I just got an e-mail from a Peter Wilson, stating that I need to report for jury duty in Rhode Island. It goes on to say that I am being sued in Rhode Island for stuff I don't even understand. The problem is I live and work in Ohio. It gives a number to call. Should I call it, or just ignore it?
They are saying that I owe on a pay day loan that I have NEVER received. Cash Advance USA would not give me the loan because I do not have a traditional checking account. I am also going through a Debt Consolidator for any payday loans that I may have had. This guy Attorney - Sam Wilson who says he is with Office Of The Attorney General RI has sent me so call legal emails about the law suit. They say I owe $3341.86 on a $300 dollar loan. Which again I never received. Also the emails are coming from a gmail account which I was informed were from a scammer!!! LOOK OUT!!
A phone call, email or text message from a supposed debt collector is not legally sufficient evidence of debt.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) includes statements such as this:
* Every collector must send you a written “validation notice” telling you how much money you owe within five days after they first contact you. This notice also must include the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money, and how to proceed if you don’t think you owe the money. ["Written" means snailmailed ... not emailed or texted]
Therefore, if that caller wants you to pay immediately, before you get the written validation notice via snailmail, or if the caller wants payment via green dot, Western Union, or other untraceable means, then the call is definitely not legitimate.
IF you wish to communicate with the supposed collector / creditor, visit the following page, for example "Action Letters" to snailmail:
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/debtcollection/
If you KNOW you owe no money, or believe the call was from a fake debt collector, please take the time to read this:
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors
I received an email from a Sam Wilson claiming to be with the state attorney general office in Rhode Island. I am not calling these people back. I have never taken out a payday loan and last I knew you had to be served if there was a legal case.
Indian scammers pretending to be law enforcement officials. They've been doing a lot of that recently. Usually they say they are with the state attorney general's office. It's a stupid scam because they can't hide their Indian accent and you can hear the Hindi voices in the background of a call center. What attorney general has a call center in the background of his office? Totally stupid scam.
Ignore. Total scam communication. The Indian payday loan scammers are taking their show on the road and calling people in the northeast. They've been doing that in California lately. They call you again, just cuss them out loudly and tell them that you know it's a scam and that you are reporting them.
* File a complaint with the FBI on their Internet Crime webpage http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx