Debt is civil, not criminal, so no one's going to jail. To threaten this is a violation of federal law (the FDCPA). Even if it's a law firm calling - which I highly doubt - they don't get to set the time limit you have to pay the debt. You have within 30 days of receipt of a debt validation letter to mail your response (always send any correspondence via certified mail/signature/return receipt). The burden of proof is on debt collectors to prove you owe this debt to them. Refusal to mail that proof to you means you owe them nothing, per the FDCPA.
Mail them a letter disputing that the debt is yours and demanding that they mail documentation proving you owe this alleged debt to them. (There are many templates online and also at http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/debtcollection/)
Generally speaking, debt collectors and attorneys in compliance with federal law do NOT threaten people. Think about it: if your callers actually had proof you owed this debt, why wouldn't they just follow the law and mail that proof to you in the first place?
Called me today looking for a family member of mine. They leave a voicemail since I don't answer strange out of state calls. They do not name themselves or any party they claim to represent. They do try to sound official. This is not the first time they've contacted me. They threaten with criminal charges and jail time. As mentioned by others debt is a civil matter, not a criminal one. No one's gone to jail for debt in the US.
If these guys were real debt collectors they would have just started garnishing your wages or levying your bank accounts.
Be aware that they are calling everyone you know.
Current alias of the woman calling is "Heather Turner"
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.
As an FYI, debt collectors *cannot* garnish your wages or levy your bank accounts unless they have taken you to court and won a judgment. So if you ever do receive a court summons, NEVER ignore it - you can call the clerk of courts in your area and she can tell you if the summons is legitimate or not. (I only mention this as certain junk debt buyers have a habit of threatening people or even sending fake court summons - always best to check out if the summons or threatened summons is "real" or not.)