The "good luck as this situation unfolds" line and the vanilla-sounding alias names for the reps strongly suggest a South Asian fake debt collector. If you really want to know how they've found you and Gramma and the neighbor's pet ferret, think back to when you or someone related gave away a pile of sensitive data to strangers through an online application form.
To be clear, this is extortion dressed as debt collection. The agents' horrid threats are empty and their conduct is illegal. As early as possible it's critical to determine if your collector is domestic or yet another South Asian faker. The former you can sue into submission; the latter tend to be out of reach.
My notes from October 2011 on payday loan and "hot check" collectors are linked below.
http://800notes.com/forum/ta-429fb24ec2162e3/ ... -numbers-here-2
See also this FTC alert: "Fake Debt Collectors"
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors
(former title: ''Who's Calling? That Debt Collector Could Be a Fake'')
The following will be useful if you have a US domestic collector calling, and will in general help you sniff out the frauds:
official FTC guidance and staff opinions on the FDCPA, PDF copy of the Act
http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm
CFPB Q&A on debt collection practices
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/search ... bt%20Collection
I got the same phone call (415-952-5630 from John Mateo). He called my work. I did call back and asked for him. The person that answered asked for my work phone number so that they could look me up. As you have said I also had looked into online loans recently and have taken one out in the past and the one that he mention sounded familiar.
Recently I had filed bankruptcy and told him that and he said that payday loans are exempt from bankruptcy.
I contacted my layer and he said to let them serve me and tell them "thank you for my new car", because they are not exempt and they can and will be sued for breaking the law.
And yet this is still upsetting because they called me at my job. How did they get that number and even when they called they had to listen two a listing of two different companies. How would they know which one to go to, to get ahold of me?
Thank you for the info. I received a call at my work as well as two calls on my personal phone from this guy. Everything he was saying was crazy and he had ally personal information. I finally told him I would not be sending him anything and to go ahead and get an arrest warrant cause he wasn't getting anything from me. I'm going to file a complaint first thing tomorrow. This is a scam and this man is a joke but it is very scary that he has all my information
I have been receiving calls for a few days. I called back today and the guy told me I am being sued for not paying an online payday loan. There has to be a way to stop the madness and these non english speaking people from harrassing me.
Some idiot called me from this number claiming to be lawyer( Call center noises in the background.) saying I had taken out a payday loan and when they attempted to charge my account for repayment it was not processed. The minute I said I had no loan and asked him t delete my phone from their system he hung up on me.
I am being totally harrassed by this number..this man who sounds like he is from India is calling at least once an hour threatening me...whois this guy???