Received call last week from jeff smith(heavy foreign accent) from federal legislation of unsecured loans stating the local police would be at my home the following day with a supoena to make me appear in CA court . This is from a payday loan that I supposedly took out in summer of 2009. The amt. I owed was over 800.00. Since reading all these postings I kept asking questions "what can I do about this?" He stated "what do you want to do about it?" I said I do not want to go to court and then he began telling me I could pay the full amount. I said I could not do that. I asked about installments and he said fine I needed to send an authorization letter to another man who also had the last name of smith. The letter needed to be notorized and faxed within a few hours. In the letter i needed to include my debit card # address, dates that payments would be made (the first one being immediately). I kept asking more questions like which police dept. would come to my home if I did not pay, would i be receiving my case documents in the mail etc. He told me my employer would also be receiving my criminal record. I told him I understood and hung up. Right after i hung up I went to my local police they told me that they do not become involved in civil cases(not paying back a loan) and it sounded like a scam. I faxed nothing and did not receive any calls back from the federal legislation of unsecured loans. I think because I kept Mr. Smith on the phone for a good deal of time he knew that I was on to him. I kept asking him to repeat himself so I could write everything down accurately. I notified the FTC and put alerts on my accts. and with the credit bureaus. If you google federal legislation of unsecured loans there is quite a bit of useful information on this company. By the way police did not come to my home- nothing came in the mail for my court date (which has now passed). Somehow these people need to be stopped.
This person called my job and home on the same day. Caller id shows 310-974-8957 and he left return phone number of 213-234-7592. Obviously foreign - middle eastern - heavy accent and so broken that I could not make out his name or his company. He said something like he was with Federal Credit trying to sound like an official. He used strange terminology like "if you do not return the call, I feel sorry for you for the legal consquences that will unfold on you." Other websites say they claim that you owe a payday loan that is bogus and they are very rude. I requested a loan online recently and I think my information was sent out to 3rd parties and the websites were not secure. I am changing bank accounts and hiring an attorney. Do not apply for payday loans online. Very dangerous and your identity can be stolen!
Consumer Alert: Attorney General warns Kansans of debt collection scam
January 29, 2010 -- Attorney General Steve Six is cautioning Kansas consumers about telephone calls from apparent fake debt collectors who are impersonating law enforcement officers in an effort to extort money from consumers. Consumers are warned to not submit payments to these fraudulent debt collectors.
When calling, the scammers most often state they are attempting to collect a debt related to an internet payday loan obtained by the consumer, but which the consumer never repaid. Consumers state they have never obtained such a loan or paid off the loan years ago. The scam artists have most recently identified themselves as ACS, National Affidavit Processing Department and United Financial Crime Division, but may use additional phony names. It appears the phone numbers used by the scammers are “spoofed” numbers, so that the number appearing on a consumer’s caller ID is not the actual number of where the call originated. It appears the calls in question may be originating from outside the United States.
When questioned, the individual calling refuses to disclose the full name or address of the collection agency they claim to represent. These scammers have been able to provide consumers with identifying information, such as the consumer’s social security number, home address, e-mail address, names of family members and the consumer’s computer IP address. Since the callers are able to provide valid personal information, consumers may become confused and believe they are being contacted in regard to a legitimate debt.
If the initial debt collection scam is unsuccessful, consumers have been re-contacted months later with the scammers posing as law enforcement officers or officers of the court. Typically, the consumer is threatened with arrest for fraud or some other fictitious crime unless the consumer agrees to immediately wire money via Western Union. The fictitious officers strive to frighten and confuse consumers into compliance by using legal sounding terms such as “We’re filing an affidavit against you” or by stating a lawsuit has been or is in the process of being filed against the consumer.
A hallmark of each scam has been calling consumers repeatedly at their place of employment. This scam hit home when an employee of the Kansas Attorney General’s Office was repeatedly called both on her cell phone and at work. Despite the employee’s repeated verbal disputes, the caller refused to provide any identifying information to allow her to send a written dispute. The scammer also continued to call her numerous times a day regarding a payday loan she denied obtaining. Two months later, she was again contacted by telephone by an individual identifying himself as an “officer”.
“I denied owing the debt and refused to pay without being provided validation of the debt. I was then told, ‘If that’s the case, I will have local law enforcement come to your place of business and drag you out kicking and screaming’,” stated the employee.
“It is important for consumers to know their rights under the law,” Attorney General Six said. “If a consumer is receiving calls from a debt collection company and believe it is a scam, I encourage them to contact our office immediately.”
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), collectors are required to send consumers a written notice within five days of the initial contact. The notification should contain information such as the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed and a statement informing the consumer they have thirty days to contact the debtor in writing to dispute the debt or request validation of the debt. In addition, legitimate debt collectors are prohibited by the FDCPA from making false or misleading representations, such as the consumer has committed a crime, implying nonpayment will result in the consumer’s arrest, or using the threat of violence.
More information is available on the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf.
To register a complaint with the Kansas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, call 1(800) 432-2310 or visit www.ksag.org.
Received a phone call from someone stating I had an upaid payday loan. Couldn't give me any information. They said they're coming to my employer on Monday because I'm being taken to court in California andI live in Illinois. They said I never paid my loan, never responded to e-mails, etc. Asked for a contact name and number. Was given this number with Michael Davis' name. Called it and it was the same person I first spoke with. Asked for a direct line and case/reference #. Called that number (310-974-8957) and wound up talking to the exact same person. Very rude and threating me with legal action. Said I took out a loan through Fast Cash, eventually giving me the name of 1st cash international, probably but they're not sure. Said I owe $789.35.