347-377-7684
NY, US
 | Alfalfa 2012-08-08 16:44:31 Unknown |
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
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
| frustrated 2012-08-08 16:42:09 Unknown |
When I typed in the number Jack Smith just left me, all of your comments above came in. I too am getting literally word for word what you all are...this time he said that a warrant HAD been issued for me and within 3 days if I did not return his call they would come and arrest me at work or my home!! He has never called my cell or home number, just my work number....very heavy foreign accent, very rude, stating he IS from the Sherriff office in NY. Surely there is something we can do about this. He called me months ago and I returned his call, told him that the next time he called I needed his badge number for verification because my FBI friend would be contacting him and verifying his information....he did not call back until today!!
Frustrated....
Frustrated....
| LouDean 2012-05-31 00:29:58 Debt Collector |
I am getting the same calls and from the same Jack Smith.
I reported it to the Federal Trade Commission and also to the Stae Atrorney's Office.
I talked with our local Sheriff's Department as well as local police and they told me to
hang up or tell them you know you also have rights.
I reported it to the Federal Trade Commission and also to the Stae Atrorney's Office.
I talked with our local Sheriff's Department as well as local police and they told me to
hang up or tell them you know you also have rights.
| danielle 2012-05-17 03:14:26 Debt Collector |
I GET THESE CALLS DAILY...I LAUGH MY BUTT OFF WHILE I GO OFF ON HIM AND TELL HIM WHAT HE CAN DO WITH HIS PAYDAY LOAN AND "CHARGES" AGAINST ME...I WILL KEEP THREATENING HIM TIL HE QUITS CALLING.
| Wannami Skinflute 2012-05-03 23:40:24 Unknown |
I got several calls from this place but it was a lady with an asian accent. She said her name was Fawn Dul Mei. She said if I didnt respond favorably she would have my deported. I found her voice soothing so I told her to go on.
She said the police would come arrest me and beat me. I told her not to threaten me with a good time which upset her.
She then said the Porice (I think she meant police) would not pray (think she meant play) around.
It sounded fishy but her voice was hot, got me worked up so I to keep her on whilst I took care of businesss.
She said the police would come arrest me and beat me. I told her not to threaten me with a good time which upset her.
She then said the Porice (I think she meant police) would not pray (think she meant play) around.
It sounded fishy but her voice was hot, got me worked up so I to keep her on whilst I took care of businesss.
| Funny 2012-05-03 20:03:58 Unknown |
I received a call from this number several times. The man said his name was Jack smith with a very strong accent and said that I owed on a payday loan and a warrant for my arrest would be issued if I din't return the call asap. Then he calls my job and threatens me saying he was an officer from New York and that if I didn't pay the loan back they would SHOW UP at my door. It's sooooooooo funny to me because I could use the company LMMFAO!!!!!!! Such a SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM.
| carl 2012-04-04 05:29:55 Unknown |
this guy called.. jack smith.. he said the same things u guys have been saying.. i decided to scare him shitless.. i told him that his number is being forwarded to the fbi and that i was recording the converation.. i told him that he wasnt american and that his name wasnt jack smith.. he became very nervous and he said "f*** you moth******er" and hung up.. this place/guy is a scam dont believe him and dont bother worrying about him or his cabdriver buddies.. just a scam
| lori 2012-04-03 23:59:14 Unknown |
Aggressive caller. Called himself Jack Smith but had a very heavy and foreign accent. He called 4 times yesterday stating I was named in a legal suit for check fraud, theft and illegal EFT transfer. Supposedly calling from a New York law firm. If I didn't respond favorably, there would be further legal action including suit, police action and financial ramifications.
I told him to send all the above in writing and not to call again. then called my cell phone carrier and had the number blocked.
I told him to send all the above in writing and not to call again. then called my cell phone carrier and had the number blocked.
| shorty 2012-03-23 17:19:30 Unknown |
i just sat and argued with this sob for way more time and effort than i ever needed to dont worry jack smith one day u will recieve your warrant for forgery fraud and big ego little man deception three words for ya kiss my aceass
| babydoll 2012-03-20 23:53:06 Unknown |
i recived the same call from kiven johnson stated that i get a loan for 1,000 i ask him from what payday loan he could not tell me theseSOB need to be stop i am working on it .they are not police ,lawyar,investigation they are scams.they need to be lockup and pick the key in there A....S for safe keeping. another SOB from the same number said i get a lone for 300.00 they can kiss you know the rest. PS I HOPE THEY READ THIS
| r- 2012-03-14 21:27:17 Debt Collector |
Why isnt the police involved this is crazy and this guy knows the last four digits of my social. I have contact New York police department I suggest you all do the same
| I know how you feel 2012-03-14 20:23:00 Unknown |
i have gotten same call from the same guy. Its got to be a scam, dude sounds like a terrorist, and what kind of terrorist name is Jack Smith anyways he is a huge fake
| NEED HELP 2012-02-20 03:25:01 Debt Collector |
I JUST RECEIVED A CALL FROM A JACK SMITH FROM (1-347-377-7684) SAYING THAT I NEED TO GIVE HIM A CALL BECAUSE MY NAME HAVE BEEN LISTED IN A LAW SUIT AND THAT I NEEDED TO CALL HIM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. HE WENT TO SAY THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE CARE OF THIS MATTER BEFORE A WARRANT BE SENT OUT TO ME AND THAT I COULD BE ARRESTED. I HAVE NOT CALLED HIM BACK YET, WHAT CAN I DO TO STOP THIS OR IS THIS REAL?
| IRRITATED 2012-01-31 04:03:39 Unknown |
MY SON KEEPS ON GETTING PHONE CALL THREADING TO CALL THE POLICE THAT HE OWES $1000.00 ON SOCIAL SECURITY. LAST TIME WAS TODAY AND CURSED HIM TOLD HIM HE HAD TO GIVE HIM AT LEASE $500.00 BY TOMORROW. WHAT CAN I DO!!! HE'S EVEN CALLING HIS WORK AND WANTED TO SPEAK TO HIS SUPERVISOR PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!
| Jenn 2011-12-30 16:18:38 Unknown |
This Jack Smith has been harrassing me at work and in my personal life. I am EXTREMELY distraught because I sent this b*****d 200.00 through western union and almost sent him another 229.00 until I began to question why Cashnet was still calling me when I supposedly made arrangements with this individual who called stating he represented Cashnet. I called Cashnet and they had never heard of a Jack Smith and asked me to call their compliance department which was an insult because they asked me to leave a message with my contact info and that they would call me back in one day. Unbelievable!!!!! An issue like this needs to be resolved IMMEDIATELY! The question I have is how did this individual gain access to my personal information when the Cashnet website is supposed to be a SECURED site!!! This Jack Adams has been calling my work and cell phone off and on today. I will be filing a police report and notifying the district attorney in NY.
| TON 2011-12-13 20:46:45 Unknown |
SCAM - lawyer,cop, collection agent -- left 10 messages for me to call back. I called back from another phone number and it was middle eastern - Jack Smith.
| annoyed 2011-12-08 17:52:13 Unknown |
I also recieved the same call as above from 347-377-7684. and I recieved it at 600 in the morning which I am pretty sure any legitimate company would not do. I also had my checking account debited for .01 and then .03 and than $30 all of which where for a company that I have never heard of and am unable to get a hold off. I have had to close my account and open a new one and what I hassle for me with automatic payment and direct deposit set up on the old account.
| Kristine 2011-12-05 06:42:20 Unknown |
This guy is doing the same thing to me but he is getting more aggressive. He is telling me that he is going to come to my home and work and knows both address. He also is called my job so much they had to call the cops. He would not stop calling my cell phone until my stepson got on there and insulted him to the point he could not talk in any language. Tell him Jesus loves him and he goes crazy.
| Francisco salcido 2011-11-28 23:20:33 Unknown |
I also got a call from this number telling me I owed money on a loan i dont know about. they said I would be arrestted and go to jail if I didnt pay back $720. the person on there said his name is griffin bell. I told him I wanted a letter but he never send me one, I told him I was going to talk to a lawyer first, He gave me a number for the company but it was close to the number that call me
| angry 2011-11-22 00:52:43 Unknown |
got a call from this # w the same bs he's given everyone else!! this is unreal, i will be filing reports tomorrow on it and him! i have never recieved $ from Cash Advance and this is absolutely crazy!!! someone please do something. he also gave me a # for info from another scammer. i looked both of them up and they are both under scams
| had enuff 2011-11-21 19:27:47 Unknown |
got a call from this person today, is anything being done to stop this, i have already filed several reports
| Samething!! 2011-11-10 21:07:02 Unknown |
I just recieved 5 calls on my cell phone from the same person. I went to y local police dept. and she let him a recorded message not to call my cell phone or my WORK no and today 11/10/11 he called me at work and i told him i will see him in court. the 5 cell phone messages were the same thing this is absolutely INSANE. what can we do to GET RIP OF THIS PERSON!!!
| tiffortiz 2011-11-10 16:38:12 Unknown |
I just received a call from this number and he started saying that I owed money for a loan I took out with a company called US fast cash. I true to tell him that I never took out a loan and had never even heard of the company. I told him I was a law student and I know the law works and then asked if this was a scam. He then started screaming at me and said that he us an officer and they are going to come arrest me. Then he wouldn't let me talk anymore so I hung up. Oh and he had my full social security number. He tried to call a few more times but I didn't answer.
| SWEET CHEEKS! 2011-10-31 19:36:14 Unknown |
I think that This is linked wit some loan place called PMT ASSIST. Not only did they withdraw 30 dollars out my account, they did it twice! then i got a call from that dumb f*ck saying he is going to take me to jail in seven days, ppl please report this. they are trying to get money out us!! They put me 60$ in the hole and my account was almost closed!!!
| angry person 2011-10-31 15:53:59 Unknown |
i had a call today from another number it was 7147335617 it sounded like the same man but with a different name how can i stop this
| angry person 2011-10-29 01:01:50 Unknown |
i would like to find out how to stop these calls
| angry person 2011-10-29 00:59:36 Unknown |
i too have received several calls from this jack smith he even called me a stupid mother f___er when i called him an a** because he wouldn't let me talk he then said that i could go to jail for 7 years for calling him that but when i asked him what company that he worked for he hung up on me then i had other calls from some lady .
| LTH 2011-10-27 16:44:04 Debt Collector |
i receive calls from jack smith frequently as well and im not pleased at how these people can go about obtaining all of my pertinent informtaion and then have the audacity to tell me that i owe you money wheni don't i think that someone should get them back at their own game and run the same game on them that there doing to us and see how much they like it.
| Ro 2011-10-21 19:46:50 Unknown |
i got a call from 347377684 the man was talking broken info , he threatened me that I would go to jail . He asked me to secure a lawyer and that he was going to give me info that I needed to give to my lawyer so I would not go to prison. He kept refering to my maiden last name which I do not use and upset my child because she could hear his aggression . i just hung up on him.
| S. JONES 2011-10-18 21:45:00 Unknown |
I just got the same call. Talking about a loan from Cash Advace USA. He is very rude!!!! Tellimg me I'm gonna have to pay 12000. For what? I have nevery gotten a loan.
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