First of all you have to ignore the calls. Invest in a call blocker.
Second:
Report them hear:
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection [Threatening criminal process 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. 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. Tell 'em no scammy debt collector is going to push you around.
You have to get tuff with these people because, being akin to thugs, brute force is (metaphorically speaking). the only thing they understand.
They ask to press 1 for investigator.
I'm new in this country, this is my fourth month, hired by university as visiting lecturer. Back in my country, the word "investigator" only to investigate violence things. I will report this matter first thing in the morning to university, let see what they can do for me.
I received a call from Iowa yesterday afternoon. Judith Crosby left me a voice-mail with pre-trial intervention stating I had a pending case in her office. She should said, I have up to 5:00pm to callback before my case would be submitted. I called back and Attorney Paul Davis from investigation picked up the phone. He started yelling at me, saying I did bank fraud, check fraud. It was a class 3 felony. He said I had either two options give a statement or pay 1100 of restitution. I asked him to send me verification of proof. He said he didn't have anything to prove then hung up on me. I called back asked him where he was located and he said Idaho then Iowa. I was threatened with having my case submitted to the attorney general office of NY and having arrest warrant issued and being picked up. Then I was told I can go and post bond to get out of jail and go in front of a Judge and try to prove myself. I'm very sad and disgusted. So I went researching through the Internet and did not come up with Goldstein & Associates. I could not find Attorney Paul Davis. I looked up the business number and it was a Verizon cellphone number. I'm very scared as a unhealthy woman this man put me through unnecessary stress yesterday. He had all my information. So I know for a fact my identity has been stolen. I wanted to put my story out there because this is completely wrong. You do not hurt people this way.
This outfit has a reputation for breaking the law.
This is a common ploy by criminals attempting to extort money from people by scaring you into believing that you will be criminally charged, go to jail, lose your driver’s license, have wages garnished, 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 work place repeatedly in an attempt to shame you into paying. They also use the “process server” who calls and claims he is going to serve you, but then says you could avoid it by calling another number.
Federal law (FDCPA) requires them to send you a letter (US MAIL ONLY) within 5 days of their first contact that contains their name, physical address, the creditor’s name, and the amount of the alleged debt. It also must contains “mini-Miranda” telling you that it is an attempt to collect a debt and that all information will be used for those purposes. The one other important thing that this letter must also have in it is that you have a right to dispute the debt within 30 days of receipt of the letter and if you do so, all collection activity must be stopped until the debt is verified.
Read up on your rights here, get template letters to send 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://consumerfraudreporting.org/stateattorneygenerallist.php