WALLINGFORD, CT, August 07, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about would-be debt collectors who call "payday" loan holders, threatening arrest if they don't pay immediately.
A payday loan, also known as a paycheck advance, is a short-term cash advance intended to cover expenses until the holder's next payday.
The callers claim they are lawyers with the "Financial Accountability Association" or the "Federal Legislation of Unsecured Loans," and they are armed with stolen personal information from their victims, indicating a major security breach of unknown origin. The names used by the scammers may change with time.
According to Connecticut Better Business Bureau President, Paulette Scarpetti, payday loan holders appear to be particularly at risk.
"Because the scammers have so much information about potential victims, BBB is concerned that this may be the result of a data breach. Thousands of people may have had their personal information compromised."
Reports received by Better Business Bureau and posted online explain the con artists threaten the loan holders of defaulting and claim they are being sued. The imposters threaten the loan holders with imminent arrest and extradition to California to stand trial, unless they immediately wire $1000 or provide bank account or credit card information.
Connecticut Better Business Bureau has advice for consumers who receive suspicious telephone calls about an outstanding debt:
-Don't be bullied into immediate action. Ask the debt collector to provide official documentation that substantiates the debt.
-Do not provide or confirm any bank account, credit card or other personal information over the telephone until you confirm the legitimacy of the call.
-If you believe a debt collector is trying to scam you, file an abuse complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at www. ftc.gov, or by telephone at (202) 326-2222. Also file a complaint with your Better Business Bureau at http://www.bbb.org or by telephone at 203-269-2700, ext. 2.
About Better Business Bureau CT
Founded in 1912, BBB is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. BBB offers objective advice and a wide range of education on topics affecting marketplace trust. BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses. Today, 128 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring more than three million local and national businesses and charities. For more advice on finding companies and businesses, start your search with trust at http://www.bbb.org
I just received this call yesterday the number they called from was 8052626178 and return the call to 8052626179 for attorney David Cooper well no one has come to arrest me either and I never accepted or received a payday loan! What's scary is the info they had on me! Guess I will be calling the BBB and seeing who else I can report this to!
The number 530-230-3635 text my husband on work phone stating that they were American express and that your card has been locked and call this number when you call it says to unlock card push 1 push 2 to hang up !! We do not have a American express card !!!!!!!!!I called American express and it has nothing to do with them not their phone number!!!! but if you would have card a elderly person or anyone could have given personal info looks like they have many different numbers what should I do to turn them in I called Att they said to tell local police!!!! what gets me is my husband work number is very hard to get very scary!!!!!!! Be aware fraud American express!!!!
BEWARE MARYLAND RESIDENTS: I received a call on my home phone today from 951-977-1365 it was a man with a very heavy Hispanic accent saying that he was Officer David Cooper and that he worked for some law firm that had a client that I supposedly got a payday loan from. First of all I applied for this loan but never accepted it and the scariest part was that he knew the last four digits of my social and asked me to confirm them, which I did not of course. After I wanted to know why he needed my social and asked again if he was a police officer, he said yes he was and that if I did not have my lawyer call him back today that I was going to be arrested tomorrow morning. I am not stupid at all so I looked up the number he called from and it was a cell phone from Arlington, CA, Riverside County I then proceeded to contact their police department who surprise, surprise had no idea who this "Officer" was and asked them to run my info just in case and imagine that they found nothing on me. I am in the process of contacting the 3 credit bureaus to put a fraud alert on my S.S. number starting from three weeks ago, and I will be contacting the FBI, FTC and BBB so that they are aware that yet again these people are up to no good. Oh yeah and btw when you call back the number he called from it rings 5 times and sounds like someone picks up and beeps like an answering machine. I wish he would call me again just so I can yell at him some more! P.S. I have never seen anyone be arrested for defaulting on a real loan much less a fake one :)
There are new numbers from this man who calls himself Officer David Cooper from FBC Federal ____ Commision.
904-402-9843
909-666-5475
I changed my phone number to stop the calls and he started calling me at work.