Same scam. . . new number 817-404-5661.  It was "John Smith" this time.  He got really pissed when I said "Hello, my name is Peggy" in a Russian accent back to him.  I laughed and laughed and laughed and continued to speak back to him in a thick accent telling him his mother would spank him like a baby.  He finally hung up.

same people called me but with a different number and name now they have forwarded a false affidavit for arrest on tuesday, i really feel the government should do something about this.

I just had someone call me three times today by the name of Mark Jones.  He clearly was not American, I could not even undestand a word her was saying on my answring machine.  They call me every six months stating I too have a Pay Day Loan.  When I ask them for the payment information they start yelling at me, saying they can not give me that information and then I tell them to come get me...well this has been going on for over three years and I'm still here...

the same thing happened to me this morning. When you tell them that you did not take out a loan that your not paying anything back they start cussing you out. Now does that really sound like a professional?...i knew it was fraud

My husband and I received the same call 8-2-11 @ 1200p. The number that showed up on our caller ID was: 213-799-1159.  The guy that first spoke to my husband gave a name also as James, but later I interrupted my husband from speaking to him after I saw my husband becoming aggitated and frustrated at the bogus information James was feeding him.  After numerous threats and rudeness from them calling us several times I asked to speak to the manager or supervisor over James he then transfers the call to an Ashely who also sounded mid eastern.  I quickly became frustrated again and asked to speak to someone who is "American" Ashley pretended to be someone else.  From looking at the testimonies from everyone above and below this page my husband and myself feel better to know we were not the only ones who have been targeted, and we do need to do something about "bogus" companies like this one who call people randomly threathing them without cause.

i got the same call from 213-545-6536...the guy name is Mark Brown. Sound indian but why "brown"?? say they advance me $300....asking me to pay back $594..or $600 if u say...almost double that amount...i never got their money in the first place!.
Why would i advance $300 when my parent would just give it to me...force me to pay off $100 but i knew it a fraud..i mean who ask for you to fax your I.D and SS?? dont they already hav that s*** before they loan you???

Got a call from this #. They hung up on me.

Report to Authorities: Heal Comfort, Inc., 702 North Mountain Road, Newington, CT 06111; 716-941-7137 and 860-904-1200.  Payday loans. http://www.bbb.org/connecticut/business-revie ... ton-ct-87083082

Same posts at 901-457-1573:
"They Process cards Through Somthing Called Hael Comfort Inc. When It Appears On THe Card Statement Form The State Of CT. (860)904-1200"


See posts at 901-457-1573 for a list of some of the other telephone numbers that they called out on

The number that I received calls from is 510-936-1554, and when they call me the caller i.d only says 444-198

I received a call from "James", this morning, stating a friend used me as a reference for a payday loan & she had not paid it back, therefore we were both responsible. References are not co-signers, I would not be responsible IF she had taken out the loan.  I know, with no question, this is a scam because they stated she applied for the loan in April 2010 (they couldn't give the exact date) and used my name and phone number as a reference.  I just got this phone number, so there is no way she used it on any application 9 months ago. They are very rude, and argumentative. He stated my friend & I would have to appear in court next Friday, but wouldn't/couldn't tell me the address of the court where we would have to appear. As someone else mentioned, when I mentioned contacting the police, James ended the call very abruptly.  Something needs to be done, to bring these scammers to justice.Reply !

I received a call from "James", this morning, stating a friend used me as a reference for a payday loan & she had not paid it back, therefore we were both responsible. References are not co-signers, I would not be responsible IF she had taken out the loan.  I know, with no question, this is a scam because they stated she applied for the loan in April 2010 (they couldn't give the exact date) and used my name and phone number as a reference.  I just got this phone number, so there is no way she used it on any application 9 months ago. They are very rude, and argumentative. He stated my friend & I would have to appear in court next Friday, but wouldn't/couldn't tell me the address of the court where we would have to appear. As someone else mentioned, when I mentioned contacting the police, James ended the call very abruptly.  Something needs to be done, to bring these scammers to justice.

The same thing is happening to me now.  But its from a 444198 number or an unknown number.  they are terrible they call my work line mulitiple times a day!!!!  And they dont stop.  they call my cell number too.  Its horrible im being harrased on cell and at work.

For at least the last four years, possibly longer, a group has been calling former payday loan applicants advising them that they have defrauded a bank and are now being sued for non-payment of a loan.  The callers will claim to be calling on behalf of an attorney's office (name varies), the Dept. of Law and Investigation, ACS, or other similar combinations below:

United Legal Processing Division
Midline Marketing
Crime Monitoring Services
Monetary Crime Division
U.S. National Bank
Attorney General?s Office (usually in California)
American Legal Services
Affidavit Consolidation Services (ACS)

You will be threatened with arrest, a costly trial and possibly worse.  In no shape, way or form can you be arrested for non-payment on a consumer debt.  Do not believe these threats, as they are without merit and cannot be carried out in the manner they allege.  

Who are they?

In the past when pressed by law enforcement for an address, the callers have provided the following information:

David Morgan and Associates
Morgan & Associates
Morgan Associates
954-727-8481
1155 Northwest 85th Street
Wintergarden, Florida  33150
(Address is likely invalid)

The collector's MO matches a once legit collections agency called Ellis Crosby & Associates.  Here are some links on them:

http://www.budhibbs.com/collectorpages/ellis_crosby_and_associates.htm
http://www.budhibbs.com/collectorpages/EllisCrosbyJudgment.pdf

They have been previously fined over $1.3 million for various violations.  They have been known to use phone banks in India to make their calls, which more or less coincides with the difficult to understand accent many of us detect when we are contacted.  

The last time this group went by any "official" name was back in 2008:

Ellis Crosby & Associates / Douglas & Morgan Associates
4494 Southside Boulevard Suite #200
Jacksonville Florida 32216
Phone:  800-928-3536 / (904) 928-3536
(Address is likely invalid)

There are NUMEROUS consumer alerts out against this group of individuals:

Florida:
http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/061107/met_176207561.shtml

Kansas:  
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/01/ks_debt_collection.html

Colorado:  
http://www.coloradoattorneygeneral.gov/press/ ... lls_likely_orig

Rhode Island:  
http://www.collectionscreditrisk.com/news/rho ... -3002135-1.html

West Virginia:
http://www.wvago.gov/internetloanscam.cfm

Missouri:
On July 15th, 2010 a Public Awareness Bulletin was sent out by Missouri Information Analysis Center.  

"..received reports from individuals in Ohio and Illinois reference suspicious telephone calls they received. In both instances, the callers are reporting that a voicemail is received from a man, with a Middle Eastern accent, identifying himself as an officer working with the Financial Crimes Unit.  The message indicates that the reason for the call concerns a loan made by the receiver or someone in the receiver's family. The voicemail requests that a return call be made and a telephone number is provided. When a return call is made, the caller is asked to provide personal identifying information such as their date of birth and social security number.

Reports indicate that the calls are frequent and persistent and that they even threaten arrest or legal action if information or money is not provided. It appears that the individuals making these calls may have access to some records connecting individuals and their relatives.  Missouri does not have a Financial Crimes Unit and all indications are that this is a fictitious agency. If you receive a similar phone call, please be advised that it is a scam and please contact your local law enforcement agency or the Missouri Information Analysis Center at 866-362-6422."

Bottom line:

Do not supply the callers with any additional information.  Inform them you have reported them to law enforcement and hang up.  If you haven't already, go ahead and report the calls to local law enforcement, your state's Attorney General and beyond.  Look up the local Secret Service branch's information in your area and get in contact with an agent there.  

If you ever applied for a cash advance online, your information is out there.  
Possible sources for the breach of your privacy are:

* The scammers obtained your information from Teletrack - a reporting agency used by many cash advance lenders to determine their risk lending to you.  The service is able to tell cash advance lenders if you have existing loans with other companies, for example.  Many state laws prohibit borrowers from having more than two cash advances out at the same time.

* The scammers created their own fake payday loan application site.  People looking for a cash advance went to the site and applied, thus freely providing the scammers with their information for malicious use at a later time.  

* The scammers were able to get into the database(s) of cash advance lenders - probable targets being Sonic Payday and Cashnet USA.  


How to protect yourself:

* Inform your employer.  You are likely getting calls at home and/or at work, so make sure your employer is aware the calls are part of a scam and to not take them seriously.  Advise the callers that they are no longer allowed to call you at work.  If they continue to call, document the date and time of the calls you received.  Save voice mails left if at all possible.  

* Change your number(s).  For some this may not be an option, for others a one-time number change can be done free of charge.

Be advised - any references you listed on your payday loan application will be contacted.  Let those people know that this is a scam, and they can disregard.

* Use Google Voice.  Google Voice is a great replacement voice mail system for just about any phone number you use.  Messages can be transcribed and voice mail recordings can be saved as mp3 files.  

Pro Tip - call the scammers with a Google Voice number before turning off your old phone numbers.  Make sure when you call you identify yourself so they can start up their script.  At any point after they have your information pulled up just hang up.  They will then start religiously calling your Google Voice number.  At this point, you are free to change your regular phone number(s) and enjoy not having these people ever call you again.  (And laugh at the fact these people are basically talking to a brick wall several times a day)

The scammers change their numbers frequently.  Law enforcement used to think it was because the callers ran out of minutes on their prepaid wireless accounts or they were shuttered due to fraud, but now they understand it's simply to evade detection by savvy consumers online.  With the proliferation of VoIP, it's even easier for the crooks to stay a couple of steps ahead of law enforcement.  Below is just a sampling of the 30+ numbers that have been used in recent memory.

1-201-244-7722
1-209-349-7382
1-209-797-2212
1-212-500-0839
1-213-256-0408
1-213-995-3039
1-281-763-0433
1-347-289-3902
1-347-844-6817
1-347-844-6831
1-424-354-4270
1-516-232-8905
1-516-232-8935
1-518-212-0219
1-561-300-8018
1-561-210-4185
1-626-200-4646
1-631-456-4041
1-646-274-1143
1-646-810-8635
1-650-241-4604
1-707-401-4056
1-707-633-2789
1-708-401-0535
1-716-442-2824
1-717-862-4080
1-718-705-8669
1-760-514-0132
1-760-563-5384
1-772-318-4938
1-850-201-1111
1-858-777-1977
1-859-908-2281
1-866-860-4509
1-877-226-7488
1-888-706-7463
1-888-771-9249
1-888-785-4479
1-909-327-4870

So can they really do anything to you?

It's not a simple yes or no answer.  Logic dictates that, if they really wanted to take you for a ride and drain your bank accounts, they already would have.  

So, why haven't they?  

Authorization.  

Why do you think you are being called so much?  Perhaps it is because they like the sound of your voice?  No, they have to have your authorization to take any form of payment from you, period.  The callers know their audience, and that audience is typically a bunch of people that have applied for payday loans in the past.  Most of those people they call couldn't afford an attorney if they wanted one, and are so used to receiving collections calls that so long as they sound like a real collector, they will likely be perceived as one.

Furthermore, they don't even really want to talk to your attorney - that just sounds official and scary enough.  A real attorney would take the callers to task and write them off as two-bit con artists.  The callers need you, in writing, to authorize payment against the fictitious debt they claim you owe.  Go ahead, ask them for proof you owe the debt - more commonly known as verification of debt.  See what they say.  A phone authorization carries very little weight, so if they have something signed by you on file, you are done for - and the callers know that.  That authorization is the only thing these callers are doing by the book, and for good reason.  If they just went all willy nilly and made an ACH debit from your checking account, without your written approval, you could in turn report the transaction as fraudulent to your financial institution.  In about 7-10 business days, you would get the funds returned to your account.  Then the scammers would be up against a bank and their team of lawyers and investigators.  

Bottom line:

If you haven't paid the callers a dime, don't.  If you planned on paying them to shut them up, just don't.  Remember - you are not being contacted by a legally licensed, ethically owned and operated collector.  Read up on the FDCPA - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf - and know your rights.

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-646-274-1143/3

I am receiving calls from a James Watson at 760-582-0311. I have received over the past few months several calls from either an "officer" Mark, someone named Allen,and now a James Watson. Very heavy middle estern accent. One time I heard a TV blaring in the back ground and then was told "just a moment" then office Mark came on. I tell these people to stop scamming me, but it continues. The thing that bothers me most is they have my personal information.

The calls are also coming from NY (347)590-4535. Calls are from Roger Smith and Eric Foster.

I WAS GOING OVER SOME OF THE REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AGAINST THIS JAMES PERSON. THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO ME. I KNOW I HAVE AN LOAN OUT WHICH ISN'T NO WHERE NEAR LA WHICH IS WHERE IS AREA CODE IS PULLING UP. HE CALLED MY BUSINESS PHONE AND LEFT ME A MESSAGE WITH HIS TREAT OF TAKING LEGAL ACTION ON ME IF I DIDN'T CALL HIM BACK AND HOW HE FEELS SORRY FOR ME IN MY COUNTY. HE SAID HIS NAME WAS OFFICE JAME LEWIS AND HE WAS WITH AMERICAN LEGAL DEPARTMENT. SO I CALLED MY OFFICER FIREND WHICH INFORMED ME THAT NO OFFICE GETS INTO LEGAL MATTER AND DEFENTLY WOULD LEAVE A TREATING MESSAGE ON YOU BUISNESS PHONE. THE NUMBER THIS JAMES LEWIS CALLED ME FROM WAS 213-550-4472 WHICH TO MY SURPRISE WOULDN'T GO THROUGH. THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THIS RUDE AND VERY TREATING AND NEED TO BE STOP. THIS MATTER HAD ME REALLY WORRIED EXPECTLY SINCE I'AM GOING UP FOR MY PROMOTION AT WORK. IT REALLY SOUNDED REAL TO ME BECAUSE HE FIRST GAVE MY FULL NAME AND THAN THE LAST OF MY FOUR OF MY SSN. PLEASE HELP US STOP THESE PEOPLE AND I WILL BE GOING TO MY LOCAL POLICE AND BANK.

Here is more information on where to file a complaint.  They are also listing a number of 310-362-4312.  I have already filed a complaint with the federal trade commision. with my local police and the beverly hills police which is where the above number is located at.  I also contact the phone company of Pac-West Telecomm.  They took a complaint over the phone, but also suggested I send an email commplaint as well so there was a paper trail.  Today I got a call from my guy who goes by Bruce Harvey. I actually had a lot of fun with him.  He would call and I would answer and immediately hang up.  This went on for over twenty calls.  On the last call I actually answered laughing and let him know how much fun I was having and if he could keep doing this as I was about to walk through the door of the police station and they wanted to talk to him.  He immediately hung up and didn't call back.  Now I'm positive that isn't going to stop the calls, but since he keeps leaving a message stating "god help me for what was about to happen to me" the police took that as a threat against and have issued a warrant out.  It seems a shame that we have to do so much to stop this, but if enough of us keep this up we might be able to actually bring some of these people to justice.

The exact same thing happened to me.  They are calling my business line and the name given is James Lewis.  I, too, was to have taken out a payday loan and never paid it back.  This is definitely a scam as the caller told me last week, 'this is your final call.....' and each day, he is still calling.
I do not know how they get this info but I closed out my accounts to be on safe side.

From ec's post: http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-718-831-7157

It's a scam.  There's no such thing as a Federal Investigation Bureau or United Legal Processing.

This is a very active group of overseas scammers who attempt to extort money from Americans with a myriad of false and illegal threats. They alternately pose as debt collectors, federal and state law enforcement officers, lawyers and bankers. They use any number of phony names such as US National Bank, Federal Investigation Bureau, US Legal Investigation Bureau, Hopkins Law Office, United Legal Processing, Morgan Associates, White Collar Crime Unit and many more.  These crooks often use caller-id spoofing software and/or VoIP to disguise their real location and to make it appear that they are calling from American area codes.

(By the way, there are some reports on 800Notes that have suggested that the crooks behind this offshore scam are also the crooks behind the notorious Bass/Ellis Crosby & Assoc./States Predisposition scams in Florida and Georgia. The interesting thing is that the number of complaints on here about the US National Bank/US Legal Investigation/Federal Investigation scam skyrocketed *after* Florida obtained a $1.3 million judgment against Ted Ellis Crosby, shutdown his operations and barred him from ever conducting debt collections in Florida. (Read http://myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsrel ... 5257424005858A6 )

The main thing to remember is that anytime someone calls you demanding money to prevent your arrest, it is ALWAYS a scam. No debt collector (let alone criminals posing as debt collectors) have the authority to have anyone arrested for anything. (And it's illegal to them to threaten such a thing.) And since these foreign dirtbags routinely impersonate law enforcement, it's also important to remember that American law enforcement officers aren't in the business of debt collection.  (Debt is a civil, not a criminal, matter.)

The bottom line is, these are criminals trying to steal your money. I suggest you do all the following (most of which you can do online):

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 who are posing as federal law enforcement. Be sure to give as many details as you can.

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.naag.org

5) File a complaint online with The Federal Trade Commission at https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01

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/1-925-262-1327
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-678-954-6346
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-341-4004
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-856-831-0640
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-949-743-1140
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-410-505-8128
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-917-464-2534
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-210-858-6602
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-775-2121
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-949-743-1156
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-214-245-1402
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-214-245-0922
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-214-723-5572

March 10,2008
I also received the call, he called me at work left me message say he
from ACS Law firm the same phone 213-995-3039) and it was sound like a
Middle Eastern scammer too pretending to be a law firm, ACS Law Firm, wanting to press charges on a "payday loan" I supposedly took out in January 2007.  Couldn't even provide an exact date,couldn't provide document,he say I owe fast cash loan on line I never took out the loan from fast cash. He went by the name of "James Watson" too. I was freaked out I give my credit card information and he told me to fax him letter stating that i did not intentionally wish defraud them and that I have made payment arrangemets to pay three time to that i still owe in the $988. He got my first payment $379,so I when to my bank to cancle my credit card and report fraud.
This morning He call me again he try to get my second payment, I pick up the phone I say my name so on---- then he told me he from ACS Law Firm.  I told him you're not ACS Law Firm your're scammer and tols him I have file report his name and phone number to  the police department then he hang up on me. Oh by the way he called in the morning about 8:30am.

When I received a call from this guy, he said he was with the Police Department. Rude and nasty.  I too told him I received nothing from him and he said he also e-mailed twice.  I asked him for debt validation and he said he did not have to provide it.

I place him on the reject list each time on my phone when he calls.

I received a call from 102-855-1013 on Friday the 13th...figures) (eventually it was 213-995-3039) and it was a Middle Eastern scammer pretending to be a law firm, ACS Law Firm, wanting to press charges on a "payday loan" I supposedly took out in January 2008.  Couldn't even provide an exact date.  He went by the name of "James Watson". I was freaked out and went to my bank to pull my bank details to prove that I never received a loan, and when my bank manager asked where to send it to, he then became suspicious and said this might be fraud.  I called the 213 number back and when I asked James Watson why I was never served any collection notices and/or anything in writing, he said I was "e-mailed" twice.  In fourteen months?  Come on...So now, lately, since Friday morning, I have been getting three calls a day from 793-806-2326.  Twice in the morning about 8:30 and 8:45 am (no messages left) and once in the afternoon.  EVERYDAY.  I am changing numbers...