Investment Retrievers, Inc. is a California company founded in 2001 that describes itself as a third-party collection agency and debt purchaser. It offers pre-litigation, post-charge-off and post-judgment collection services.
- Type
- Collection agency and debt buyer
- Also known as
- Investment Retrievers, Inc.; IRI
- Headquarters
- Folsom, CA
- Collects
- charged-off consumer accounts, accounts with court judgments
- Phone numbers it lists
- (888) 610-4701, (916) 941-8851
- Website
- investment-retrievers.com
77 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about Investment Retrievers, Inc. from November 13, 2023 to November 12, 2026. A complaint is a consumer's account, not a finding that the company broke the law. Read the complaints in the CFPB database.
Who Is Investment Retrievers?
Investment Retrievers, Inc. says it was founded in 2001 by Joel Cohen and Sammy Cemo and calls itself "a seasoned third-party collection agency and debt purchaser." Its website gives a mailing address of PO Box 4733, El Dorado Hills, California 95762. Its Better Business Bureau profile lists an office at 950 Glenn Drive, Suite 160, Folsom, California 95630, and incorporation in September 2001.
The website lists NMLS ID 934568 and California license 10671-99. Its numbers are (888) 610-4701 toll-free and (916) 941-8851 locally. It also texts from (888) 653-8940 and sends outbound-only texts from (866) 525-0342.
We did not find a CFPB enforcement action against Investment Retrievers.
Why Investment Retrievers May Be Contacting You
Investment Retrievers' public pages don't name its clients or the kinds of debt it buys. The BBB profile describes its services as pre-litigation work, post-charge-off collections and post-judgment legal services. So a contact from IRI usually concerns an account a lender or other creditor has already written off. It may be collecting for that creditor, or it may own the account itself after buying it.
The difference matters. If IRI owns the debt, any lawsuit would be filed in its name or a related name, and it would have to prove the chain of ownership from the original creditor. If it is collecting for someone else, that client is the party that could sue.
How to Check a Debt Investment Retrievers Says You Owe
- Ask whether IRI owns the account. The validation notice (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34) must name the current creditor. If it's IRI, ask for the bill of sale and the account-level data showing your account was included.
- Compare the charge-off balance. Regulation F requires an itemization from a reference date, often the charge-off. Check it against your last statement and look for added interest or fees.
- Dispute in writing on time. A written dispute within the validation period stops collection until IRI sends verification.
- Check whether a judgment already exists. If IRI says it is collecting a judgment, ask for the court, cause number and date. You can confirm them with the court clerk.
- Know the limitation period. Texas gives four years to sue on most consumer debts (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers cannot sue on time-barred consumer debt there (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307; see HB 996). Other states have their own rules.
What Investment Retrievers Can and Can't Do
IRI is covered by the FDCPA in two ways. As a collection agency, it collects debts owed to others (15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6)). As a debt purchaser, it is covered when the principal purpose of its business is collecting debts. Henson v. Santander Consumer USA (2017) held that a buyer collecting its own debts is not covered by the separate "regularly collects for another" test.
- It may not sue or threaten to sue on a time-barred debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.26(b)).
- It may not misrepresent who owns the debt or the amount owed (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(2)).
- After a judgment, Texas exemptions still protect your homestead, most personal property and current wages; see our guide to protected property claims.
- It must follow Regulation F's call limits (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)).
See our FDCPA attorneys page if you have questions.
We Sue Debt Collectors That Break the FDCPA
Texas Debt Law files Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lawsuits against debt collectors in federal court for consumers in Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia and Colorado. If Investment Retrievers or anyone collecting for it harassed you, misstated what you owe, threatened action it could not take, or told others about your debt, you may have a claim. A court can order a collector that violated the FDCPA to pay your actual damages, up to $1,000 in additional statutory damages, and your attorney's fees and costs (15 U.S.C. § 1692k(a)). An FDCPA claim generally must be filed within one year of the violation (§ 1692k(d)), so keep your letters, call logs, voicemails and screenshots, and talk to us early. Texas residents may also have claims under the Texas Debt Collection Act. Learn more from our FDCPA attorneys.
Free FDCPA Case Review(214) 851-2250
Or start your free case evaluation online. No lawyer can promise a result; every claim depends on its facts and proof.
Sources
- Investment Retrievers: home page
- Investment Retrievers: About us
- BBB business profile: Investment Retrievers, Inc.
- CFPB enforcement actions search
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: Investment Retrievers, Inc., debt collection
This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that Investment Retrievers has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date.