The person actually called back impersonating a police officer stating that he can have arrested for fraud. But when I called the number back which connected me to the police station, They said that they didn't have a person by the name that was given to me on the roles. Oh did I mention that he had an indian accent.
I received a call from this number saying that there is a fraud suit against me. They were calling me on behalf of a cash advance that I applied for in the past. They said that I owe a balance of $398.00. My question to this person was how come this is the first time hearing about this. Since the company has my address, why didn't the contact me by mail and I would have resolved it at that time. I am not handing over any money until I can verify the information. This is not the first time that I have received calls about this. I check my bank statements frequently and the cash advances that I applied for have been deducted from my account. I would appreciate an investigation into this matter.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:
is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.
If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:
Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.
Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.
Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft – charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.
Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate – but you think the collector may not be – contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.>
The person actually called back impersonating a police officer stating that he can have arrested for fraud. But when I called the number back which connected me to the police station, They said that they didn't have a person by the name that was given to me on the roles. Oh did I mention that he had an indian accent.
I on the other hand just gave away $778.38 by getting scammed. Its funny, the things they tell you seem impossible but just on the off 1% chance that it could be true, when it is you it is pretty frightening and I did the most irrational thing possible for the most irrational request.
They told me I owed money $778.38 for a loan and court fees, the even called me with a "911" number. Embarrassingly, I took out some payday loans and this was for one of them. I was so worried that I let one go to default by accident and they threatened to "drag me in to court" and get me fired from my job and even told me I would never be able to take out a loan for the rest of my life.
So they gave me 30 minutes to run to a Wal-Mart and purchase a Greendot Moneygram for this amount so I rushed to get it in fear of being arrested and losing my job. I paid them, they said they would call me back once the funds went through. An hour later, I called them since I never heard from them and they said, "they talked to their client and the State Attorney General and since I had other debt, I would have to pay all of my debts in order to keep them from 'dragging me to the court house'." They said I would have to pay an additional $1,900 to get out of everything. At that point, I really didn't have the money to pay them so I begged for an extra day to try to gather the funds. They begrudgingly agreed and in the meantime I sought legal advise and I was told of the scam.
Now I am out $778.38 and maybe I deserve it but hopefully someone will read this and I can at least save someone else the money.