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

If you find out how to stop them please let me know

Stop these people from doing this threatening me I am a senior citizen and don,t need thie especially at my job

They did. They have been calling me at work and harassing my boss saying that if I won't pay she needs to. We called the police and they said to ignore it and for my boss to tell them I no longer work there so they would stop calling. Hopefully this works they've been calling several times a day for about a week now. Every time I pick up the phone I tell them I know they are a scam and the man just yells at me saying investigators will come to my job and I will see. I can't believe the cops won't do anything to stop him from harassing me.

I'll up vote them also.. these scammers seem to think they can get away with everything and anything,lol! But looks like they might be looking at starting this number again eh?  We should at least thank him for the heads up! ;)

Nice job resurrecting a thread that had been dead for two years.  Thanks for verifying that you are a scammer.

BTW... all the real posts (yes, all 4 pages of them) had been downvoted.  This tells me a scamming shill for this operation has registered as a user to do so.  I've just upvoted them all so that the posts show "0".  (Yes this shows a little OCD on my part, but at least I'm using it for good, right?!)

Real payday loan 3157555095

I received the very same kind of call with all the same actors and situations except a different phone number this time. The phone number that called me was 217-596-4229.  These schemers keep changing numbers so the police can't catch up with them. Next week they will have a different number.

Everything the same except new phone number 978-871-8770, Freeport Texas.  Steve Smith with a heavy Indian accent telling me that I am in big trouble.

Received several calls today from this number 315-755-5281.  Stated they were from Carlson Law firm and there is a lawsuit against me and my social security number.  Stated "Cash Advance" for $300 is after me.  I asked them for their address so I could come punch them in the face.  Funny thing is their names - Austin White, Stanley Marshall, all sound like the are from the middle-east, heavy accents.  I even asked them if they were outside since it was really loud, could hear wind and cars beeping.   They wanted me to pay over the phone.  I contacted my local county police and the gave me a case number.  Also suggested I ask my cell phone provider to block their number.

This man Jack with an Indian accent also stated the he sent a supeona and I was to come to court with my lawyer. I said if you sent information why are you asking for my information then he hung up again... I called back in got a voice mail tht said  "Hi, this is Jack Ia m unable to come to the phone right now." I hung up and google this number..

A man named Jack called my phone statig I was beeing sued because I has an outstanding balance on a loan. When I aske Jack what type of loan and the times the money was dispersed. He stated tht he needed my informationto tell me so.. I told him I dont know who you are but I check my credit every month and my credit is in the 600 and I have no outstanding loans and if he called me again asking me for my personal information I would contact my lawyer. JACK THEN HUNG UP ON ME!!

Have been receiving calls from this number saying I owned them money.  Today they stated the papers had just come from the court house and they were going to sue me if I didn't pay.  The man has a heavy Middle Eastern accent.  This is not the first time I received the calls.  Back about a year ago they were calling.  I asked that they fax/ mail me the information so I could look at it.  They refused and said they could only send it to my lawyer.  I called bull on it and they quit calling for a while.  Now they are back at it

LOL!!! I DID AND SAID THE EXACT SAME THING....AND HE'S STILL CALLING MY PHONE!!!! LOL!!

JUST RECEIVED A CALL FROM A FOREIGN MAN. STATES THAT I AM BEING SUED! IVE NEVER BORROWED ANY MONEY NOR HAVE I EVER OWNED A CREDIT CARD IN MY LIFE!! IT'S A SCAM!!!!!

513-755-5281 has called me repeatedly. Same story as the rest.... I borrowed $200 and they are suing me. I told them to call my lawyer and he insisted that I just take care of it myself. In other words, send them the money and we wouldn't go to court. TOTAL SCAM. I them proceeded to thoroughly cuss him out. He hung up on me. LOL Numbers are being blocked since it looks like no one can really do anything much about it.

My friend received a threatening call from "Officer Allen Smith" who could barely speak english. He stated that her friend, who's name he actually said, was involved in illegal activity and if she didn't return his call, she would also be implicated.  These types of scams need to be stopped!  Why does our government spend more time and effort busting people for smoking in undesignated areas than on protecting people from these cowards who won't get real jobs, and are probably collecting unemployment and tax breaks...paid for by the people they are scamming!!!  I AM MAD!!!! C'mon Attorney General or whoever it will take to stop the illegal activities of phone scammers, identity theives, internet hackers, etc!

Got a voice mail from these idiots saying a friend of mine (they gave her name which really creeped me out) was a prime suspect in a financial fraud case and they needed both of us to call them back. They basically threatened me in their message saying my friend had given them ALL my information, including my SS number which is total B.S. The guy had a THICK accent and had the nerve to say his name was Alan Smith (pronounced Smeet)....give me a break!! Would love to see all scammers jailed for a LONG LONG time!!

My wife was called by this guy with an Indian accent claiming she owed them money from a payday loan from Aug 2010.  He threatened her with court if she didn't pay up.  He said she could pay in installments or a one lump sum.  My wife has taken out payday loans before but always paid them back immediately.  So this was a bit shocking to her.  She told the guy she would need to talk it over with me before doing anything.  So she told him to call back in a few minutes so she can discuss it with me.  He called back - I hit him with the following questions:  Q:  who are you?  A: Eric Anderson (with an indian accent? Please...);  Q: Company Representing?  A: US Cash Advance;  Q: Law Firm?  A: Carlson Law Firm;  Q: How much?  A: $686.00;  Q: Original Amount:  A: $300.00;  Q: Dates?  A:  Aug 2010;  Q:  How much to settle:  A: $526.00..
I told him I would investigate and call him back.  Immediately, I went to our bank statement to see if there was a deposit of $300.00 in Aug from US CASH Advance.  There were NO deposits from them.  Moral of the story - believe nothing, verify everything.  When I call back, he will get an ear full

I got 8 calls from 315-755-5281 in less than 30 minutes sayin that i owe them 250.00. its all a damn scam so dont ever answer a number you dont know or cant understand there damn vm they leave you.

YEP - GOT THE CALL TOO. THE'VE BEEN CALLING AND NOT LEAVING NUMBER. I JUST HAPPENED TO ANSWER THIS TIME. ARREST THEM.

I have been receiving phone calls from the same Mr. Michael Lee for the past month. First from the phone number 315-755-5281 and now from 713-370-9229 claiming he is calling from Texas.... At one point I was getting 6 to 7 calls a day with the same story about how he's from a law firm and a motion has been filed against my social security number. When I don't give him any personal info or start asking questions he becomes verbally violent. I have called the police, especially after the guy KNEW my street address and told me that the cops were coming to "nab me" in the middle of the night. I thought the phone calls would stop but he still persists.

2 Calls from te creeps and waiting to be thrown in jail for something  did not do

Just got thre phone calls rom the creeps they say the cops wil be here in 2 daysto arrest meand throw me in jail for someting  did not do. I am waiting. creeps

yeah this same number was calling my phone looking for my live in g/f. said she would be arrested if she dident give $850. i told the guy ill find him and bash his head in. he said he was a cop and my local police dept is comming in the moring to arrest her. i had verizon block the number. also called the police. they said they can never trace this number. its a scam and just ignor it.

this dumb a** also goes by christopher jones has a pakastainy or india accent did the same to me just out of a houston tx number 7133709229. christopher jones is a lawer in tx but not him.

got about the 10th call - this time name is william smith but the call came from 916-685-3399 leaves a message for 315-755-5281 (which I currently have blocked).  said there is a lawsuit against my name and SS# and they now have my street adrress. If i dont' call back right away i will be sued for check fraud, and a list of other items.

I just received a call from William Smith with a strong accent...scam scam scam...somehow these people have to be caught!

Some RAG HEAD called told me I took out a pay day kind of loan out 12-09. They were going to have me arrested for 3 criminal accounts. I told him to bring it on. I will shoot every SOB in his house then burn it down. I hate these foreign B*****DS. NUKE THEM TILL THEY GLOW !!!!

Some RAGHEAD called told me I took out a pay day kind of loan out 12-09. They were going to have me arrested for 3 criminal accounts. I told him to bring it on. I will shoot every SOB in his house then burn it down. I hate these foreign B*****DS. NUKE THEM TILL THEY GLOW !!!!