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?
This person called from # 281-205-8364... Stated her name as Hayley Patrick from the law firm of Gordon Stevens and Assoc. She asked for my son and said my phone # was given as an emergency contact. She also went as far as to tell me the last 4 of his social, (I guess to validate herself) and then told me all about the debt she said he owes... She said he took a loan from one of those "Pay-Day" on-line sites and if it was not paid today he would be picked and put in jail.
This is truly a scam cause no credible law firm or collection agency will give you that kind of information, or disclose that matter with you.
Received a phone call from 281-205-8364. Caller ID said Tomball TX. They said I had 2 bounced checks from Chase banks and they were ready to contact NY state to issue a warrant today. They kept saying I would be going to jail today! They said bouncing checks was a felony (criminal not civil) They said I received notices in the mail and I wondered if I unknowingly bounced checks when I changed banks, he had my license number! But then again it sounded suspicious, why wouldn't I get a notice from the bank or a summons to go to court? I called Chase and had no bounced checks and goggled the name John Travis scams and came up with a treasure trove of scams.