Adam Smith called and left a message on both my cell and work numbers stating I need to call him back and find out how much money I owe a collection agency. if I did not I would be arrested tomorrow morning at my residence.
So sick of these scammers! thank you all for contributing to this site so that we may be aware of the artists that are out there.

Adam Smith called and said I need to call him back and find out how much money I owe a collection agency.
if I did not I would be arrested tomorrow morning at my residence.
So sick of these scammers!

This is a criminal extortion scam operating out of India. They are making the calls utilizing VOIP and the names of legitimate firms to make it appear the calls are originating from within the US. There is NO "company" or "debt" and you will NOT be arrested. They are harvesting and/or buying consumers' personal identifying information and you need to do whatever you can to protect yourself. This includes: Notifying the FTC: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/, placing fraud alerts with all three credit bureaus, notifying your bank and employer and letting these criminals know you are aware they are attempting to extort money for a non-existent debt and have alerted the authorities.

Read this investigative report ABC News did on this scam:

Hundreds of thousands of cash-strapped Americans have been targeted by abusive debt collectors operating out of overseas call centers suspected of links to organized crime in India, law enforcement officials told ABC News.

The calls are part of a massive scam, one that appears to target struggling Americans -- especially those who have gone online to apply for payday loans. Armed with personal information from those pilfered applications, the threatening callers, who claim to be debt collectors poised to initiate legal action, have managed to pry loose millions of dollars from their victims -- even when the victims never owed money in the first place.

"This is what we call a phantom debt collection scam," said Jon Leibowitz, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. "It's a very pernicious and innovative new fraud."

Working through call centers in India, the commission estimates that the criminals have dialed at least 2.5 million calls, persuading already cash-strapped victims to send them more than $5 million. Some have reported receiving dozens of calls per hour. They are victims like Cindy Gervais, of New Orleans, who went online for a quick loan when her husband's car was hit by a driver who didn't have insurance.

Even though she paid the loan off, the so-called "phantom" debt collectors with Indian accents began calling to say she still owed money.

"He more or less told me that if I didn't pay, they were going to have someone on my doorstep to arrest me," she told ABC News. "And that they were going to contact my place of business, and tell them what kind of person I am."

At first, she said she resisted. Then the calls became more frequent, and started to ring on her cell phone, and at the grocery distribution company where she had worked for 27 years.

"I was more or less in panic mode because he told me there would be someone before noon at my place of business to arrest me and take me to jail," she said tearfully. "So I agreed to pay him."

After receiving scores of complaints, investigators with the FTC said they began tracking the calls, and following the payments. They alleged the payments led them to a California company run by an Indian-American named Kirit Patel, and that such scams would not be possible without American front men.

"I would say that all roads of this scam, or many of the roads of this scam, lead back to Mr. Patel," said the FTC's Leibowitz.

ABC News tracked Patel for weeks, from the suburbs of San Francisco to Austin, Texas.

Patel refused to talk. But his lawyer, Mark Ellis, said he believes it is far too early to pass judgment on his client. Ellis, a Sacramento-based attorney, told ABC News that Patel was hired for a nominal fee to set up an American shell company, and had no idea what the call centers in India were doing.

"I can tell you, he was as snookered by the people in India as anybody," Ellis said. "He's a 69-year-old man who is nearing his retirement who thought all he had to do was set up some corporations and everything was on the up and up. He's completely dismayed that he has become the lightning rod of this entire problem."

A close friend of Patel's also defended him in a brief interview at his home, saying Patel was not trying to defraud anyone -- he was just an unwitting, bit player in a larger scheme.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/phantom-debt-co ... ory?id=16512428

These people needs to stop calling and harassing me on the phone. The caller said that he was calling from American Law and i need to pay $510.20. if i don't pay i will be arrested. The caller has a heavy accent. The same caller call again and said that he was calling from American Law and that his name is John Robinson. This bull crap needs to stop today.

I also just received several calls from this number saying if i don't pay $583.00 that I will br arrested .. ugh..... these people are jerks!!!!!

I would like to make something clear to those who aren't aware of how the system works. First and foremost not paying a loan isn't a criminal offense. This is classified as a civil issue. So don't get that confused. You CANNOT go to jail for not paying a loan. Worse thing that could happen is suits and possible court ordered leins against your assets.
Many bill collectors are perfectly aware that in most cases Chapter 7 Bankruptcy eliminates all debts. This also stops suits that don't  include personal  personal injury do to your neglect. Such as a law suit from a dog bite that happened from your animal off of your property, for an example. Personal loans are dischargeable in the majority of cases.
This may help distinguish the difference between what is criminal and what is simply a civil matter. Also, how to deal with real creditors you may owe.

This number is a scam and has been researched by law enforcement. Do not send money to anyone you don't know or do business with.
Most scammers use intimidation and anything they can say that would alarm or scare you. The bank on the fact that you will be so scared that your intellect won't realize the fact that you are being scammed.
Be aware that this type of scam is an epidemic. Their are many more. Most of the scams are made from overseas and are "routed" to a number within the United States. Unfortunately a lot of this money goes toward illegal activity and terrorism.

This number is a scam. Ignore any further contact. We all are aware of our debts. If it isn't a actual debt it is a scam created to prey one people and make money

I got the same message saying that I would be arrested at my home at 10:30 is I needed to be there unless I paid 390.00 for an advance that I got from Cash America back in 2011.  I never got an advance posted to my account so I figured it was a scam.  When I hung up on the guy he called me back a number of times and just left me voice mails saying that I would be arrested.

I just want to know how to stop these calls...ive been frauded before and how to know if this is legit u should ask for some kind of proof fax email etc stating why you owe if they deny its fraud....u have a right to see proof of any bill or anything u owe and they cannot send u to jail unless u are given proof first do not be threatened by their words I learned not to be intimidated....it is just unfortunate that these people are so desperate to scam innocent people...

I received a voice mail at work from a gentle with a heavy accent saying I was going to be arrested. In reference to an affadavit that has been on his desk for 90 days. He also said I would be arrested in the morning 2-1-2014 and if I wanted to know why I was being arrested to call 202 241 8119.

They just called me saying if I don't pay I will go to jail, that they were a law firm for Washington D.C.  but the call was very very poor quality abs crackling and the caller had a heavy Indian accent

Received phone call at work from this number and said he was an officer and i would be arrested if i didn't pay. couldn't tell me who I supposedly owed the money too..

I got the same exact thing happen to me

i just received the same message. they are evening asking for the same amount of money. they don't even say who i was suppose to owe money to. this is another scam. tired of this crap.

I recieved a call today from this number asking for a Lauren Smith, I told him that there is no Lauren Smith here, then he asked if I had sex, It was a male with a heavy accent and I told him that I do not have to answer that question, but the more I thought about it, I thought maybe he said fax, so I repeated the queston if he asked if I had a fax, and he said no, if I Fuc*ed someone last night.  I then hung up.

I ALSO RECIEVED A CALL THAT STATED I WOULD BE ARRESTED IF I DIDNT PAY THE SAME AMOUNT

I got one too...scammers!!!

I received the same message saying I will go to jail if I dont pay 510.20 they scammers. Tryna get people

I received a email from this number saying I will be arrested if I don't pay $510.20