A phone call, email or text message from a supposed debt collector is not legally sufficient evidence of debt.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) includes statements such as this:
* Every collector must send you a written “validation notice” telling you how much money you owe within five days after they first contact you. This notice also must include the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money, and how to proceed if you don’t think you owe the money. ["Written" means snailmailed ... not emailed or texted]
Therefore, if that caller wants you to pay immediately, before you get the written validation notice via snailmail, or if the caller wants payment via green dot, Western Union, or other untraceable means, then the call is definitely not legitimate.
IF you wish to communicate with the supposed collector / creditor, visit the following page, for example "Action Letters" to snailmail:
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/debtcollection/
If you KNOW you owe no money, or believe the call was from a fake debt collector, please take the time to read this:
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors
Got a call from them today , Officer Mike Johnston stating the same stuff. Serve me papers by a Marshall and u will be glad to take care of any debt I incrued
Been getting calls from these people for about a year. The same guy mike Johnson who is obviously not a white man. Very thick Arab accent. Threatening to send police to my work and to my home to have me arrested if I don't pay for a payday loan that I never received. This guy even sent me a fake arrest warrant in my email. Got another call from him today and I asked for information on where they are located his name and id number. Cause most debt collectors have an id number. And he got very loud and upset cussing and yelling at me over the phone. Finally he hung up and I called back only to go to his voicemail. Using magic jack for their phones which makes it harder to trace. If anyone has this problem stand your ground. There is nothing that they can do to you, it's all just smoke. Scare tactics to get your hard earned money.
I just received a call from number 904-578-2650 stating that I was going to be arrested for a payday loan that I did not take out. He states his name is Officer Mike Johnson but has a very heavy, thick Arab accent. Total scam. Time to contact the FTC.
Said he was officer bill smith .NOT , I have relatives in Europe that speak English better than he didI also told him it was against the law to represent yourself as a police officer, when you aren't one. He started cussing me in I'm sure what was Arabic and then hung up.