This is a hacker scam, called the FTC to put in a complaint against a person calling from 206-577-9992 who happens to mention a Jacob Brown at this number however it appears that I was already scammed out of close to $800 from Jacob (if that's his name) already so I've been a little leary.  When calling the FTC the lady I spoke to stated that the payday loan sites were hacked into and that is how they get their information.  She also knew the scare tactics that they are using.  I was told ignore all phone calls and if they continue to just call back and it will be added to the complaint.  I hope this information helps someone else out.

Got the same call from Daniel Rich.  He asked for my attorney's name and number so I gave him Greg Abbott's number.  I have already filed a complaint with the Texas Attorney General and the FTC and the National Do Not Call registry.  I feel bad for those who actually fall for this and send money.  The fact is, there is no debt jail and you can not ever be arrested for any debt unless it's to the IRS.

Received a call from a very heavy accented India sounding man.  He left a message.  I could not understand hardly any of what he was saying.  I heard, lawyer, being sued and swearing.  I filed a complaint with the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection office.  https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.  Maybe the more complaints we send the better the results of getting these pieces of s*** out of our lives.  This is the second type of call I have gotten.  First was a couple months ago from an "office" in Los Angeles.  They said they were from the Federal department and I was being sued.  Total scams!

Same scam as everyone else, I owed 860.92 dollars. What jerks. I turned them into the FBI thanks to this page. Watch out who you deal with.

a guy with a heavy indian accent called and left a message telling me his name was Lance Martin. how in the hell is this foreigner going to end up with a such an americanized name??  i knew right away there was something fishy going on. then he went on to tell me that i was in legal trouble and if i "don't call back or have my attorney call back, then i'd better be prepared for what he would to do me". what a jerk. when i tried to call back, the phone number wouldn't ring.
it's sad to read that so many people have been scammed by these losers and i wish our american government could do something to go over there and arrest all of them.

"Daniel Rich" of "Baker & McKenzie, Toledo, OH", said "all I can say is good luck" and I'd be served papers 8am tomw morning. I told him I already get the paper, but thanks anyway. I could hear several other thieves in the background making similar calls in somewhat intelligible English. I told him he could call my attorney, Douglas Gansler (Maryland Atty General)

This is one of many numbers that keeps calling for a Pamela Taylor who lives on South Street.  I have told them repeatedly that they have a wrong number and that I was going to report them for harassment.

This idiot called for my father who is like 87 years old and gave the same song and dance about a payday loan. when I asked for specifics they got attitude.  #1 thick accent I could not understand, finally got someone a bit more understandable, #2 he gave me the name of the attorneys they work for Baker and Mckenzie law firm. I called the firm and I was informed that they had been getting alot of calls from consumers regarding this, they also said they reported this to the FBI this is big big SCAM. The guy had the nerve to call me again and lucky for me I was already at Police dept. I put officer on phone and he hung up have not heard from him again.

I got a call a call from this number today when I was napping with my daughter. I didn't recognize the number so I sent it to voicemail. When I checked the voice mail the indian man on the other line said that the message was intended for me and me or an attorney needed to call, that it was time senitive. His name is John Wright and that I shouldn't disregard the message and if I do then the only thing he can do is wish me luck while the situation unfolds on me. At the very end of the message the man sounds almost metallic. This is such a scam since I know damn well that I have no outstanding bills of any sort.

This guy at the end of the message says "I wish you luck" Not scared of this guy, can't threaten me and then ask for money! SCAM! I don't owe anyone money! Tells me to tell my lawyer to call him to! John Wright, an american name with a Indian accent!

Thank You so much for clearing that up. I knew it was a scam and I was not falling for it. The man did not asked for any money because I asked him what is the purpose of your phone call and he said to inform me that I'm being sued for a payday loan. I said ok but why are you calling, what do you want. He couldn't explain himself. He also so something about the police and my job. I knew right then. There is no way in hell a payday loan will go through all this effort to get there money back by calling the police. The police will not get involved with something like this. They have way too much stuff to deal with beside petty crimes. But anyhow, thanks for your insight on this scam.

Yeah, Brian I got the same phone call. I told the jerk on the phone this was a scam and is no way in hell i took out a payday loan. He told me the today 6/14/12 charges will be brought against for a payday loan. Told him go ahead and not to call me ever again. I don't know how he got the last 4 digits of my social security number but he had it and my brand new phone number. I think what happen was when I was surfing the internet i gave the information out and some how he got it. Guess we have to watch what we are doing from now on. Good Luck

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

Yeah I got 2 voice mails left and I finally spoke to a man who had a strong accent. Stating I took a payday loan and I asked when, He could not tell me. I asked then what is the purpose of this phone call. He said to just to inform me I will be sued and could lose my job and the police will come to my home. I told this man i never took a damn payday loan out and if  you're going to sue me then go right ahead. Told him to never called me again or else I will be pressing charges. I haven't got a call from him since.

getting repeated haranguing calls....

claimed they first were "the state police"...when pressed which state, answered "ummm, new jersey"

then, they keep claiming they are from one law firm or another

indian sounding dude, one of the few times i actually picked up the phone, said "why the hell aren't you picking up when i call?"  to which i asked him if it was a law that i had to pick up...and he hung up

another time, actually 3 times, they threaten me saying a lawsuit has been filed against me and my social security number (i want to see my SSN testify!)

Just got a call like this from this number as well. Told me I owed a payday loan (I never have taken a payday loan, since I own my own business)..when I asked the date of the loan, the woman got really arguementative with me, and was threatening me that this was a lawyers office, not a debt collector. I finally told them if they had juristiction in NC, let me know, have the cops come see me. SCAM

This is 100% a scam! They called me threating to take me to court and sue me! They told me to meet me Monday morning at 11am and I would owe them $8,000. When I asked them what court house they had no clue. Do NOT fall for this scam!

Got a call from this # - Caller ID says Attica. Indian accent. Guys just says Hello... We have call screening so I didn't pick up and he hung up.

I have had issues earlier this year with scam callers threatening legal action over unpaid bills etc...

I guess this is that again.

I received a call and this guy tried this before with me- big scam

I also got a call from this number today?  what is this? threatening legal action?  Is this a scam?

Excuse me, I meant to say the law offices of Victor and Mckenzie.  lmao.  Who knows?  It's probably different everytime you call.

yeah.  He called someone i know and told her to buy a walmart money card and give him the numbers off the back.  wtf?!  I'd like to go break this a***oles legs.  Its a "Jacob brown" or a "Steven Smith" that makes these calls trying to scam people by threatening them.  I called the number and the dot head answering says it's the law offices of Victor Mckenzie.  Which i tried looking up with no success.  It's a scam.

I got a call from this number today very heavy indian accent. Steven Smith from law office.