I too got a call from this number. Told me that I owed back taxes, that I needed to show up at an IRS office and said there was a warrant for my arrest. Said that someone would show up in 45 min to arrest me. I have friends who are with the US Attorneys office and they said that they would never arrest in this manner.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:
•is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
•refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
•asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
•exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.
If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:
•Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.•Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.
•Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft – charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.
•Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate – but you think the collector may not be – contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
•Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.
same call three times today I talked to a person not from America told me I would be in jail if I did not pay him I told him I wanted to go to jail free food he hung up
one thing they don't put you in jail in the states if you owe money and they wont come to your job they get mad when you tell them to just do it I just got off the phone with them what a joke maybe in china or some place like that but the states they take you to court
I too got the same call several times in Dec and now again in Jan. The name of person calling was Karen Parker. I have not returned calls based on prior experience with these scams and associated abuse when you try and call to get more info. They are calling both home and work leaving threatening messages with time limits (IE 48hrs, 2hrs) yet keep harrassing after time limit is up. Has anyone actually been served papers or gotten a physical address for these people to send a cease and desist letter to?