Consumers across the country report that they're getting telephone calls from people trying to collect on loans the consumers never received or on loans they did receive but for amounts they do not owe. Others are receiving calls from people seeking to recover on loans consumers received but where the creditors never authorized the callers to collect for them. So what's the story?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:

is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.
If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:
Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.

Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.
Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft ? charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.
Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate ? but you think the collector may not be ? contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors

Hey me too he told me to enjoy jail over the holidays. How can they do this? My local officer told me the same thing.

I received a call today from him stating I would be arrested at 5:00 pm tonight if I did not pay 1400 in restitution on check fraud 2 counts of felonies. I started asking questions of him like what the case number was and what district attorney hired him. He couldn't provide me anything rather wouldn't just told me he was pulling the restitution offer and that I could turn myself in or be arrested. I contacted local county atty office and they had no record couldnt give me any advice other than if I was being harrassed by a collector to call the local authorities. I figured I would assume she was meaning to read between the lines and contacted local county sheriff office who put me in contact with officer and guess what they wouldn't take his call when he called them.... He then called from blocked number and spoke to Tim Hoffman and guess what he couldnt' give any information and got mad.  :)  THIS IS SO WRONG!!!! HOW CAN WE STOP THIS MAN AND HIS PEOPLE!!!!

Left various messages that were very threatening.  Spoke with my attorney and she asked me to get their mailing address but they won't give it out.

Does anyone haved the official company name and mailing address for this phone number?

I also asked them for paperwork to be sent to the address they had for me and I also got the excuse O sorry we filed on you at noon today. So your file is not here in our office anymore. I said O I figured that much cause you have and have had any paperwork . I have not got another call since its been 2 weeks now.

Thank you so much, Elspeth for this information, yes, I will do this, this is very frightening and scary and I'm still shook up from this, I appreciate you responding back to me and helping me, again, Thank you

Yes - you got a call from - SCAMMERS!  Don't let them scare you into paying a bogus debt!  Besides being illegal to threaten people this way (per the FDCPA regulations), debt is civil, NOT criminal, so you're not going to be arrested, charged and thrown in jail!  

Report the calls to the FTC, the FBI and your state's Attorney General.  Next time the scammers call, tell them that on the advice of your attorney (even if you don't have one), you're recording all calls they make to you for multiple violations of the FDCPA.  

Also tell them that since they refuse to send the legally required debt validation letter proving you owe this debt to them, you are legally obliged to pay them NOTHING (also per the FDCPA regulations).

I got a call on VM from 281you 241 6239 saying to call this number 1 855 245 1259 and the name Legal Check Recovery. The number (855 245 1259) I got no answer so I called the 281 241 6239 and the man answered Processing and I told him file number and said that it was red flagged and put me on line with attorney Tim Hoffman saying to turn myself in or at 3pmthe the police would be at my door. I asked what about and he says payday loans I got from 2007 and 2008 and it's felony arrest for me, I tried telling him I'm in debt consolidation program and he said they not going to sit in kail for me, I tried to talk agot very nasty and rude after I wouldn't tell him where I was and said this how you want to play it then go to jail and I have a 35,000 bond and he would tell them I refused to cooperate. I went to police station to see and the officee told me no I dont have warrants and then he talked to the investigator and she says she has gotten calls like this from ppl saying the same thing. I was in tears and still very shaken and scared by this, could anyone respond back to me, I would greatly appreciate it.

THIS IS A TOTAL SCAM!! I have found numerous posts about this guy under different numbers he is using the ones I have thus far are 713-574-1864, 281-241-6239, 224-545-5353, 281-288-2339.This guy NEEDS to be stopped. He was very nasty to me, I saw a post where he told a lady that her kids would be taken away that's just wrong he is a sick guy we need to help him get the help he needs by having his butt locked up!!! I think if enough people file a complaint it can help someone else not be scammed. Also we must protect ourselves because these people have our information. I REALLY want to know how they got it! I would suggest you put an alert in with the credit bureaus since they have your info,file a police report and call the Texas Attorney Gen. Office and file complaint 512-463-2070 also you can file complaint with FTC, He has messed with the right one maybe if enough people report them something will be done!!!!!!

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:

?is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
?refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
?asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
?exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.

If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:

?Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.?Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.
?Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft ? charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.
?Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate ? but you think the collector may not be ? contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
?Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors

I also was called yesterday was informed if I didn't money gram $1300 2 felony arrest warrants would be issued by an "attorney" named Pamela.I called back to get the company web info and the name when they answered they said legal services they had no web info to give and didn't want to provide a name. I called back thinking I would get someone else spoke to Tim Hoffman said he was an attorney who also refused to give me the name was very rude and disrespectful told me to remember his name when I'm in jail,and how in TX it's legal to slap a lady in front of the courthouse along with racial slurs and vulgar language about his body parts. This is definitely a SCAM!! They also answered the phone and said "Processing" so I'm sure they have several scams going.I am so glad I didn't just go pay the money after the initial call. They are also using different #'s the other one I have is 713-574-1864. They wanted me to wire the money to a company called VPS( Victim Protective Services) I was also given the name Barn&Barn Cowens & Associates, I googled it and it doesn't exist, the #'s they use are google #'s,when I couldn't pull anything up and called back for the company name that's when he got really nasty with me. It will be a good day when these jokers are caught.

They called three times. Back to back. They phone rang once. I had a VM 2 days ago stating there was a warrant out for a bad check. I haven't written a check in over 10 years. Collections company. The best way to get them is to deny you know what they are talking about, ask them to provide said documents that you signed and forward those to you for review. If they cannot provide the documents they really cannot harrass you for a payment.

I've spoken to several men there who happen to all sound the same threatning me with a warrant. Saying i needed to pay $1300. After several hours of trying to find out who these people are i called them to ask them POLITELY & the "ATTORNEY" went off on me cursing & hung up! WTH?!?!

The number 281-241-6239 appears to be associated with sales manager (see right portion of web page linked below) of a company called:

Digitex Corporation
322 E Main St
League City, Texas 77573
(281) 526-0176

See: http://www.chamberofcommerce.com/league-city-tx/6428223-digitex-corp/

It is odd that you would get a call directing you to call this number and having a man answer and say that it is a law office.  Are you sure you wrote down the number correctly?

Leaves a message to call the number 281-241-6239. Even though they called from the number of 224-545-5353. Calling the number shown on the caller ID connects you with a office which states they are a debt collector. Calling the number they leave in the voice mail connects you to a man who answers, Law Offices, but does not state which Law Offices they are. asking for more information, only gets you hung up on.