I live in Texas and at my job on my office number they called looking for one of my employees.  They left a message saying to contact them immediately to avoid being arrested and this was his last chance.  The guy on the phone said his name was Michael Brown, but it didn't sound anything like a Michael to me.  They left a number to call back so I called them and another guy answered and said his name was Neiman Marshall, which did not fit this guy's accent at all !  I asked where I was calling and he said the State Attorney's office of California.  I told him I would look up the State Attorney's office number and report him for calling my work number looking for somone else and he said something very vulgar and then hung up.  Hopefully they won't call me any more.  The number they called me from is 916-304-3835.

Wow...I just got messages off my cell phone from this very same, middle eastern man with a thick accent named Curtis Jackson who said I'm being sued and that if I don't respond, there will be a warrant in my name. I was dumb enough to call back, but got vm...I will NOT be calling back again.

The # he called from is 207-809-1198 and he has called numerous times!

Thanks for all these blogs!This guy sure gets around, because he's called from numerous #s.

OMG!!! This JUST happened to me!!!! Scared the living SH*T out of me!! Told me sheriff was coming to my place of employment and I would serve 9 months in jail....
Had ALL kinds of info on me. Said I needed to pay 496.46 NOW to avoid jail time.
My husband is a police officer and they get free legal help. When I told "Curtis" this, he a MAJOR attitude w/ me. Said "fine mrs karrie, if u don't want to pay me the amt now to settle this matter, I am authorizing the sheriffs dept I make an arrest w/I the next hour!" and hung up on me. I just paid off a payday loan so I KNOW it was a major scam!!!! Unbelievable! NOT a good voice mail to receive tho....

M4d8

i have been getting calls from a different number,but with the same information. that i owe someone money and i have a loan from a different company.says his name is curtis jackson and that they are going to send the police after me and put me in jail. is this the same thing with everyone else.i just hope it's not true.cause i'm freaking out here.

am an upcoming hiphop artist and i didnt have a person who could support me  so i was asking if i could get 50 to assist me on doing so am from kenya

Guy with heavy Indian accent called me saying I had a case in California, he is fake and eats lamb chops with curry, I could almost smell his dinner through the phone.  No license number and they want to give loans and charge exorbant interest.  DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR INFORMATION.  Called from number 9517080369.

I also received phone calls from a John Anderson or whatever it was couldn't understand him. He said I have federal charges brought up against me. The scary part is he knew the last 4 of my social. He never said what company he was from. They would take me to court    on federal charges and I would have to pay 8,000. I told him what he could do with that federal case. Funny thing is I live in Georgia and have a Florida number.

Thank you Dawn. I will call them.

they  keep calling my job now i have been suspended for to many phone calls sayign i owe money  on loan i never took out they claimign they are  state attn office

i got a call from this number today at my job and my boss told them not to contact me at work for personal matters and they gave her my social security number and when i called back i was told that i had a warrant out for my arrest and that my job would know that i had to take out a loan and couldnt pay for it. when i told them that i was goin to press charges for them giving out my social to someone who clearly told them that it wasnt me the man (curtis jackson, peter phin) hung up on me. then he started calling my cell phone.

Recieved a phone call from this number on yesterday. They called my job. I had to take a message cause i was at work. Called them after work.they told me i owed cash advance in theamount of $569.00. Knowing that i dont have any accounts with a cash advanced i disreguarded the information. Please have these people arrested or taking care of by legal actions for fraud and harrasment on people theysee that are trying to make a honest living.

I haved received many calls from this person (Eric Anderson) claiming to be with the States Attorneys Office. Its gotten to The point they're calling my place of employment! I just got off of the computer checking this. Phone number, thank you for the input about this scam!

About an hour ago a man sounding East Indian named "John Smith" called and he called the office where I help answer phones, He talked to me but I managed to tell him my name is Bill, because that's how I usually refer to myself, and he left a message for William.  I have had many calls in the last couple years but they become less and less frequent to where now maybe one or two days a month  they call.  Today though he called twice and both of our lines here lit up at the same time.  The first time I hung up because he acted like he was trying to reach John Smith (though I recognized right away what this call was about) so I told him he had a wrong number. ABC Nightline did a report a few months ago about a similar scam for people who order prescription drugs over the Internet.  Victims are told they have to come up with $100s or $1000s or else they will be reported.  Our government is supposed to be close to catching these guys in the Caribbean. I do live in So California and I did have payday loans a couple years ago but they are paid up. Now I don't need these loans and I wouldn't go back to them even if it looked like I did.
I already called back this number, left my name and told them to just try to get me in court.  THEY will be in big trouble if they do.  And I said if I don't get them (in trouble) God will.  Thanks.

A man has been calling my phone harrassing me and he has my personal information and is saying I'm facing chargeß of some kind but will not give me any information. He says he is out of Los Angeles. He gave a lawyers name
jessica Smith. He stated his name to be john Anderson and then Curtis Jackson. Please help.

I got a call from a John Morrison saying he was from the California State Attorney Office and when I ask for the address , he gave me a parital address and then he hung up on me. He was stating their was a warrant for my arrest on 2 counts of some type of money fraud. I ask for what, something about a cash advance loan and that I refused to pay it back. He said it was deposited into my account and I told him I dont have a bank account. Thats when I ask for the address because I was going to look google it. Anyway he had an Indian accent and I also notify California's Department of Justice of this.

100% it's scam. They called me few times. Here the recording http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUNBD3S5MbI

100% it's scam. They called me few times. Here the recording http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUNBD3S5MbI&

Phantom Debt Collectors From India Harass Americans, Demand Money

By BRIAN ROSS (@brianross) , CINDY GALLI and MATTHEW MOSK (@mattmosk)
June 7, 2012

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 was 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.

"If Mr. Patel was just a cog in the wheel he seems to have been a pretty big cog," Leibowitz said. "It is clear that Patel was integrally involved with this scam."

Leibowitz points to thousands of pages of financial and phone records gathered by the FTC and filed as part of a civil case brought against him in the U.S. District Court in Sacramento last month. When FTC lawyers sought to freeze his assets and prevent his business from continuing to operate, Patel responded by invoking his rights against self-incrimination. His lawyer told ABC News he has had to be careful in how he responds to the allegations in civil court "because there is a potential criminal action," but that Patel maintains the allegations against him are false.

Federal investigators said the phantom debt collection operation that allegedly benefitted from Patel's assistance was one of several that all trace back to the same small town in Western India called Ahmedabad. Callers use technology to make it appear that the calls originate inside the U.S. Victims provided ABC News with recordings of dozens of the calls, and many of the thickly accented callers appear to be reading off a script.

"Subpoenas have been readied, and Monday morning you're going to be picked up from your home," one caller says on a victim's voicemail. "And you have children. Don't worry about your children. We have a childcare department to take care of the children."

"You will be behind bars for six months," said another caller. "And once you go behind bars, you will lose your job. Once you are behind the bars, you won't get a single drop of water."

William Peerce Howard, a Tampa attorney who represents victims of harassment from debt collectors, said it takes an especially twisted criminal to use threats and coercion to pry money from someone who is already struggling financially

"These guys really are the most visible villains in America today," he said. "They make a living scaring people."

Mark Merola, of Florida, said he just panicked when the caller told him he might be arrested at the deli where he works in a Florida retirement community.

"I was nervous. I didn't want to embarrass myself, my family," he said. He used his debit card to pay the collector $576.

Afterwards, he says he realized "how stupid I was."

"It just happened so fast," he said. "I got scared."

Leibowitz said he hopes with more attention, future potential targets of the scam will recognize red flags before they turn over any money.

If callers say they are from the police, consumers should know that law enforcement officers do not collect debt for private parties. If the caller is speaking with a thick Indian accent, but calls themselves by a names such as Officer Mike Johnson, that should be a tip off. And if they're calling 40 times in two hours, that's another red flag. "Legitimate debt collectors, legitimate pay day lenders don't do those sorts of things," he said.

Merola said he would like to see anyone involved in the scam prosecuted aggressively.

"There's no place in society for these people," he said.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/phantom-debt-co ... 16512428&page=2

I got a call about 10 mins ago from 213-293-8175. The man said he was from a lawyer office but he didn't say which one. Then he read off my ssn, how the hell he got my real ssn scares me. A couple months ago this guy did the same to my husband, now the prick is calling me, there has to be away to stop him from calling and to let someone know that that man stole my ssn, please someone help me

How do I stop getting these calls at work?

My daughter got a call from this 213-293-8175 number and promptly inquired what was the nature of this call while asking for me by name...  Well she advised them at my consent that if I should happen to owe any past payday loan,( I have done this numerous times for others) ,  I will be more than glad to contact them, and not to call again.  After promptly hanging  up, this same guy called back again two times, after being hung -up on upon answering.  However on the third time, I answered the phone, and advised the caller, I would report the abuse as a consumer complaint of harassment and he hung up.   This type of consumer abuse is harassment.  The government should intervene and stop this predatory practice of debt buying....

This man has called me several times and has threatened to have me arrested for a payday loan in California and I have never been to California I notified my local authorities of this as well as the authorities in California

I received a few calls from this number today. I missed the first and received a voicemail from a John Anderson whome I could hardly understand. He was saying something about me or my lawyer returning his call. I called the number back several time and got no answer. I later received another call and a guy( with a heavy accent) who told me that he was callin on behalf of attorney Curtis Jackson and that I should have my attorney contact him. He asked me to confirm the last for of my social security number and when I asked him what business this Curtis Jackson had with me he said that he couldn't say. He said that when I hung up I should call C. Jackson right away and proceeded to give me the number to contact mr. Jackson which happened to be the same number he was calling from. I mentioned it to him and told hom that ive tried the number and no one answers. I dnt remeber his BS reaponse. When I called back a guy with a heavy accent answered ( i dnt remember the name he gave me, it was different from the first but he sounded like he could have been the same guy) and said that this Curtis Jackson was gone working on a case and he couldn't provide me with any info because all of the files were with the attorney. There is definitely something weird going on.

I also got a called from these crazy people telling me to call Curtis Jackson concerning some charges filed against me. These people are real IDIOTS. I told the person that called to have Curtis Jackson call me, and that I am not calling him if this is so important. I hung up and then he called back and left the same message. Real IDIOTS! They think people are stupid.DON'T RESPOND and when they call tell them the call is being traced, I garentee they will hang up on you.

Yes we figured this out quick and thank you for sharing your info..It s just sad because they probably prey on our elders and such who get frightened by this therefore giving in to their demands!! It saddens me..I really do hope the law is trying to buckle down on these conmen..!!!   ~peace~

(I responded to another persons comment on this site.It gives the information about the call from "John Morrison representing The California State Attorneys Office and a previous call from "Mark"..no last name)

BB replies to Marla
a few seconds ago



We got the SAME call from Mark! Then today a man who said his name was John Morrison called and said he was from the State Attorneys (CALIF) office and we were at default on a bill!! My husband was out so he asked me to confirm my husbands SS# etc..I told him I would not do that without papers from the State Attorneys Office...He would not give me ANY info. about this so called case but sure wanted it from me!! Sad..Sad....Thank you to eeryone who posted news about this..It helped validate this "fraudulent act"!!

We got the SAME call from Mark! Then today a man who said his name was John Morrison called and said he was from the State Attorneys (CALIF) office and we were at default on a bill!! My husband was out so he asked me to confirm my husbands SS# etc..I told him I would not do that without papers from the State Attorneys Office...He would not give me ANY info. about this so called case but sure wanted it from me!! Sad..Sad....Thank you to eeryone who posted news about this..It helped validate this "fraudulent act"!!

I got a call from this number from a guy with a heavy Indian/Middle Eastern accent claiming I had charges against me from a client I owed debt.  He would not give me any details but he did ask me if I had any attorney representation and wanted me to call the number back and ask for Curtis Jackson.  Wow, I'm glad I found this blog.  I live in Texas.

People please. Do not fall for this scam. DO not send any money. I get these calls all the time. They must have gotten my info from an online application. Crazy thing is I work for the FBI. They are calling me at the main FBI division number. First call today came in at 7:04am EST, Eric Anderson, claiming he was with California State Attorneys office, WOW really, since when does anyone work at a government office at 4:00am west coast time... When I called back and gave the number he had called on, he must have googled and realized that he called in to the DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE directly... Hung up faster than ever. I called back again to mess with him, and immediately he just said " oh not again" and hung up... There are investigations on these scammers, but they are using VOIP (voice over ip) number displays and calling into switches from overseas. They will get caught. But people PLEASE, do not send any money and do not believe the threats. Yes they have your name and ssn and maybe even address, but THEY will not and CAN NOT do anything to you.