A person named Joseph Martin claiming to be an officer from the fraud department called me and said there was a complaint against my social security number. He had a very heavy Indian accent and stalled a couple times while leaving the message. I know this place is a scam. I got another call from the same number on my caller id a couple of days ago. He has threatened to call my employer and references when I don't even have any recollection of this and they have nothing to prove any of what they are saying. Something about a loan I never repaid. I am working on paying back some payday loans but have never heard of this company. They are calling themselves ACS. And the number on my id shows as 052-569163. Do I call them? Or file a complaint with FTC?

I have had these same people call me over and over.  They called me at my workplace and left a message saying his name was Richard Hamilton.  Thick accent claiming he was an officer.  He told me he was going to tell me something and do not interrupt as he was speaking.  Said I had a payday loan taken out that I did not pay back in 2004.  So I said what do I need to do to pay this 832 dollars back, knowing I never took a loan out.  He told me I needed to fax him a written consent allowing him to deduct this money off my debit card.   I said ok, I will fax it to you right after I hang up.  He said its very important that I do this so the police wont arrest me at my place of business, as he put it.  So I googled the phone number and it came back with all of these complaints against them. Chalk one up for me, here's one more!!!!    F****rs!!!

same thing just happened to me he stated same thing his name was officer james autstin and that i better call back before the police come to my work and then to my home thick accent as well ugh people are so ruthless how do they sleep at night

They called today at my place of business and said they had a legal matter against me and that if i didnt call them back they would have me arrested. I told them to serve me and i would see them in court no call back since! had an eastern accent and was very loud in the background. Also could here a different language being spoken in the background. Very rude told me that i was a bad person because i havent paid the money back. I wish these people would be dealt with!

Call them back using PrankDial http://www.prankdial.com/pranks/whyyoucallme Enter this number and send...
2018396929. They are scammers trying to get you to pay money you don't owe. They are looking to get your credit information. They received your number and personal information from a stolen hardrive/computer.

From Lamet's post:

If you are targeted by these criminals, be sure to report them to all the following federal and state law enforcement agencies (most of which you can do online or over the phone):
1.    The U.S. Secret Service is responsible for protecting the country's financial infrastructure and payment systems from international and domestic threats. Call or write your local Secret Service field office to alert them to the details of this attempted extortion. The addresses and phone numbers for the local Secret Service field offices are listed at http://www.secretservice.gov/field_offices.shtml or in your phone book.
2.    Alert the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov Be sure to tell the FBI that you are being targeted by extortionists over the phone. And if the crooks claim to be law enforcement or lawyers, officers of the court or bankers, be sure to include that information in your report.
3.    File a complaint with your local police. Most police departments will take a report over the phone.  Be sure to tell them that you're being targeted by an extortionist and give them all the details.
4.    File a complaint your state's attorney general, the contact information for whom is at www.wvago.gov
5.    File a complaint online with The Federal Trade Commission at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en
If these crooks call back, promise them nothing, pay them nothing and tell them nothing other than that you know they're a scam and that you've reported them to law enforcement. (And be sure to report them to all the agencies above each time they call you.)

By the way, here's just a small sample of numbers used by this particular group of scammers. Read the reports and you'll see the same pattern time and again -- phony organization names, thick foreign accents, and oddly worded threats that are so melodramatic and ridiculous that it's laughable:


http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-771-9249   Scammer posting here as GARY and GARRY JONES
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-866-860-4509   Scammer posting here as Mike Henderson
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-212-500-0839   Scammer posting here as Ricky
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-201-244-7722   Scammer posting as Carole, David Brown and Amanda
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-626-200-4646   Scammer false postings at this new number as silshan kanniue and Tina ? preparing a new number to use.
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-424-354-4270   Scammer false postings as Rose
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-785-4479   Scammer posting as Robert
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-909-327-4870   Scammer false postings as Marry
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-646-274-1143   Scammer false postings as Karen Miller, Chichi and Tom Little
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-561-300-8018   Scammer false postings as Marco Polo (real original)
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-226-7488   Scammer false postings as SAM, David S
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-706-7463   Scammer false postings as George
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-209-349-7382   Scammer false postings as Towanda Robinson, Shannon Walsh, Jack Dawson and Cynthia
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-760-514-0132   scammer false postings as Suzy01, Johanna Hall, Cindie McMellon, Michael Dublin, Mark Williams, Carol and Rio   (800notes removed some of the scammers posts because the all came from the SAME IP ADDRESS)
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-209-797-2212   scammer false posting as Jaison Connar
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-707-401-4056   Scammer false posting as John Carner, KSR
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-650-241-4604   Scammer false postings as jhon and Kevin
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-708-401-0535   Scammer false posting here as JHON
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-518-212-0219  Scammer false posting

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Consumer Alert: Attorney General warns Kansans of debt collection scam

January 29, 2010 -- Attorney General Steve Six is cautioning Kansas consumers about telephone calls from apparent fake debt collectors who are impersonating law enforcement officers in an effort to extort money from consumers.   Consumers are warned to not submit payments to these fraudulent debt collectors.

When calling, the scammers most often state they are attempting to collect a debt related to an internet payday loan obtained by the consumer, but which the consumer never repaid.  Consumers state they have never obtained such a loan or paid off the loan years ago.  The scam artists have most recently identified themselves as ACS, National Affidavit Processing Department and United Financial Crime Division, but may use additional phony names.  It appears the phone numbers used by the scammers are ?spoofed? numbers, so that the number appearing on a consumer?s caller ID is not the actual number of where the call originated. It appears the calls in question may be originating from outside the United States.

When questioned, the individual calling refuses to disclose the full name or address of the collection agency they claim to represent.  These scammers have been able to provide consumers with identifying information, such as the consumer?s social security number, home address, e-mail address, names of family members and the consumer?s computer IP address.  Since the callers are able to provide valid personal information, consumers may become confused and believe they are being contacted in regard to a legitimate debt.

If the initial debt collection scam is unsuccessful, consumers have been re-contacted months later with the scammers posing as law enforcement officers or officers of the court.  Typically, the consumer is threatened with arrest for fraud or some other fictitious crime unless the consumer agrees to immediately wire money via Western Union.  The fictitious officers strive to frighten and confuse consumers into compliance by using legal sounding terms such as ?We?re filing an affidavit against you? or by stating a lawsuit has been or is in the process of being filed against the consumer.

A hallmark of each scam has been calling consumers repeatedly at their place of employment.  This scam hit home when an employee of the Kansas Attorney General?s Office was repeatedly called both on her cell phone and at work.  Despite the employee?s repeated verbal disputes, the caller refused to provide any identifying information to allow her to send a written dispute. The scammer also continued to call her numerous times a day regarding a payday loan she denied obtaining. Two months later, she was again contacted by telephone by an individual identifying himself as an ?officer?.

?I denied owing the debt and refused to pay without being provided validation of the debt. I was then told, ?If that?s the case, I will have local law enforcement come to your place of business and drag you out kicking and screaming?,? stated the employee.

?It is important for consumers to know their rights under the law,? Attorney General Six said. ?If a consumer is receiving calls from a debt collection company and believe it is a scam, I encourage them to contact our office immediately.?

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), collectors are required to send consumers a written notice within five days of the initial contact.  The notification should contain  information such as the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed and a statement informing the consumer they have thirty days to contact the debtor in writing to dispute the debt or request validation of the debt. In addition, legitimate debt collectors are prohibited by the FDCPA from making false or misleading representations, such as the consumer has committed a crime, implying nonpayment will result in the consumer?s arrest, or using the threat of violence.

More information is available on the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf.

To register a complaint with the Kansas Attorney General?s Consumer Protection Division, call 1(800) 432-2310 or visit www.ksag.org.

http://www.ksag.org/page/consumer-alert-attor ... collection-scam

Yep. I got the same call from them too saying that I had a legal issue with them and if I didn't call them back they would have me arrested. They also had a middle eastern accent and was talking in a different language in the background..there was 2 guys that got on the phone to harrass me...one of them said that his name was Officer Allen Jones. Watch out because they had my CURRENT ADDRESS AND SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. I called the police and they are suposively investigating it and ever since then they haven't called me back....watch out! DENY EVERYTHING!

Gtunes do not pay this guy he is a scammer just report on the number above

Left no message on my answering machine.

I called and asked what company this was? He wouldnt give me the company name or his name. He kept insisting to know my name. I told him I'd think about and will call back when I'm ready. He ended up saying
F You you mother F'r!..  Who are these guys? If I owe someone money, I just want to know who it is?

I talked to a rep for one of my bills he told me that it was a scam and to report to the number I gave you it is homeland security

Same info call 989-497-0580

Jessica I got the information for you call 989-497-0580 homeland security

this number called and they left a message on my cell saying that he was a police officer doing a Federal investigationa to call back.he even sayed that his name was Allen Jones.how can i report this calls.i got another call befor this one about a two weeks ago were they were saying that it was from the irs and that they owed me 5,000 that they need my bank account number.pls be very careful tu how u give ur info to.

They told me the same thing that they were Federal investigation people

Guy called saying he was a police officer looking for me when I know its a bill collector