http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection (Threatening civil proceedings with no intent to follow through, or threatening criminal process in order to collect a civil debt is a violation of the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.) The same goes for endless telephone harassment
Also contact your local attorney general
If they continue to bother you, and you know you do not owe any money, tell them that you know this is a debt scam and that you are making a complaint to the police for extortion. Once you get a copy of the police report and they call you again , just read out the file number and the name of the PD or Sheriff’s office involved. Tell them you’ll be glad to send a copy to them at whatever address the jack***es are working out of now.
You'll probably have to yell at them and talk over them.
You have to get tuff with these people because, being akin to thugs, brute force is (metaphorically speaking), the only thing they understand.
A lot of posters on 800notes complain they get many calls from scammers.
A few posters state they get hardly any.
Why the difference? Here are possible reasons.
Click on the associated "Info" line under any statement to read why NOT to use that method.
Answering the phone when the caller's number is unfamiliar.
Info01Instead of answering, let the call go to voicemail or answering machine. Legitimate callers will usually leave a message.
Pressing a number "to be taken off the list"
Info02That works for legitimate telemarketers, but, if you were on the Do Not Call list, legitimate telemarketers would not have called you in the first place. Pressing a number on a call from a telespammer merely confirms you answered the phone and will follow scammer's instructions. That make your number more valuable for even more spammers!
Returning the call.
Info03At best, returning a scammer's call merely confirms your phone is "live", and your number will be added to a list that will be used by even more scammers. At worst, the call will cost you additional fees, if it is from a foreign country, such as Jamaica (876 area code). Also, scammers are now spoofing Caller IDs, so the number you see may not really be the number that called you. It might belong to an innocent, third party.
Arguing with the caller:
Info04Call center employees have probably heard your argument many times. They may either continue to try to scam you, or they will hang up ... but will also make sure some other scammer calls your number, later.
Blowing a horn or whistle into the phone:
Info05Will irritate the scammer. The scammer may then add your number as a "spoofed Caller ID", so others think YOU are calling them, and YOU may hear retaliatory horns or whistles if the irritated called person calls YOU back!
Forwarding the call to a government office.
Info06Not too swift. All that does is tie up a line at the govt office, and record YOUR number as the forwarding number! Realize that your congress person knows phone scams are a problem, and also knows the FCC and FTC have been assigned the task of upholding the laws concerning this problem. Instead, you should report the problem via normal channels to the FTC or FCC.
Giving or forwarding the supposed scammer's phone number to other scammers.
Info07May not be a good idea. The 1st scammer might have used a spoofed phone number, and, if you give it to other scammers, all you are doing is causing more calls to and problems for an innocent person.
Getting a new phone number
Info08Eventually, after getting many scam calls, some people think their only recourse is getting a new number. That is not true. The "new number" is probably somebody else's "old number", and will come accompanied with its own baggage (and calls).
Giving up your landline (if you have a landline)
Info09The scammers and spammers call BOTH cells and landlines. Although it might seem easier to block such calls on a cell, there are landline instruments, devices and procedures that can be used with landlines. Keeping your landline means you would not have to tell all your relatives & friends that phone number is no longer yours.
What you SHOULD do:
If you are disturbed by frequent calls from scammers / spammers. obtain a call blocker app, device, phone, or service. Google is your friend. Remember, the Do Not Call list is designed to prevent calls from legitimate, registered telemarketers, but scammers / spammers are not legitimate telemarketers, do not register, and they ignore the DNCL or your requests!
Remember
The DNC list is NOT a call blocker!
~~~~~~~~
Please reply to this post, to let us know you read it, or have taken suitable actions to protect yourself.
I received a call for my husband, spoke to someone calling themselves "Beverly Goodman" with mediation services and she said her business name was "legal services" she would not give me a business address and said that she wouldn't work for a company that would allow her to give out that information. She said that my husband owed a $400 loan to direct cash services under the possible names of several online payday loan lenders (cash direct express, payday advance, speedy cash...) she knew our address, where my husband worked and the name of the bank that I used in 2011 when she said he took out the loan. She said that he could call them in 24 hours or this would be sent to "the state of Texas" (where we live) and we could "deal with them". When I challenged that she hung up on me.
Of course she wouldn't work for an outfit that gave their address out. Because it would be easy for law enforcement to come and arrest her for extortion.
Criminals masquerading as debt collectors attempt to extort money from people by scaring you into believing that you will be criminally charged (they use the bad check or hot check claim a lot) and go to jail, lose your driver’s license, have wages garnished without actually being sued or going to court, be sued, and a variety of other variations on this, all for an alleged or nonexistent debt. One of the tricks they use is to call your family, friends, neighbors and/or places of employment (past or present or both) to create panic and embarrassment so that their intended victim calls them and they can scare that person into paying their extortion money. They will use the words “Mediator”, “Arbitrator”, or “Law Office” to make you believe that they are something other than a debt collector want-a-be and that they don’t have to follow Federal and State collection laws. They do have to follow those laws, but they won’t. They also use the “process server” ruse who calls and claims he is going to serve you, but then says you could avoid it by calling another number where they will ask for money to “make it go away” (this is actually the same place, they work in teams, one pretending to be the server, and the other usually pretends to be a lawyer). Process servers do not ever call ahead so that you can dodge them. Process servers get paid to serve papers, nothing else.
Read up on your rights here and also make a complaint at this government site: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/
Also file a complaint with your State Attorney General's office.
List of State AG’s offices: http://800notes.com/faq/attorney-general
Keeps calling me and threatining that if I don't return their call or have my attorney contact them, they will take legal action against me. I have blocked them going forward but want someone to investigate these scammers and shut them down!
Legal Services Received a call from a Melissa Williams stating to have my attorney return her call by end of business day are requesting money stated if not paid then arrest would be issued.