While people should absolutely pay debts they owe, they should ONLY pay the people who can legally collect on the debt. NOT scammers.
Paying a scammer marks you as an "easy target" and does NOTHING towards paying off the debt (if said debt actually exists).
Remember;
-Private Companies cannot issue arrest warrants.
Only those in the judicial system can issue warrants. They need to be petitioned by attorneys, and signed off by a judge.
-Debt is civil. not criminal. You cannot be arrested for ordinary debt in the United States and Canada. There are no debtors prisons here.
-If there were an arrest warrant with your name on it, your local courthouse would have it. Look up the number independently, and call them. People have been taking this advice for a long time. And guess what? No one has had a warrant issued. :)
-IF THERE WERE, however, no one will EVER call you to tell you they are coming to arrest you, or serve you papers. Process servers only get paid if they deliver your paperwork, and if you hide, they won't get paid, so, they won't tell you they're coming.
-ALSO, if there were "criminal" or "financial" proceedings against you, it's too late to pay anyone. The deed has been been done. The proverbial wheels are in motion.
-Money sent by 'untraceable means' (cash cards, western union) is money that cannot be traced. I know that sounds obvious, but by the time you figure out you've been scammed, you have no way to figure out who collected that money. It's gone forever. You can't dispute it.
-Threats of arrest, losing your drivers license, putting holds on SSN's, demanding attorney contact information and other things like that are common scare tactics used by "debt collectors" who are trying to collect on a debt they cannot legally collect on. If they COULD legally collect on the debt, they wouldn't have to resort to scare tactics.
And perhaps most importantly -
-REAL debt collectors will send you (because they are required to, by law) a 'DEBT VALIDATION'. This is sent through the mail (USPS) with a stamp on it (e-mail, fax, texts, carrier pigeon, smoke signals...none of those count) and tell you when you incurred the debt, to whom you owe the original debt, and how to proceed if you don't think you owe the amount, or if your records reflect a different amount. Remember, this is REQUIRED BY LAW to be sent to you within 5 days from initial contact (on the company behalf) DEMAND THEY SEND YOU THIS!!! This will immediately weed out the scammers.
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection
This link takes you to the FTC's website and gives you all the rules debt collectors must follow. It also (at the bottom) provides links to where you can report any debt collector who isn't following the law.
Has called friends and family since I changed my number. Threatening them with my arrest if I don't call them within the hour. When I called back to find out who it is , they only answer and say law office. Anyone else with any info?
ID themselves as the Law Office of Mathew Sharps with investigator Lucy Blair. I think they are totally spoofed names. Do not cooperate with them, do not agree to pay them any money.
It just sounds like an ordinary debt scamming operation to me. Some of these fly-by-night debt collectors will often say that you'll be arrested if you don't call them back. Which is total nonsense. Being in debt is not a crime and you cannot be arrested for it. Debt collectors have nothing to do with the criminal justice system and have no influence on it. Ignore them and block their calls.
Just because a voice on the telephone claims you owe a debt does not mean you owe it
If a voice on the telephone claims you owe a debt:
1. Demand the person give you his or her name, company name, and address
2. Demand a debt validation letter by US mail. E-mail no good.
3. Do not pay the collection agent or anyone else a DIME until the debt is validated.
Of course they won’t do this, no scammer ever will, so simply block their calls and ignore them.
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection (Threatening arrest or criminal process in order to collect a civil debt is a clear violation of the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act)
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. You might have to yell at the scammer and talk over him or her. 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.
On July 29,2015 a family member in law said he received a phone call from 682 301 4912 also last four numbers ending in 4914,and said this is Lacy Blare investigator,any one else with info,he said what? How did you get my number,Lucy Said Ebony,I don't even know my in law number,so I called Lucy Blair which claims to be law office of Mathew sharp connected me to Amanda Weather and I was threatened with 4 counts of fraud and felonies,and Amanda also said I was going to jail if I didn't pay 1200 dollars within the hour,I had a pay day loan for 250.00 which ended up being 300.00, 5 years ago I'm a single mother with children and needed the extra help,was having financial problems,Amanda insisted I pay then 600 i said I dont have I only have 140.00 she then said pay that then on your next pay day we need the rest of the money ,I said can work out a payment plan I'm on disability and can you please send me paperwork she said no you make a payment then I'll send you paperwork I then called BBB,to see if this was legit,Law office of Mathew Sharp Lucy Blair,BBB gave me the info in Houston Texas,mind you Amanda said she was in Fort worth Texas,I talked with Mathew law firm there was no such names in is law firm and he's not a criminal defense attorney he helps people with traffic tickets ,and they also called while I was on the phone no one would pick up the phone recording,the firm also let me know they get many calls from people stating this same issue and said to me please do not send no money they are scammers,Mathew Sharp also contacted me later that day to let me know I was being scammed and call police block there number and don't send money horrible experience,I don't know how these people got my information horrible..
This has happened before..I'm not falling for these idiots crap. I didn't the first time and this time will be the last time they call me or my family!