I got a call saying that someone at my number was being sued in a civil matter and if we did not respond that further charges would be filed.  As it turns out, it was a collection agent looking for someone else.  How rude.

A woman named Jeanine Michaels called my X husband to tell him to tell me to call them or have my attorney call them within 24 hrs. This was Sept 12 2008 (Friday) at 6:00pm. She had a case number. I called her and could not understand what she said when she answered the phone. She refused to identify herself or the company. I told her I was not going to giver her any info until I knew who I was talking to. She said I could wait for the Summons and could take 5 minutes go lose a nut and call her back.

It's scam.  They go by various names such as MoreStar Consultancy, LLC; Litigation Consulting Service, LLC; Claims & Warrants; and North American Asset Investigation Bureau, LLC (NAAIB). For details, read consumer credit advocate Bud Hibbs' report on these scammers: http://budhibbs.com/debtcollectorpages/NAAIB.htm

One thing it remember is that anytime someone calls you demanding money to prevent your arrest or criminal charges, 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.) These type of crooks also routinely impersonate FBI agents, police and other law enforcement officials, which, obviously, is illegal as well. (Besides, law enforcement officers aren't in the business of debt collection, and debt is a civil, not a criminal matter.)

The bottom line is, these are criminals trying to steal your money. Ignore their illegal threats and report their attempts to extort money from you to all these federal and state law enforcement agencies:

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 give them all the details.

3) Maryland Attorney General  http://www.oag.state.md.us/Consumer/complaint.htm  (Litigation Consulting claims to be in Maryland)

4) Ohio Attorney General  http://www.ag.state.oh.us/citizen/consumer/complaints.asp  (MoreStar claims to be in Cleveland)

5) Your state's attorney general, the contact information for whom is at www.naag.org

6) 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.

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

If these crooks call back, tell them that they aren't getting any money from you and that you've reported their scam to federal and state law enforcement. They will react with the usual moronic, false threats.  If possible, try to save any voice messages they leave and, if legal in your state, record their calls if you speak with them. (Inexpensive phone recorders are available at Radio Shack-type stores.)

Hope this helps.

I received a call at my house from a Mr. Mark Price, Special Investigator for Litigation Consultant Services in Bethesda, Maryland.  My caller ID listed it as OUT OF AREA (240) 235-4102.  He said that I have a civil complaint filed against me but that he didn't have anymore information and for me to call (240) 235-5616.  He gave me a case number of FAP####.  I called and a female answered as Litigation Consultive Services.  I gave her the case number and she asked me to verify my name as ******** ** ********, which I did.  She then explained that this was regarding an auto loan from Florida Auto Finance from 1999 in the amount of $2683.83.  I told her that I was in Korea in 1999 and that I have never heard of Florida Auto Finance.  She had my SSN, which I did not verify but it was correct, and my address from March of 1999 in Odessa, Tx (also correct but I didn't verify)  She said that I had 2 criminal complaints against me which should be warrants for my arrest by Monday.  At this point I told her "since you have everything you need, then mail it to me and I will verify the information."  She said that I could explain it to the sheriff when they come to pick me up.  I told her that would be fine and hung up.  I searched GOOGLE for the name (no usefull results) then got the number for the Bethesda Police Department (301)652-9200.  The lady Police Officer said that she had received other calls regarding this company and that she has never heard of them.  I then search more on Google and found several Office of Attorney General sites listing them as Fraud.  I also found your site, which is where I am now.  I called the Bethesda Police Department back and talked to the same officer and told her that, after searching, I found this to be a fraud and that I was reporting it to the Attorney General Office.  She gave me the Computer and Wired Phone fraud phone number with the Police (240) 773-6330 and said that I should call Monday.  I have also called my local Police Department (San Antonio Police Department) to file a police report.  I am currently waiting for an officer to call me back.

Big SCAM do not call them back or give them any information.

Just got a message from 240 235 5616 saying that they wanted to talk to me about a legal matter....It is definitely a SCAM..... DO not fall for it .....REPORT it ASAP to your local authorities.

Glad you guys realized they were scam artists before they got any money out of you. They're a bunch of crooks --  They go by a variety of names and phone numbers -- some of the names they use include Global Asset Investigations, Worldwide Recovery Services, Worldwide Asset Investigation Services and North American Asset Investigation Bureau (NAAIB). Last year they were operating out of Cleveland, OH, until they were shut down -- the Cleveland BBB named them as one of the top ten scams of 2007: http://cleveland.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.asp ... b91931&art=1377
You can get more info here: http://www.budhibbs.com/debtcollectorpages/NAAIB.htm.
They will probably continue using this MD number until they get shut down again, then start using a new area code, but the MO is always the same: they call and identify themselves in a way that implies they are either working for a lawyer, the court system, or the police department (all of these misleading statements are illegal); tell you that there has been a civil case filed against you, they give you a case number, and tell you that you must contact them before a warrant is sworn out against you. When you contact them, they tell you that they are investigating a debt that is 10, 12, 15 or so years old; they'll name some bank you've never heard of, or a credit card you've never heard of. They'll have just enough information about you to make you nervous and they'll be phishing to find out more information. They'll tell you that the debt is some ridiculous amount -- let's say $10,200 for an example -- but if you're willing to pay today, they'll reduce it to, for example, $650. But they can't give you an address. Instead, they will ask for your bank account or credit card number. They'll tell you that if you don't settle on the phone with them that moment, a sheriff will appear at your door within 48 hours to arrest you. NONE OF THIS IS TRUE. Complaints have been filed to the AG of OH, MD, TX, NY, and IL, as well as to the FTC, FCC, and the FBI (as they are trying to illegally extort money over the phone). They often target the elderly and infirm. Do not speak with them, and save whatever messages they leave on your phone. If you get a phone call, file a complaint online with the following organizations:
http://www.oag.state.md.us/Consumer/complaint.htm
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en
http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm
as well as the Attorney General of your own state. Remember: whether the debt is yours or not, you should not be dealing with these people. They are not a legitimate organization.

PLEASE -- file a report. You were smart and savvy enough to do research on this number; not everyone is that lucky. REPORT THEM!!!

This is a group of people currently taking advantage of people across the United States. They go by a variety of names and phone numbers -- some of the names they use include Global Asset Investigations, Worldwide Recovery Services, Worldwide Asset Investigation Services and North American Asset Investigation Bureau (NAAIB). Last year they were operating out of Cleveland, OH, until they were shut down -- the Cleveland BBB named them as one of the top ten scams of 2007 (http://cleveland.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.asp ... 19642b&art=4334).
You can get more info here: http://www.budhibbs.com/debtcollectorpages/NAAIB.htm.
They will probably continue using this MD number until they get shut down again, then start using a new area code, but the MO is always the same: they call and identify themselves in a way that implies they are either working for a lawyer, the court system, or the police department (all of these misleading statements are illegal); tell you that there has been a civil case filed against you, they give you a case number, and tell you that you must contact them before a warrant is sworn out against you. When you contact them, they tell you that they are investigating a debt that is 10, 12, 15 or so years old; they'll name some bank you've never heard of, or a credit card you've never heard of. They'll have just enough information about you to make you nervous and they'll be phishing to find out more information. They'll tell you that the debt is some ridiculous amount -- let's say $10,200 for an example -- but if you're willing to pay today, they'll reduce it to, for example, $650. But they can't give you an address. Instead, they will ask for your bank account or credit card number. They'll tell you that if you don't settle on the phone with them that moment, a sheriff will appear at your door within 48 hours to arrest you. NONE OF THIS IS TRUE. Complaints have been filed to the AG of OH, MD, TX, NY, and IL, as well as to the FTC, FCC, and the FBI (as they are trying to illegally extort money over the phone). They target the elderly and infirm. Do not speak with them, and save whatever messages they leave on your phone. If you get a phone call, file a complaint online with the following organizations:
http://www.oag.state.md.us/Consumer/complaint.htm
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en
http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm
as well as the Attorney General of your own state. Remember: whether the debt is yours or not, you should not be dealing with these people. They are not a legitimate organization.

Please report them so that others aren't taken advantage of!

My mother got a message on her home phone answering machine from someone looking for MY HUSBAND.  Same thing - case number, agent, court case, blah, blah.  So my husband calls and it was a collector from a vehicle repo that happened in 1996!  He offered to pay $50 a month and they told him that was unacceptable.  Seriously.....so he told them it was completely inappropriate that they had called and left a message on his MOTHER-IN-LAW's phone!  He and I didn't even know each other in 1996!  They told him they didn't have a valid phone number for him.....our home phone was his home phone and hasn't changed in probably 20 years!  BEWARE if you get a call from these people....they are threatening to take him to court if he doesn't pay but not accepting what we can afford.

got a call yesterday from a firm left a message from a "Special Agent" saying I was named in a civil suit as a "respondent" and gave me a "case" number that I was supposed to refer to when I called back.  I called them and they answered the phone saying "Litigations Agent Bryson, what is your case number." I gave it to him. Then he wanted to verify the last 4 digits of my SS#  I told him I wouldn't verify anything until they told me what it was concerning. The "Special Agent started yelling at me telling me saying he doesn't deal with people like me and to have my attorney call him. Then he hung up on me.  I called back, he answered again and I told him to be quiet, that I knew my rights and if he'd just listen I could give him information on the "real person" they needed to talk to.  (I had suspected it was regarding a Chase MC that my ex-husband opened during our divorce that a previous collection agency linked to me and started harrassing me over it.) He said "I don't need you to snitch out your ex-husband, we are going to issue a bench warrant on you so you better get an attorney". He then hung up on me again.  After reading the other complaints on this website I can see that my suspision about it being a Chase Bank issue was confirmed. I'm calling Chase bank to complain. Chase is the one that verified with me the last time I heard from a collection agency,that I had nothing to do with the account.

I got a call yesterday as well.  Call themselves "Special Agents" and wanted to verify the last 4 digits of my SS#  I told them I wouldn't verify anything until they told me what it was concerning. The "Special Agent's" name was Mr. Bryson. He started yelling at me telling me he doesn't deal with people like me and to have my attorney call him. Then he hung up on me.  I called back, he answered again and I told him to be quiet, that I knew my rights and if he'd just listen I could give him information on the "real person" they needed to talk to.  (I had suspected it was regarding a Chase MC that my ex-husband opened during our divorce that a previous collection agency linked to me and started harrassing me over it.) He said "I don't need you to snitch out your ex-husband, we are going to issue a bench warrant on you so you better get an attorney"  I'm calling Chase bank to complain. Chase is the one that verified that I had nothing to do with the account.

I got a call yesterday as well.  Call themselves "Special Agents" and wanted to verify the last 4 digits of my SS#  I told them I wouldn't verify anything until they told me what it was concerning. The "Special Agent's" name was Mr. Bryson. He started yelling at me telling me he doesn't deal with people like me and to have my attorney call him. Then he hung up on him.  I called back, he answered again and I told him to be quiet, that I knew my rights and if he'd just listen I could give him information on the "real person" they needed to talk to.  I had suspected it was regarding a Chase MC that my ex-husband opened during our divorce that a previous collection agency linked to me and started harrassing me over it. He said "I don't need you to snitch out your ex-husband, we are going to issue a bench warrant on you so you better get an attorney"  I'm calling Chase bank to complain. Chase is the one that verified that I had nothing to do with the account.

got a call for my mom, who does not live with me, to call within 24 hrs about a civil complaint against her --even left a case #
from a Dennis Bell- special investigator

I also got a call stating that they were a collection agency and if I did not pay it would be brought to court.  Not sure if this is a scam because they were asking about an ATT Wireless bill in my name- I've never used ATT Wireless... weird.

I got a call telling me there's a criminal case against me but when I called, it's a collector for Chase bank.