Call your bank - just in case. You never know what these people will do!! You are correct- demand written notification of the debt MAILED to you (not email, fax or phone calls). They have 5 days to comply.
You cannot be put in jail for a debt. There are no debtors prisons in the US. This guy is committing fraud. According to the FDCPA, even if he were a legitimate debt collector, any collector is required to follow up their phone call in writing within 30 days. Telling you that he's sending a sheriff after you for a debt is illegal. That is a scare tactic and is also forbidden under the FDCPA. Check your credit report. If something shows up, file a complaint with the credit bureaus, the FTC, your state Attorney General and the AG in the state where the collection agency claims to be located. The FTC won't do much for individuals, but the more complaints they get on a company, the more likely they are to take action. The state AG's will tell you they can't do anything, but they will submit an inquiry in your name and often that takes care of the problem.
My sister calls me and says that a lady named Patricia Johnson (department of investigation) called her asking for me and told her that I had a felony warrant out for my arrest. She gave my sister the phone number, so I tried to call it back and it says its an investigative office that cannot take my call at this time. I pay my bills and know that I have no outstanding debt. This is too wierd. They told her they wanted to serve me papers. Wierd thing is, I didn't get a phone call? how is that... The number is 405-212-4206
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.
The same guy called from 3 different numbers asking for my address. Figured it was a scam because if it was legal, the words "this call may be recorded. .." think its funny that they tried x allying back off a different t number thinking I wouldn't recognize his voice.