unknown caller

Sarah and whomever else - these are definitely scams.   I contacted a legal firm called Lemberg Law and they advised me these people are hacking the payday loan sites because they are unsecure - they can get all the information they want from these sites.  So if you ever applied for a loan in years past they can still access the information.  They are also using fake payday loan sites to get your information - then the loan is denied and they have what they want.   I have received phone calls from numbers 412 - 724 - 347 - 510 - 213 - 253 - 424 - 717 - ALL ARE SCAMS.   They are typically calling from offshore phones that somehow come up as numbers in the U.S.    They are very hard to catch and I was advised that when the authorities get close to catching one of them - they change their names and numbers.  I know it is a lot but when you get these calls - report them every time.  They are making millions off people because of the scare tactics they use including jail time, losing your job, involving family members or people listed as references on the applications.  First of all, you can't be arrested for outstanding debt including payday loans.

you know, these same guys have been calling me! theyve called my job. they know my social and address. It is scary, but what we must remember is to not give in and make a police report (keep police updated), check your credit (red flag it if need be...all you have to do is get a copy of the police report and call credit reporting companies for further info). What I want to know is who do I call to report them. Tried the better business bureau, but since the business doesn't exist, cannot file a claim. What can I do?

They had called before under different number.  Thought they were finally done and received a call today from this number.  Saying I was going to be arrested and bought to court and better take this seriously.  Dang hard not to make one prejudice when being harrassed as this company does.  Even started calling my daughters number who just graduated from college.  She was prepared luckily from my readings of posts.

they call me once or twice a week and i am sick and tired of them calling me.

Thanks Saint!  You are the best.  I hope EVERYONE reads your article.  It really makes a lot of sense.  The funny thing is this has been happening to me now for over a year.  Every other month sometimes once every month.  At first I was scared, but when I looked into it more I realized the scam.  I  did apply for a lone but never took it and then about 6 months later BAM the calls.  Now I let them know I will report them and I am not giving you anything.  They say then we will file a complaint, go ahead I say, then maybe you will leave me alone.  Now I am just hoping evenually they will just stop, but more people need to know this maybe nightline should do a show on this or have they?

HERE we go again.....it's another month and they are calling again... Officer George Wilson which he is not and it is against the law to say you are when your not..I tell them to stop calling again and I am filing another complaint against 412.253.6575 and 646-783-4929.  They are unprofessional and they are trying to steal your money.  I have never received anything in the mail or do owe any company money.  I even told them they are not who they say they are and I am filing a complaint and then they say they are as well,  go ahead then the calls can end, file one.  Really see how far they get especially if they are even in this country AMERICA that is where I live and don't understand how they can take from the american people.  I bet They don't even pay taxes on any money they scare out of people.  Well hopefully people are reading this so they don't get scare or upset, at first it get me mad and then I am like one day it may stop until then check your credit report and if you see anything funny on it report it.  Good Luck America!!!!!

The very same thing happen to me.  They called me from 412-253-6575 saying I have a lawsuit against me for a loan I don't I didn't take out.  On top of all of that he read a SS# to me stating it was mine.  When I told him that it was not and he was mistaking he became very nasty.  I simply hung up.  I have reportes them and urge anyone else with the same problem to do the same.  There are so many out there and if we don't report them some pore soul will fall sucker to them because they don't know.

Thank you for the detailed account.  They were bothering me in the spring, and they just called.  My son, who is home sick, answered the phone and was scared to death by this jerk.  I will, once again, contact the FBI.

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

Beth...please read all the post on here they all make sense,,,don't fall for there scams when they call and threaten arrest...laugh at them and say you don't get arrested for a civil matter idiot believe me when they know you have knowledge of the law the calls will stop,,one post suggested that you change your bank accounts i believe you should do that they will rob you.
Beth do the smart thing and don't fall for there scam...

You *cannot* be arrested and jailed for a financial problem (credit card, late on mortgage, etc.) in the USA -- this is law. Even if you owe money, there are other laws governing how debt is collected and these scammers are breaking all those laws. This is a scam; do not cave in, do not pay. Buy an air horn and clean out their ears!

HOW DO WE STOP THEM?  They are calling my parents, have been to the court house in the rural county in OK that I live in, posing as mortgage people.  They say they are going to contact employer this week and have me arrested this week!  If they have all my info and are going to the court house, why should I NOT be scared!

PROTECT YOURSELF!  IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU MUST READ ? HOW THE SCAM WORKS AND WHAT AGENCIES TO REPORT THEM TO

LONG RUNNING AND KNOWN SCAM ? ALL OVER INTERNET AND NEWS FOR  2 YEARS NOW


Fake Debt Collectors ? Terrorizing Consumers
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5621205&page=1

MORE ON FAKE DEBT COLLECTORS
http://www.wvago.gov/internetloanscam.cfm
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-904-425-9141
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/call4action/17285785/detail.html
http://www.800helpfla.com/newsletter/2008/092008.html
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/01/ks_debt_collection.html  
http://consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/07/video_bill_collector_scam.html  WITH VIDEO!  
http://consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/09/fdic_debt_collector_scam.html  9/7/2010 -NEWEST CONSUMER ALERT ?SCAMMERS NOW CLAIMING TO BE WITH FDIC

If you are targeted by these criminals, be sure to report them to all the following federal and state law enforcement agencies (most of which you can do online or over the phone):
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 if the crooks claim to be law enforcement or lawyers, officers of the court or bankers, be sure to include that information in your report.
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.wvago.gov
5.    File a complaint online with The Federal Trade Commission at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en
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/1-888-771-9249   Scammer posting here as GARY and GARRY JONES
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-866-860-4509   Scammer posting here as Mike Henderson
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-212-500-0839   Scammer posting here as Ricky
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-201-244-7722   Scammer posting as Carole, David Brown and Amanda
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-626-200-4646   Scammer false postings at this new number as silshan kanniue and Tina ? preparing a new number to use.
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-424-354-4270   Scammer false postings as Rose
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-785-4479   Scammer posting as Robert
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-909-327-4870   Scammer false postings as Marry
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-646-274-1143   Scammer false postings as Karen Miller, Chichi and Tom Little
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-561-300-8018   Scammer false postings as Marco Polo and Covenant
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-226-7488   Scammer false postings as SAM, David S
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-706-7463   Scammer false postings as George
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-209-349-7382   Scammer false postings as Towanda Robinson, Shannon Walsh, Jack Dawson and Cynthia
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-760-514-0132   scammer false postings as Suzy01, Johanna Hall, Cindie McMellon, Michael Dublin, Mark Williams, Carol and Rio   (800notes removed some of the scammers posts because the all came from the SAME IP ADDRESS)
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-209-797-2212   scammer false posting as Jaison Connar
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-707-401-4056   Scammer false posting as John Carner, KSR
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-650-241-4604   Scammer false postings as jhon and Kevin
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-708-401-0535   Scammer false posting here as JHON
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-518-212-0219  Scammer false posting as Prince Christian, Arpit
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-718-705-8669  Scammer false postings as Alicia
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-707-633-2789  Scammer false postings as Rojer, Minni, Rhone, Smith, Lisa Jack, Julie, Sean, and Carol. ? preparing a new number to use to steal money
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-205-294-6271  Scammer false posting as Thomas Jhonson
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-661-263-4011  Scammer false posting ?ILLEGALLY claiming to be an attorney Charles F Robinson
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-321-684-4117  Scammer false posing as Harry Patt
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-518-565-0306  Scammer false posting as Wellvishers
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-678-791-4673  Scammer false posting as Sherrie Ann and Elvine Buris
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-305-390-0607  Scammer false posting as James and Mark
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-209-349-3112  Scammer false posting as Roger Brown. David Macrow and Andrew
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-646-360-1702 Scammer false posting as STATE LEGAL DEPARTMENT
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-850-254-8883  Scammer false posting as Stella
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-347-875-8165  Scammer false posting as Lisa L Johnson, Mark Taylor

Scam alert: Bogus debt collectors
By Leslie McFadden ? Bankrate.com
Monday, Aug. 3
Posted 2 p.m.
Bankrate reporter Leslie McFadden contributed this entry.
This scam isn't technically about credit cards, but it is scary enough to post a warning. The Better Business Bureau issued an alert today saying consumers across the country are getting phone calls from bogus debt collectors claiming default on a payday loan. Of course, the consumer needs to pay a large fee to avoid arrest -- as much as $1,000.
The caller poses as a lawyer, and may threaten extradition to face trial if the consumer doesn't pay up immediately.
What makes these calls alarming -- and perhaps convincing -- is that the perpetrators reference the consumer's personal information, such as the person's Social Security number, driver's license number, previous bank account numbers, home address -- even personal references.
"The amount of information they have is really troubling," says BBB spokeswoman Alison Southwick. She adds that the amount of data points to a possible security breach.
Spread the word to your friends and family: Don't give out personal or financial information to an unknown caller. Scammers can spoof Caller ID to display different numbers, so trust your instincts over technology.
The BBB offers these tips:
?    Ask the debt collector to provide official documentation which substantiates the debt.
?    Do not provide or confirm any bank account, credit card or other personal information over the phone until you have confirmed the legitimacy of the call.
?    File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online if the caller is abusive, uses threats or otherwise violates federal telemarketing laws or the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
?    File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau online if you believe a debt collector is trying to scam you.

The number calling is from another country.  It operates through-----Level 3 Communications (NASDAQ: LVLT) is a communications and information services company headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, USA. It has operating locations throughout the US and Europe. The company operates one of the largest communications and Internet backbones in the world. Level 3 is a Tier 1 network and the current owner of AS1,[1] but it operationally uses AS3356, which as of 2007[update] consistently has one of the highest ranked connectivity degrees on the Internet.[2][3]

Here they go again, It is getting old with these fraud scammers crooks, just plain sick of them.  They left me a message today and the voice mail was a joke, it was like they were trainning someone, he messed up at the end I can here someone say this and that and then they hung up.  Well it is time to file reports and call them back to let them know they are in trouble.  They are really something, I have gotten to the point where it will not ruin my day, I check my credit report and social security, no worries, these crooks just want easy money. American PEOPLE DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR MONEY CLOSE ANY ACCOUNTS THAT THEY HAVE. THIS IS A SCAM!

I recieved a phone call from a " out of area" and was told that I must contact them because there has been a lawsuit in my name. I did not return the call and now I am reporting it to the FBI. The caller had a India accent.

Sarah,  Please reportthem to your local FBI on line and the consumer fraud.  There are lots of places to file a complaint.  They will keep trying, just tell them to stop and that you are reporting them and close any accounts they have and let your bank know.  They are Crooks and they are Fraud and scammers and are making a lot of money off the american people, if you look deeper into the internet you will see they are hard to catch.  They have ways with technolgy to get to us and try to take our money.  It is a business in another country and slowly they will get caught.  Just be happy and don't worry.

These people (if that is what we should call them) need to be stooped.  But it has been going on for years so I highly doubt these millionares will stop.  Greed.  They have hacked into the internet and tooked your information that you put on a site that looked liget and Wala they got you.  They can't hurt you, arrest you, they can not even take your money,. Close your account they have if you have not already.  Check your credit report.  Check with Social Security to make sure no one is using your number.  It is not hard, just do it.  report it to all the agency and government offices and your FBI .  They probably won't be caught, but at least we can try.  I was scared at first, but now it is just annoying.  I am done with these people as soon as I can i will change my number and then they will try to call me at work and i Will just be like here here.  Good Luck., DON't GIVE Them any information or money and tell them you will report them and decease calling you or they will be arrested.  Robert Smith watch out!

Here we go again!!!!!It has been about a month now, new number back to American Legal Processing Division. It amazing me how they keep going on, they are scaring millions of people.  I can't even imagine how much money they are making.  Think if they called a million numbers and got $100 from just 1000 people (which they probably have) that is $100,000 that they have taken from the American people and the UNITED STATES! Yes, they are not here in the USA, they from what I read are in another country and use these phones that can not be traced somehow and call like they are in the USA.  YES a SCAM-FRAUD!  They scare you because they have all your information so you don't know what to do.  You then give them money out of fear.  REMEMBER they are to mail you information of your debt.  I know someone who was scared out of $2000. YES $2000 I was like WHAT oh no you got scammed, she was so scared she thought her husband had a debt that was never paid and they couldn't have this on there credit.  I have been receiving these calls since July of 2009.  I do speak with them and tell them to send me information that I will not give them any money, they get mad and threaten me, At first I was scared, now i will not live in fear.  I check my credit report and keep myself safe. I am thinking of joining the Lock credit thing.  They NEED TO BE STOPPED.  They do get close and then they change numbers and names.  I tols rhn it is against AMERICAN LAW to do what they are doing and that I have reported them.  They know that they will not get caught because they are not even in the USA.  SO EDUCATE your friends and strangers.  They need to be stopped.

Ive seen on here that a lot of calls are coming from the 412 area code.  They called me and knew everything about me!  said I owed a company call Cash1usa 440.00.  I googled cash1usa and saw multiple reported scams.  Hindi accent???  yep, thats him.  This is a fraud.  And I will me reporting it to IC3...

2upset