Southern Financial Systems, Inc. is a licensed and bonded collection agency in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, most of whose clients are Mississippi businesses and public bodies. It may contact you about a medical bill, a utility account, a fine or another local balance.
- Type
- Collection agency
- Also known as
- Southern Financial Systems, Inc.; SFS
- Headquarters
- Hattiesburg, MS
- Collects
- medical bills, utility bills, court fines, property management balances, retail and contract accounts, returned checks, bank and credit union accounts
- Phone numbers it lists
- (601) 268-2927
- Website
- sfscollect.com
31 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about Southern Financial Systems, 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 Southern Financial Systems?
Southern Financial Systems, Inc. (SFS) describes itself as a licensed and bonded collection agency that works on nonperforming debt. Its physical office is at 2603 Oak Grove Road, Suite B, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with a mailing address at P.O. Box 15203, Hattiesburg. The company says its team has more than 40 years of combined collection experience, and it states that it is on the federal GSA Schedule.
SFS says it works with more than 350 clients nationwide, about 90% of them Mississippi companies.
Why Southern Financial Systems May Be Contacting You
SFS lists hospitals, clinics, banks, credit unions, counties, municipalities, courts and utility companies among its clients. Its "facts" page says it collects medical bills, retail and contract accounts, past-due fines, property management accounts, dishonored checks, and credit card and bank accounts. In practice, a notice from SFS may be about:
- a bill from a hospital or clinic;
- a final water, gas or electric bill from a local utility;
- an unpaid court fine or municipal charge;
- a balance with an apartment complex or property manager; or
- a returned check or a bank or credit union balance.
The office number is (601) 268-2927, and SFS lists an email address on its site for account status questions.
How to Check a Debt Southern Financial Systems Says You Owe
Because SFS handles both consumer debts and government charges, start by figuring out what kind of obligation this is.
- Identify the creditor and the type of charge. For a consumer debt, the validation notice must name the creditor and itemize the balance (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34).
- Dispute in writing within the validation period. Ask for the itemized bill, the service address and dates, and records of payments you made.
- Ask whether the account was sold. SFS describes itself as working for clients, so the original creditor should still own the account; confirm it.
- Check utilities and deposits. For a final utility bill, make sure any deposit was credited and the closing date is right.
- Watch the age of the debt. Texas uses a four-year limitations period for most debt suits (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers cannot sue on time-barred consumer debt here (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Mississippi and other states have their own periods.
What Southern Financial Systems Can and Can't Do
For consumer debts such as medical, utility and retail accounts, a third-party agency is a "debt collector" under 15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6). Court fines and similar government charges usually do not come from a consumer transaction, so the FDCPA may not cover them, although other law may. For consumer debts:
- It may not use false or misleading statements, including implying it is part of a court or government office when it is not (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(1), (9)).
- It may not threaten legal action it does not intend to take.
- Medical collections that are paid or under $500 should not appear on reports from the national credit bureaus. See our medical debt reporting article.
- It must presumptively limit calls to seven in seven days per debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)).
We did not find a CFPB enforcement action against Southern Financial Systems. Our Texas FDCPA attorneys page explains how we evaluate collection conduct.
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 Southern Financial Systems 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
- Southern Financial Systems: home page
- Southern Financial Systems: Facts about SFS
- CFPB enforcement actions list
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: Southern Financial Systems, Inc., debt collection
This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that Southern Financial Systems has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date.