CBE to meet strict IRS security and privacy standards.
Contact information:
- Phone: (855) 459-1134
- Additional numbers reported by consumers include various 855 and 800 prefixes
Also known as: CBE Companies, CBE Companies Inc., The CBE Group Inc., The CBE Group Inc.-Formerly VAC
Why Is The CBE Group Calling Me
The CBE Group may be contacting you about a debt owed to one of its clients. Their documented client sectors include:
- Federal tax debt (IRS): CBE is an authorized IRS private collection agency. If you have an outstanding federal tax balance, the IRS has referred to a private collector, CBE Group, which may legitimately be calling on behalf of the government.
- Telecommunications: Including Verizon accounts – Verizon appears explicitly in the Silberstein, Madar, and Pinyuk lawsuits against CBE.
- Healthcare and medical debt
- Utilities and cable providers: Charter Communications (Spectrum) appears in consumer reports.
- Financial services and retail credit
- eBay accounts: Consumer reports include collection on eBay-related balances.
If you have an IRS debt and CBE Group contacts you, verify the call is legitimate before providing any information. The IRS will always send you a written notice before a private collector calls, and legitimate IRS-authorized collectors will never demand immediate payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. If the call does not follow this protocol, it may be a scam using CBE’s name.
If you do not recognize the debt they are referencing, request written validation before acknowledging anything.
Does CBE Group Call Without Leaving a Voicemail?
Yes – and this is the most-searched question about CBE Group, with over 160 combined impressions from people asking exactly this.
CBE Group frequently calls without leaving a voicemail. This is not accidental. Debt collectors face legal restrictions on voicemail content: under the FDCPA, a voicemail that reveals the call is about a debt collection – to anyone who might hear it – can constitute an illegal third-party disclosure. Many agencies, including CBE, choose to call without leaving messages rather than risk the compliance exposure.
The result from your end: repeated calls with no voicemail, no explanation, and no way to know why they keep calling.
What you can do: answer one call and ask them to identify themselves and confirm the debt in writing. Alternatively, if the number matches CBE’s known lines, you can call back and request written verification before any further conversation.
Does CBE Group Send Text Messages?
Yes. CBE Group sends text messages as a standard contact channel. Consumer reports describe texts from CBE referencing account numbers and directing recipients to their payment portal or a callback number.
Before responding to any text from CBE Group:
- Verify the number is a confirmed CBE line
- Do not click payment links without independently confirming the account through their official website
- Request written debt validation if you do not recognize the debt
Under the TCPA, automated text messages to your cell phone without your prior express consent may constitute a separate legal violation – each text potentially worth $500 to $1,500 in damages. If you never consented to text contact from CBE and they have been texting you, document every message.
Who Does The CBE Group Collect For
CBE Group works with creditors across multiple sectors. Named clients and client types documented in lawsuits and consumer complaints include:
- IRS – authorized private collection agency for certain federal tax debts
- Verizon Wireless – specifically named in the Silberstein (2024), Madar (2017), and Pinyuk (2017) cases
- Charter Communications / Spectrum – appears in consumer complaints
- eBay – consumer reports of CBE collecting on marketplace-related accounts
- Medical providers – including dental and hospital accounts (Lindenbach 2017 case involved medical debt)
- Utilities and telecom broadly
The IRS relationship is the most unusual. If CBE is calling about a tax debt, the IRS should have sent you an IRS notice first (CP40 or similar) identifying CBE as your assigned collector. If you did not receive that notice, request it before engaging with CBE’s calls.
The CBE Group Lawsuits – A Pattern in the Court Record
CBE Group has accumulated at least seven documented federal cases between 2017 and 2024. Several share a common thread: misrepresenting what consumers owe.
- Silberstein v. The CBE Group, Inc. (2024): Alleged CBE illegally attempted to collect on a Verizon Wireless account that had already been settled. Collecting on a debt the consumer already paid is a documented FDCPA violation.
- Madar v. The CBE Group, Inc. (2017): Class action claiming CBE demanded an unlawful “collection fee” on a Verizon account – a fee the consumer never agreed to, and CBE had no legal basis to add.
- Pinyuk v. The CBE Group, Inc. (2017): Alleged CBE demanded a fraudulent collection fee and misrepresented the total debt amount on a Verizon account.
- Carall v. The CBE Group, Inc. (2017): Alleged CBE failed to accurately convey the total debt owed by adding collection fees that distorted the balance.
- Dwyer v. The CBE Group, Inc. (2017): Proposed class action alleging CBE failed to disclose whether a stated “Current Balance” was accruing interest or fees – leaving consumers unable to determine what they actually owed.
- Vytlacil et al v. The CBE Group, Inc. (2017): Alleged CBE sent “abusive” letters threatening negative credit reporting within a timeframe that conflicted with consumers’ validation rights – effectively threatening consequences before the consumer had time to legally dispute.
- Lindenbach et al v. The CBE Group, Inc. (2017): Alleged deceptive or misleading letters concerning medical debt.
The pattern across these cases: unlawful fees, misleading balance disclosures, and collection on settled or disputed accounts. If CBE has sent you a letter and the balance includes fees you do not recognize, or the amount does not match your records, that mirrors the documented litigation directly.
Can The CBE Group Garnish My Wages?
Yes – but only under specific conditions. CBE Group cannot garnish your wages simply because you owe a debt. Wage garnishment requires a court judgment first, obtained through a lawsuit in which you had the opportunity to respond.
The one significant exception is IRS debt. Federal tax debt collection operates under different rules, and if CBE is collecting an IRS-referred balance, the government has additional enforcement tools that do not require a separate civil lawsuit. If CBE is calling about IRS debt and mentioning garnishment, take it more seriously than a garnishment threat on a standard consumer account.
For all other debt types: a garnishment threat without a prior court judgment may itself violate the FDCPA. Document the exact language used if CBE threatens garnishment – that statement is potentially actionable.
Does CBE Group Report to Credit Bureaus?
Yes. CBE Group reports collection accounts to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. A collection account from CBE can appear on your credit report and remain for seven years from the original date of delinquency.
If CBE has reported an account you dispute, you have grounds to challenge it under the FCRA if the information is inaccurate. Given the documented pattern in the Dwyer case – where CBE allegedly misrepresented whether balances would increase – it is worth checking whether the balance reported to the bureaus matches what they claimed you owe.
Request your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and dispute any inaccurate CBE entries directly with the bureaus.
How to Stop The CBE Group From Calling You
Document every contact first. Date, time, phone number, what was said – especially any mention of fees, legal action, or credit reporting. Given the Vytlacil case allegation that CBE threatened credit reporting within the validation window, the timing of their threats matters.
Request debt validation in writing within 30 days of first contact. CBE must provide proof of the debt, the original creditor’s name, and the exact amount – including confirmation of whether the balance includes any fees. Their history of unlawful fee allegations makes that last point especially important.
Send a cease-and-desist letter via certified mail with return receipt if calls continue. Once received, CBE may only contact you to confirm cessation or notify you of specific legal action.
If CBE is calling about IRS debt, verify the IRS sent you a CP40 notice first. If they did not, contact the IRS directly before engaging with CBE.
Contact The Wood Firm PLLC at +1 844-638-1122 if harassment continues after you have asserted your rights.
How The Wood Firm PLLC Stops The CBE Group
CBE Group’s seven-lawsuit record – concentrated in 2017 but extending to 2024 – gives us specific documented patterns to investigate from the start: unlawful fees in letters, misleading balance disclosures, and collection on settled accounts. Any letter they sent you is worth examining against those patterns.
When you contact us, we review every communication CBE sent, send legal notice immediately, and pursue compensation for every documented FDCPA, FCRA, or TCPA violation. Calls typically stop within 48 hours of legal notice.
You pay nothing unless we win. If we prevail, CBE pays the attorney fees.
Call +1 844-638-1122 for a free consultation. Consumers dealing with similar deceptive collection tactics from major agencies have recovered statutory damages with no out-of-pocket cost.
About Attorney Jeff Wood
Jeff Wood is an attorney based in Arkansas with over 15 years of experience in consumer protection, focusing on FDCPA, FCRA, and TCPA violations. The Wood Firm PLLC maintains Of Counsel relationships with attorneys licensed in Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia.
Common Questions About The CBE Group
Why does CBE Group call but leave no voicemail?
To avoid FDCPA third-party disclosure violations, a voicemail revealing a debt collection call could be heard by others. They call repeatedly hoping you answer rather than risk the compliance exposure of leaving a message.
Does CBE Group send text messages?
Yes. Text messages directing you to a payment portal or callback number are a standard CBE contact method. If you never consented to automated texts, each message may be a separate TCPA violation worth $500 to $1,500.
Is CBE Group legitimate or a scam?
CBE Group is a real, registered collection agency founded in 1933. However, seven federal lawsuits including multiple class actions document a pattern of misleading fees and deceptive letters. Verify any debt independently before paying anything.
Does CBE Group collect for the IRS?
Yes. CBE is an IRS-authorized private collection agency for certain federal tax debts. If CBE calls about an IRS balance, the IRS should have sent you a CP40 notice first. If they demand payment by gift card or wire transfer, that is a scam – not legitimate IRS collection.
Who is “The CBE Group Inc-Formerly VAC”?
VAC (Vance & Associates Collection) was a previous name under which CBE operated. If that name appears on older letters or credit reports, it refers to the same company.
Can CBE Group garnish my wages?
Only after obtaining a court judgment, except for IRS-referred federal tax debt which operates under different rules. A garnishment threat on a standard consumer account without a prior judgment may violate the FDCPA.
Does CBE Group report to credit bureaus?
Yes – to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Dispute any inaccurate CBE entry under the FCRA. Given documented cases where CBE misrepresented debt balances, verify the reported amount matches what you actually owed.
How do I contact The Wood Firm PLLC about CBE Group?
Call +1 844-638-1122 or visit protectionforconsumers.com. Calls from CBE typically stop within 48 hours of legal notice – you pay nothing unless we win.
