So they called me yesterday saying that same thing that everyone here said, and I almost fell for it, good thing I told them that I'll call them later. After doing some research, I called them back today, I asked them for their information, and when I asked them to give me their company license number, they hang up, I call again, and this time ask just for the company license number and they hang up again, yup guys this is a scam, don't fall for it.
See what they can do if they're not getting any kind of an answer from your number. The fact they can leave a message keeps them calling. Nobody to threaten without some sort of answer.
Keep receiving vm mags from this number stating for me and/or my attornery to call back... when I called the number she then said I have a warrant for my arrest and wanted to know why I never appeared in court.... I cursed her out and filed a complaint with consumer law. I suggest you all do the same. I even asked for proof of a bill owed or copy of a bounced check on a payday loan and she never responded.
Process servers DO NOT call ahead of time to give you a heads up, threaten arrest or negotiate a supposed debt. They just show up unannounced. That's their job.
Consumers across the country report that they're getting telephone calls from people trying to collect on loans the consumers never received or on loans they did receive but for amounts they do not owe. Others are receiving calls from people seeking to recover on loans consumers received but where the creditors never authorized the callers to collect for them. So what's the story?
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.
Also good info at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau:
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/1699/h ... legitimate.html
If you do not have a debt, YOU DO NOT HAVE A DEBT. DO NOT allow these calls to cause you stress or anxiety as that is exactly what they are hoping. It's scammer scare tactics focused on creating a sense of fear to steal money from you. Their game is to hopefully frighten you into a poor decision. DON'T fall for it.
These calls are coming from what is referred to as a Zombie Debt / Dead Debt / Non-Existent Debt Collector (SCAMMER/EXTORTIONIST). They purchase a database of consumer information. This database's consumer information is collected so if you have;
- applied for an online loan (regardless if you received one)
- applied for a payday loan (regardless if you received one)
- applied for a title loan (regardless if you received one)
- applied for debt consolidation online (regardless if you went through with it)
- paid off any or all of the above.
- a company you were doing business with (insurance, credit, etc.) had their database hacked into.
If so there's an awful strong possibility your name is in the database that the Zombie Debt Collector currently has in their possession and are going down the list using any info they have to sound legit.
It does not matter if you tell these callers that you;
- never took out a loan.
- paid the loans off and have proof.
- filed and or received a partial or full bankruptcy discharge.
They will ask for more info (your social security number, date of birth, mother's maiden name, etc.), anything that will assist with adding to the database and sell it. They will ask for proof. They might even tell you that the money supposedly owed can not be covered under any US Bankruptcy laws / court decision. (FALSE)
Always remember..
- Legitimate companies DO NOT hesitate to state their company name immediately when calling, whether it's leaving a message or you answered the phone.
- Legitimate companies DO NOT spoof a phone number (deliberately falsifying a telephone number and/or name relayed as the Caller ID information to disguise the identity of the calling party.)
- Legitimate companies DO NOT call posing as a "process server" or "legal locator" with threats of being prosecuted, served papers, or going to court. (Note: Process servers don't call you ahead of time, leave a different number to call back while giving you a last chance to "pay up". Process servers show up and serve.)
- Legitimate debt collection companies MUST send you a letter by United States Postal Service postmarked 5 days from initial contact. That letter should clearly list their company letterhead and information and the original lender of any loan with the accurate dates, the account (bank or credit union) for which it was deposited and the contact information of the original lender.
- NEVER give your full or partial social security number, date of birth, full name, etc should they ask this info for "verification" that it is you they are speaking to. *This is referred to as "phishing". It's an easy way to have your identity stolen.
- Should you accidentally answer a call from any Zombie Debt Collector or Debt scammer, make sure to Write down the time, date, phone number(s), person calling, company name, conversation and any details of the call.
Educate yourself by reading this section of 800notes: http://800notes.com/arts/
Find out who to report these scammers to here: http://800notes.com/arts/I2neMkbUAAo/where-to-report-phone-crime
ALWAYS read the previous posts on any number thread such as this. It will usually not only tell the story, but show how long it has been going on as well as the experiences of those called before you.