This is definitely a SCAM!!! Do not let these crooks intimidate you. These scammers have been running this racket for the last two years or more. They have been calling me off and on and always have the same crap. They claim that you owe an outstanding payday loan that doesn't really exist and will insist that you send them money. DON'T FALL FOR THIS. The woman with an Indian accent called me today and said she was Attorney Tracy Clark from Johnny's Law Office. Again a different number and the name of a different person. These crooks operate offshore and so far the law cannot touch them. They will have some of your personal information and will even contact personal friends and your employer in trying to intimidate you. the best thing you can do is to not talk to them and to not answer the phone when they call, provided that you have caller I.D. It also may help to report them to the BBB the district attorney attorneys office of your state and various law enforcement agfencies. So far though,...reporting has been done to these agencies and these crooks are still on the loose.

I got a call from this no. they said it was Bil Scott Attorney and that I had gotten a loan from usabank (I have Not). They said that I owed 5000.00 And was going to go to jail tommorrow. They had my email and some names of people that I knew. This has to be a scam I have never tok a loan out with anyone like that.

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

Consumer Alert:
Williams Law Office
Debt Collection Scam

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions is warning consumers to verify the license of any lending professional they are considering doing business with to avoid becoming victims of potential scams.

Please note that these scammers are frighteningly well informed, very persistent and extremely threatening. Anyone who has been contacted by them should take steps to protect their personal financial information and treat this as a matter of identity theft.

The Williams Law Office may be conducting a debt collection scam. They have no listed address. The Williams Law Office does not appear to have a website.

The contact information provided by the company is false. They are not at the listed address and telephone numbers that may appear on your caller ID. The company may in fact be located in a foreign country.

The company is not licensed by the Department of Financial Institutions. The company is not registered to do business in Washington by either the Department of Revenue or the Washington Secretary of State.

How the Potential Scam May Work
Representatives of Williams Law Office make unsolicited telephone calls to consumers at home or at work. The scammers tell consumers that they are being prosecuted for loan fraud, bank fraud or check fraud because they have defaulted on a payday loan
The scammers claim to be attorneys collecting a debt
The scammers may threaten the consumer with immediate arrest
The scammers usually tell consumers that they received a payday loan of several hundred dollars in 2008, they may tell the consumer that the debt has increased to several thousand dollars
The scammers demand immediate payment of the debt by providing a checking account or credit card number
If a consumer pays the scammers, they will continue to aggressively contact that consumer for even more money
These scammers are highly persistent and may make dozens of threatening calls in a short period of time

If You Feel You're A Victim
If you feel you have been a victim of a loan scam, please contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC HELP (382-4357) Because the scammers have access to bank account information and social security numbers, victims should consider themselves victims of identity theft and take appropriate precautions. The Federal Trade Commission has information for victims of identity theft available on its Web site.

Consumers should know that Washington state law prohibits threatening or harassing behavior by individuals attempting to collect a payday loan. Only licensed companies are permitted to make payday loans in Washington.

The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act says debt collectors must send consumers a written notice within five days of their first phone call, showing how much the consumer owes and where the debt is from. The law says collectors can not say or even imply that nonpayment is a crime.

They can't call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. Collectors are not allowed to speak to a consumer?s employer about their debt. They are prohibited from harassing or abusing consumers and they must stop calling if the consumer asks them to.

http://www.dfi.wa.gov/consumers/alerts/williams-law-office.htm

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-646-274-1143/3

I got a call at work from an Indian speaking man telling me that they were sendng court papers for a loan that I never received they have my social security number as well and maybe trying to use it to get money I see a lot of reports about these people why hasn't anyone done anything about it the feds have the technology

f***......off

THESE IDIOTS KEEP CALLING ME TOO FROM 9162530812 AND 9162530813 THEY CALLED FROM 6107138130 4123608423 7176854663 DONT GIVE THEM ANY INFO THEY ARE SCAMMERS!!!!

SAM JEORGE-YOU ARE INVOLVED IN THIS SCAM! YOU BETTER NOT LET ONE OF US CATCH YOU OR FIND WHERE YOU ARE AT! ITS ALL A SCAM AND YOU ARE A IDIOT IF YOU DONT BELIVE IT. LEAVE US HARD WORKING FOLKS ALONE!!! STOP TRYING TO SCAM US OUT OF MONEY. GET A REAL JOB!
Sorry folks i had to get it off my chest!! sam is a idiot!

THIS MAN I CAN BARELY UNDERSTAND CALLED AND LEFT A MESSAGE FOE ME SAYING IM IN BIG TROUBLE SO I CALLED TODAY AND HE TOLD ME I WAS GONNA GO TO JAIL FOR GETTING MONEY PUT INTO A BANK ACCOUNT I DONT EVENN HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT SO I LAUGH AT HIM THIS IS BAD THAT PEOPLE SIT AND DO THIS TO TRY AND GET MONEY FROM PEOPLE BUT HE WONT BE GETTING A DIME FROM ME

You sir, are a complete idiot if you do not realize how many people have already reported you to the government. You need to stop this little scam business before you get in even more trouble. One day someone may just track you down, and not be so nice about it. So stop what you're doing and just sit and relax while you wait for the feds to come get you, considering we're already reported you to the FTC today. Enjoy a***ole!

This number will not stop harassing my co-worker, we constantly get calls saying she owes money or she is going to jail or some crazy thing! They even called back 5 minutes after we hung up on them saying they were a Dr's office trying to reach our Dr's office. It's ridiculous! They say they're a law office and then say they're a Dr's office? Really? And we know it's them because they are using my co-worker's formal name, and you can hear yourself echoing in the phone when you talk to them. They make up all this crap and will not stop harassing her! I just sent in a report to the FTC with the number and the "name" of Sam Cruise, and that's the only information I had this time. If they call again I'll certainly report another claim! Lets stop these crazy people!

Called his number back and he said it was Ron Adam's Law Office.  Yeah, right.

This number called our office approximately 40 times first asking for an Alejandro, stating it was a legal emergency.  When the receptionist wouldn't take a message, he kept calling her back.  Finally, she involved me, and I took the call and told him i'd be reporting his for harrassment.  That was the last call.

I got a call from this number, stating his name was Sam George, and he was from the William's Law firm.  I have reported this to the police, after having been bullied by these people several times.  They are brutal and say some pretty nasty things.  After speaking with the state police in our area, they informed me that they DO NOT put people in jail over pay day loans, and that you should report them to the agencies listed above, and try to ignore the calls....they should eventually stop!!   These people are some really sick individuals, and if they are found, I hope they enjoy prison!!!  Also, I was advised to notify homeland security.

Some none speaking man who went by the name of attonery Tony Thomas called my place of employment on Monday about five times back to back telling me I was gone to be arrested the next day @ 11:00 and then he called the next day telling one of my co workers to tell me that I will be arrested today but still waiting!!!!!!!!!!!! They need to get better jobs or even get a life..07/29/10

These people will not stop calling me. They are leaving threatening voicemails about something that we do not even owe. How do I make them stop.

From Lamet's post:

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 (real original)
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

************************************************************************************************************************
Consumer Alert: Attorney General warns Kansans of debt collection scam

January 29, 2010 -- Attorney General Steve Six is cautioning Kansas consumers about telephone calls from apparent fake debt collectors who are impersonating law enforcement officers in an effort to extort money from consumers.   Consumers are warned to not submit payments to these fraudulent debt collectors.

When calling, the scammers most often state they are attempting to collect a debt related to an internet payday loan obtained by the consumer, but which the consumer never repaid.  Consumers state they have never obtained such a loan or paid off the loan years ago.  The scam artists have most recently identified themselves as ACS, National Affidavit Processing Department and United Financial Crime Division, but may use additional phony names.  It appears the phone numbers used by the scammers are ?spoofed? numbers, so that the number appearing on a consumer?s caller ID is not the actual number of where the call originated. It appears the calls in question may be originating from outside the United States.

When questioned, the individual calling refuses to disclose the full name or address of the collection agency they claim to represent.  These scammers have been able to provide consumers with identifying information, such as the consumer?s social security number, home address, e-mail address, names of family members and the consumer?s computer IP address.  Since the callers are able to provide valid personal information, consumers may become confused and believe they are being contacted in regard to a legitimate debt.

If the initial debt collection scam is unsuccessful, consumers have been re-contacted months later with the scammers posing as law enforcement officers or officers of the court.  Typically, the consumer is threatened with arrest for fraud or some other fictitious crime unless the consumer agrees to immediately wire money via Western Union.  The fictitious officers strive to frighten and confuse consumers into compliance by using legal sounding terms such as ?We?re filing an affidavit against you? or by stating a lawsuit has been or is in the process of being filed against the consumer.

A hallmark of each scam has been calling consumers repeatedly at their place of employment.  This scam hit home when an employee of the Kansas Attorney General?s Office was repeatedly called both on her cell phone and at work.  Despite the employee?s repeated verbal disputes, the caller refused to provide any identifying information to allow her to send a written dispute. The scammer also continued to call her numerous times a day regarding a payday loan she denied obtaining. Two months later, she was again contacted by telephone by an individual identifying himself as an ?officer?.

?I denied owing the debt and refused to pay without being provided validation of the debt. I was then told, ?If that?s the case, I will have local law enforcement come to your place of business and drag you out kicking and screaming?,? stated the employee.

?It is important for consumers to know their rights under the law,? Attorney General Six said. ?If a consumer is receiving calls from a debt collection company and believe it is a scam, I encourage them to contact our office immediately.?

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), collectors are required to send consumers a written notice within five days of the initial contact.  The notification should contain  information such as the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed and a statement informing the consumer they have thirty days to contact the debtor in writing to dispute the debt or request validation of the debt. In addition, legitimate debt collectors are prohibited by the FDCPA from making false or misleading representations, such as the consumer has committed a crime, implying nonpayment will result in the consumer?s arrest, or using the threat of violence.

More information is available on the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf.

To register a complaint with the Kansas Attorney General?s Consumer Protection Division, call 1(800) 432-2310 or visit www.ksag.org.

http://www.ksag.org/page/consumer-alert-attor ... collection-scam

I recieved  CALL AND THEY DID NOT WANT MONEY JUST SAID I AM GOING TO JAIL FOR A PAYDAY LOAN TODAY AT 11AM I WILL BE ARRESTTED. I TOLD JERRY JACKSON I WOULD LIKE SOME PAPER TELLING ME THIS IS LEGITE AND HE SAID DO NOT PLAY HIM FOR A FOOL. HE HAD SO MUCH INFO AND PEOPLE I KNEW SO I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE. I WENT TO MY LOCAL POLICE AND THEY SAID DO NOT PAY NOTHING WITHOUT HARD CPIES PROVING THIS IS LEGITE

This number wanted to collect $5,784 for a pay day loan I didnot get in 10-2008. Then He (Jerry Jackson) said I was being sued for this money. AFter more talking he wanted to settle the case over the
phone for $1.154.26.I told him I would go to court.

Sam Jeorge, obviously you do not write english any better than you speak it.  Yes, people will comment on this number for "Johny's Law Firm" as we are all onto your scam!! Really - "Johny's Law Frim? That is just laughable. By the way, are you the same Sam Joerge who called me a few weeks ago form a different number claiming you were "William Law Firm State Attoney Office" in California?? You people are thieves and need to be caught and kicked off the planet! To anyone googling this number and ending up here - this is a scam and these people are thieves, they even try to put up fake posts so people checking them our will think thee are legitimate.  Check out the posts by "lamet" or "this just in" on this website - they will give you the full rundown on these chuckleheads.  If you get a call form these people report it to your state attorney general and www.ic3.gov.

Thie is Johny`s Law firm`s contact no please dont put comment on this no .