My wife got a call as well from a Mr. Rey. He told me that there was a case against her in Pittsburgh because of overdue payday loans. He also said that the only options I had were to pay $483 immediately or deal with legal consequences. I told him that I needed the payday loan companies information to sort out the issue and he told me that i wasnt allowed that information. I let him know i needed his information and i would be reporting it to the local authorities and he promptly “had another call to take” and hung up.
I receive a call from a man stating his name officer BoB Cooper from investigation and that my name and SS# have been filled he even know my address that was so weird I never had a payday loan and he said if I did not call him I will be arrested in a couple of days the and he told me to call him back on this number 484-244-2322. He had an accent like he could not speak english well.
Consumer Alert: Attorney General warns Kansans of debt collection scam
January 29, 2010 -- Attorney General Steve Six is cautioning Kansas consumers about telephone calls from apparent fake debt collectors who are impersonating law enforcement officers in an effort to extort money from consumers. Consumers are warned to not submit payments to these fraudulent debt collectors.
When calling, the scammers most often state they are attempting to collect a debt related to an internet payday loan obtained by the consumer, but which the consumer never repaid. Consumers state they have never obtained such a loan or paid off the loan years ago. The scam artists have most recently identified themselves as ACS, National Affidavit Processing Department and United Financial Crime Division, but may use additional phony names. It appears the phone numbers used by the scammers are “spoofed” numbers, so that the number appearing on a consumer’s caller ID is not the actual number of where the call originated. It appears the calls in question may be originating from outside the United States.
When questioned, the individual calling refuses to disclose the full name or address of the collection agency they claim to represent. These scammers have been able to provide consumers with identifying information, such as the consumer’s social security number, home address, e-mail address, names of family members and the consumer’s computer IP address. Since the callers are able to provide valid personal information, consumers may become confused and believe they are being contacted in regard to a legitimate debt.
If the initial debt collection scam is unsuccessful, consumers have been re-contacted months later with the scammers posing as law enforcement officers or officers of the court. Typically, the consumer is threatened with arrest for fraud or some other fictitious crime unless the consumer agrees to immediately wire money via Western Union. The fictitious officers strive to frighten and confuse consumers into compliance by using legal sounding terms such as “We’re filing an affidavit against you” or by stating a lawsuit has been or is in the process of being filed against the consumer.
A hallmark of each scam has been calling consumers repeatedly at their place of employment. This scam hit home when an employee of the Kansas Attorney General’s Office was repeatedly called both on her cell phone and at work. Despite the employee’s repeated verbal disputes, the caller refused to provide any identifying information to allow her to send a written dispute. The scammer also continued to call her numerous times a day regarding a payday loan she denied obtaining. Two months later, she was again contacted by telephone by an individual identifying himself as an “officer”.
“I denied owing the debt and refused to pay without being provided validation of the debt. I was then told, ‘If that’s the case, I will have local law enforcement come to your place of business and drag you out kicking and screaming’,” stated the employee.
“It is important for consumers to know their rights under the law,” Attorney General Six said. “If a consumer is receiving calls from a debt collection company and believe it is a scam, I encourage them to contact our office immediately.”
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), collectors are required to send consumers a written notice within five days of the initial contact. The notification should contain information such as the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed and a statement informing the consumer they have thirty days to contact the debtor in writing to dispute the debt or request validation of the debt. In addition, legitimate debt collectors are prohibited by the FDCPA from making false or misleading representations, such as the consumer has committed a crime, implying nonpayment will result in the consumer’s arrest, or using the threat of violence.
More information is available on the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf.
To register a complaint with the Kansas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, call 1(800) 432-2310 or visit www.ksag.org.
I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING THE SAME CALL AS ALL. HAVING "REAL BILLS", ITS ILLEGAL FOR ANYONE TO THREATED YOU OVER THE PHONE. WHICH THEY HAVE NO PROBLEM DOING. IF THEY KNOW THE AMERICAN LAWS, DOING SUCH ACTS MAKE THE CLAIM, VOID!! BELEIVE ME I HAVE HAD PLENTY OF BILLS IN MY DAY. ANY LEGAL ACTION HAS TO BE IN WRITING. AND SERVED TO YOU. AND THEY DONT WARN YOU FIRST. DUB!!! SO IF ITS A NUMBER YOU DONT RECOGNIZE DONT ANSWER THE NUMBER. IN TODAYS AGE, WHAT LEGAL COMPANY DOESNT HAVE AN ANSWERING SERVES.
These people called me stating that they were from law enforcement.YOU EVEN CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE WORDS HE IS TRYING TO SAY. HE COULD NOT EVEN PRONOUCE MY NAME CORRECT.He stated that I owe for a payday loan recieved over the internet....I HAVE NEVER DID A LOAN OVER THE INTERNET!!! I kept calling the # back and the man kept hanging up on me . I was frustrated and told him look you called me and give me the # to the CASH ONE USA who supposely put me with them...He hung up again ...I called right back and ask to speak to the supervisor.He claim he is the supervisor and he will close the file....WHATEVER...I knew this was a scam because they kept hanging up on me and asked me not to call back. If they call again I will report them to the agency...And I went on the internet there is no CASH ONE USA!!! the 2 # they called me from is 484-244-2322 and 610-713-8130...PLEASE PEOPLE BE CAREFUL AND DON'T GIVE THEM ANY INFO....
I just received a call from these people... a man calling himself Mike Stone from law enforcement office stating that a lawsuit is filed against me for a loan back in 2008 taken from CASH ONE ( I have in the past, I admit taken out payday loan, but not from CASHONE) He gave me a case #197679 being filed but no $ amount. He called from 610-713-8130 on my cell phone, but the call back number was 484-244-2322. He has a Indian or Pakstain accent, could hardly understand him.... you could hear talking in the background (like a call center)...when I asked him to send me the documentation ...he hung up.