I have dealt with this idiots for sometime. This scam has been perpetrated by a roving group of con-artists. They use the same mantra from a rehearsed script. They threaten the person answers with litigation. Don't be fooled by it. This group has called from exchanges from various areas from the east coast. Most people getting these calls are directed towards people who recently applied for loans online or inquiries for financial products. Do not give them any information. They use your information to con you.
Someone from this number called my place of employment and said they were from the Department of Financial Fraud. Luckily the girls in the office did not give them any information and told them I could not take personal calls. The caller then told them it was not a personal call that it had to do with the company. She then offered to put them through to Human Resourses but they refused and asked her to give me a message to call. I did not call them back.
So this [***] calls me @ 9:27 am, left a vm and said urgent msg to call back because my ssn is under review which in fact wasnt mine!!! I called back, the guy barely spoke english...I told him this is detective so and so from my fathers police department and told him that within the next hour there will be a warrant issued for his arrest and that he has been reported to the FBI. I am going to do some digging and find out just exactly what the hell is going on here! ignorant non speaking english [***]!
Washington, D.C.
December 07, 2010 FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
— filed under: Press Release
The Internet Crime Complaint Center has received many complaints from victims of payday loan telephone collection scams. Callers claim the victim is delinquent in a payday loan and must repay the loan to avoid legal consequences. The callers purport to be representatives of the FBI, Federal Legislative Department, various law firms, or other legitimate-sounding agencies. They claim to be collecting debts for companies such as United Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Net, and other Internet check-cashing services.
According to complaints received from the public, the callers have accurate data about victims, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, employer information, bank account numbers, and the names and telephone numbers of relatives and friends. How the fraudsters obtained the personal information varies, but in some cases victims have reported they completed online applications for other loans or credit cards before the calls started.
The fraudsters relentlessly call the victim’s home, cell phone, and place of employment. They refuse to provide any details about the alleged payday loans and become abusive when questioned. The callers have threatened victims with legal actions, arrests, and, in some cases, physical violence if they do not pay. In many cases, the callers harass victims’ relatives, friends, and employers.
Some fraudsters have instructed victims to fax a statement agreeing to pay a certain amount, on a specific date, via a pre-paid Visa card. The statement further declares the victim will never dispute the debt.
If you receive these calls, do not follow the caller’s instructions. Rather, you should:
■Notify your banking institutions.
■Contact the three major credit bureaus and request an alert be put on your file.
■Contact your local law enforcement agencies if you feel you are in immediate danger.
■File a complaint at www.IC3.gov.
Tips to avoid becoming a victim of this scam:
■Never give your Social Security number—or personal information of any kind—over the telephone or online unless you initiate the contact.
■Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information. The e-mail may include upsetting or exciting but false statements to get you to react immediately.
■Avoid filling out forms in e-mail messages that request personal information.
■Ensure that your browser is up-to-date and security patches have been applied.
■Check your bank, credit, and debit card statements regularly to make sure that there are no unauthorized transactions. If anything looks suspicious, contact your bank and all card issuers.
■When you contact companies, use numbers provided on the back of cards or statements