Some lady left this number on my answering machine and told me to call concerning my Social Security, gave me a case number, and told me I had been notified. She identified herself, as Jessica Martin. Called Social Security administration and no one by that name in Texas worked for them. Tried to call 469-453-8428 and said it was not a working number or had been disconnected.
Creditors can place a lien on your home if you have one, it happened to me. If you can't afford to pay, they place a lien on your house and you want to refi or sell the house the mortgage company will require the debt to be paid off before closing. That sucks. Also, if you have a lien and you arranged to pay it off, make sure you keep some kind of record because they don't always take it off with the state.
You may want to examine your state and local civil court calendars. Take note of the hundreds of your neighbors being prosecuted daily for delinquent debt claims by name-brand banks and less famous debt buyers. Then get back to us about what "most people know".
Most of the defendants ignored collection phone calls and threw away the letters, then found themselves stymied and lacking leverage after they were handed a summons. Many of the debts would not have been proven valid and the plaintiffs probably broke laws repeatedly in the process. That's because "most people" DO NOT know they have rights which should be enforced early and often.
All said, comments for the other numbers reported by the OP strongly suggest anything but a real legal opponent. What's described is yet another South Asian fraud factory making extortionist threats which of course violate American collection laws. Contrary to shill remarks, they will not and cannot sue, much less have anyone arrested. If by slim chance the thugs are domestic, anyone taking their crap can serve them a *genuine* summons and complaint.
Review the federal laws and play "Spot the Violation" for yourselves.
http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/guidance/supervision/manual/fdcpa-narrative/
Some lady left this number on my answering machine and told me to call concerning my Social Security, gave me a case number, and told me I had been notified. She identified herself, as Jessica Martin. Called Social Security administration and no one by that name in Texas worked for them. Tried to call 469-453-8428 and said it was not a working number or had been disconnected.
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.>
They can't do that without going thru the courts and YOU would have known about it! But you say they did it anyway? You could have made payment arragements with the courts approval, Unless you were a fool and took out more than you could handle to pay back. At any rate it still has to go thru the court system