Apparently Frank Jackson (Ted Ellis Crosby/Bass Prelitigations), who was permanently barred from collecting debts in Flordia last year has set up shop under the name "Spellman and Roman"/"Veronica Masters in another State:
Spellman & Roman/Veronica Masters (or whatever other aliases they're using) is the latest incarnation of the infamous Bass Prelitigation/Ellis Crosby/States Predisposition/US National Bank/United Legal Processing scam in Jacksonville, FL. (More background info on this particular scam can be found here: http://budhibbs.com/debtcollectorpages/ellis_crosby_and_associates.htm )
Compare the domain registration information for the Spellman & Roman website with the domain registration of the now defunct States Predisposition website:
http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results ... ellmanroman.com
http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results ... disposition.com
There are two very telling similarities:
1) Both websites are hosted by Superior IT Solutions (www.superior-it.com ) which is a Jacksonville-based IP hosting company.
2) Both "companies" registered their website name through DomainBank in Vancouver, Washington, which is a company that allows anyone (including crooks, apparently) to anonymously register a website name.
Also, the Spellman & Roman domain was registered on March 31, 2008 -- just one week before the Florida Attorney General shut down Ted Ellis Crosby and the Ellis Crosby & Associates scam. (See: http://myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsrel ... 5257424005858A6 ) Add to all that the fact that the method of the Spellman & Roman scam -- false pay day loan collections, false and illegal threats of arrest and lawsuits, and illegal impersonation of attorneys and law enforcement -- is identical to the scams run by Bass Prelitigation/States Predisposition/Jackson Phillips/Impact Business Marketing/United Legal Processing/US National Bank/Morgan Associates, etc.
I seriously doubt that all this is just a coincidence.
The main thing to remember is that anytime someone calls you demanding money to prevent your arrest, it is ALWAYS a scam. No debt collector or attorney (let alone criminals posing as debt collectors and attorneys) have the authority to have anyone arrested for anything. (And it's illegal to them to threaten such a thing; it's also illegal for them to make any false threat, such as suing you when they no intention or authority to sue you.) And since these dirtbags routinely impersonate law enforcement (which is also illegal), it's also important to remember that American law enforcement officers aren't in the business of debt collection. (Debt is a civil, not a criminal, matter.)
The bottom line is, these are criminals trying to steal your money with extortive threats.
If you have been targeted by these crooks, be sure to report them to all the following agencies:
1) File a complaint with the Florida Attorney General at http://myfloridalegal.com/contact.nsf/contact?Open&Section=Attorney_General (By the way, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is very aggressive in pursuing these debt collection scammers.)
2) The U.S. Secret Service is responsible for protecting the country's financial infrastructure and payment systems from international and domestic threats. Call or write your local Secret Service field office to alert them to the details of this attempted extortion. The addresses and phone numbers for the local Secret Service field offices are listed at http://www.secretservice.gov/field_offices.shtml or in your phone book.
3) Alert the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov Be sure to tell the FBI that you are being targeted by extortionists over the phone with a myriad of illegal threats. Be sure to give as many details as you can.
4) File a complaint with your local police. Most police departments will take a report over the phone. Be sure to tell them that you're being targeted by an extortionist and give them all the details.
5) File a complaint your state's attorney general, the contact information for whom is at www.naag.org
6) File a complaint online with The Federal Trade Commission at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en
If these crooks call back, promise them nothing, pay them nothing and tell them nothing other than that you know they're a scam and that you've reported them to law enforcement. (Report them to all the agencies above each time they call you. Be sure to save any voice mail messages and, if legal in your state to do so, record all their calls.)
For more information on protecting yourself from debt collection crooks and suing them, check out these websites:
Bud Says: CONSUMER ALERT: Florida's Slimiest Collector Continues to Operate Despite Judgments, Bankruptcy, Fines, Prison Time, Etc.
They are scamming on payday loans, do NOT fall for their lies!
STOP giving Ted Ellis Crosby and the phony operations money. The State of Florida has fined him and enjoined him not to collect in the State. Read the PDF here.
All of these names are Ted Ellis Cosby in some form: State Predisposition Office of GA, Bass & Associates, Ellis Crosby & Associates, White Collar, Legal Mediation Practice, "Spellman Law"
This person with a heavy accent called reciting some script about a lawsuit being filed against my name and social security number. The name given by both people that got on the line were American names despite the heavy accents. Also, they called both my cell phone and work phone numbers which highly pissed me off. They were asking me questions to get me to answer yes but on every question I would not say yes so they gave me a phone number to call back to 310-872-2860. This sounds like the same person or persons that have called before using different names and company names. When I told them I was not paying them a dime and I needed them to stay on the line so I could record everything being said to turn over to the law because this was a scam, the person got very upset and rude. Told me I was going to be raped in my *%$ in jail when they come to my home or place of work to arrest me for fraud and f*%k you b*&%h and hung up. When I tried to call back they wouldn't answer the telephone.
I was scammed by Bass Prelitigation Services & Jackson Phillips a few years ago because I didn't know they were not legitimate businesses but I have been reading up and researching. Now when these scammers come at me, I let them know I know that they are criminals trying to scam me. They refuse to send anything in writing and usually hang up after cursing me out. The only thing that irritates me is that they call my job with this foolishness.I wish there was some way to stop them from doing that.