James Brown (not really his name) with thick,heavy accent calls me from this number stating I owe 550.00 to a company I have never heard of and he will not give me any more information or send me any more information.  He was very rude and disrespectful and yelled a couple of times.  

I finally hung up on hm.

We keep getting calls from this number..

i am sorry mr.jeffrey i thought that ur a scam,but ur a real officer.please don't download my case in county house.

This idiots collector scammer are annoying they won't stop calling you so call them back as many as you want with your number blocked see if they shut off their computer that tgey are using to call you by using magic jacks...Do not believe on their threats it is a 100% SCAM naming themselves Law officer Jeffrey Cade/Cage or Law of Craig Martin, American Legal Processing Department this is a SCAM!!! Don't give any info...

I received another call from 609-606-5620.  They call my cell.  I am female but they ask for "Jefferson (somebody-last name mumbled).  I told the caller (who does have an Indian accent) this is not Jefferson and I don't know who Jefferson is and he said "Are you sure"?

I told him I didn't know who the hell he was but to delete my number from their calling list immediately.

We'll see.

"Edgar Taylor" with "American Legal Services" is calling repeatedly, even when I told him to stop. The first call came from an 800 number, then they called from a local number. The 609# is the one he gave me as a call-back number. He keeps harrassing me, stating "don't you understand what we can do to you?" I told him to send me anything in writing and I would deal with it, otherwise leave me alone. This is a major scam. I have never heard of the people he talks about.

I was called this morning twice by the 609 number, as I continuously told him to stop calling m he caimed there is legal action against me. I advice him to send it in writing and to stop calling. I also asked where I can send a cease and dissist letter.... of course no answer. I work in collections...... I know the game, and they are not a real company.

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

Hi, I started getting these calls yesterday and now they seem to be calling my coworkers asking for me. I know it's a scam but it's rather embrassing when they call your friends. My caller states he's Officer James Sanderson and he stammers when he talks, trying to sound very "american" but he has a Hispanic accicent.

THis person called from 609-606-5620 and like everyone said he has a heavy indian accent does not tell you the company that filed a claim against you all they say is it's a cash advance that was done about 2 years ago. They call my job constantly with different names but it's the same voice. I had recently changed my phone number and right after i spoke with my cell phone company, they called me and when I asked how did you get my new phone number, they said we can get it throught your SSN. The say their company name is United Legal Services. NO SUCH THING!!! These people are idiots. I found out the area code 609 is in the New Jersey area. They have called my mom and told her that she will have to go to court if I don't pay. I did at one time open a bunch of cash advance loans but they are all paid off. Anyway people like them should get punished!!!!

We've had several calls at our place of work asking for people that no longer work here.  They just say it's a "legal matter" and want to speak with them.  The man has a very thick indian accent so much so that we spent 5 minutes spelling a last name to each other!  Still didn't get it right. The number on the caller ID came in missing a digit as "810-671-286".  I played along and got a callback number of 609-606-5620 and to ask for "James Anderson" - Right!  I called back and told them to stop calling here and unless they had a warrant or other legal documents that we couldn't give out any info.  He tried to keep talking - I hung up!

Went through this just this morning. They first called my work and my boss called me to let me know. I called them and just as the post above stated they would not tell me who they were or their address and ended up my husband spoke with them saying he was a lawyer. They told him that I needed to go to Walmart and wire them money. I ended up calling the police who came to my house and then the officer spoke with him and told him to not call back,etc. They threatened to cause me harm and also told me that they would make me regret not paying them. It was a "Daniel Smith" with a heavy Indian accent. The officer just quipped, yes you sound like a Daniel Smith. They are scams. I am going to have to change my home number but am unable to change my work one. It is a but scary. The number used today was 609-606-5620. But on Friday they used a 510 number.

I have been getting the exact same calls for the last 2 months! These men have told me to "shut the F#@!" up" they have told me that my house is under investiagtion, and that they are sending people to my house and my job. They even went as far as to tell me I needed to be in California the next day for a hearing! I have checked with my bank, credit reports, and the police and can find nothing more then a SCAM!!! Again they can not tell me any information about the loan I took only that if it goes to court I will be forced to pay over 5 thousand dollars with in 24 hours and if I western union them the money that I only owe 475. The officer that I spoke with stated that when she called the number the "Taliban" Man (as we have come to call them in my house) told her that he would take my name off there list if she gave them the number that they had been calling. But could not give her a name of the company that he was collecting from. I agree with everyone here DO NOT SEND THESE PEOPLE ANYTHING!!! And I wanted to thank everyone who posted already it's nice to know your not alone and that your not loosing your mind!

HI TO ALL, pzzzzzzzzz dont give any info out w/this number omg .. i have not answer it and i wont either..if it keeps up i will be contacting my local police dept .. BECARE PZZZZ

Yes, these folks started calling me a few weeks agao and now they will not stop.  I have four different names and four different phone numbers for these folks and they will not give me infomation on the loan that they claim I have with them.  I told them I spoke to a lawyer and they hung up on me.  Now it is the front desk answering the phone.  they claim they are transferring you to a supervisor but you get the same person on the phone.,  YIKES... Do not send these people anything...

Yes it's a scam. The last number they were using was the 201-830-1908. Which I called non-stop for one day and harass them to the fullest. I then contacted the phone company they were using which was callcentric. Funny how on June 11th same day Jane doe post her complaint they started to call me. I just laugh at them. So today I'm having fun again and bugging them with the same crap they were calling me on. I searched the number and it's issued by YMAX COMMUNICATIONS CORP.  Which is a VOIP company. These dumb idiots use these softwares to get access to fake numbers. I kept calling now I called and they answered front desk. So dumb. Listen if they call you just show them you're no fool.

These people called my parents and left a messege stating the I was named as a legal reference in a legal complaint against my husband. The man said he was an officer and left his name and number. I called them and they refused to tell me any details but kept saying that my husband had to call them and pay money to the person who is filing the complaint. They said it was from a pay day loan even though my husband has never taken a pay day loan out in his life. I kept pushing for information and they wouldn't tell me anything except that my husband had to call them and that they were going to send people to my house. I did find out that the number is a landline in Plainsboro, NJ. which I foud odd as we live in IL. I contacted a lawyer for advice and the lawyer said that it is a scam that they are seeing more and more of. I agree with Jane Doe, do NOT believe a thing they say. I am in the process of contacting the Plainsboro police. Hopefully they will do something about this.

I KEEP GETTING CALLS AT MY PLACE OF WORK, STATING THEY ARE OFFICER AND DETECTIVES.  IT IS A SCAM I PLAYED ALONE WITH THEM ASKING THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE COMPANY I OWE.  THEY WOULD NOT GIVE IT TO ME.  INSTEAD TOLD ME TO GO TO WESTERN UNION AND CALL BACK WHEN I'M THERE.  SO I CALLED BACK AND PLAYED LIKE I WAS THERE.  THEY ASK TO SPEEK TO THE CLERK AND I HAD SOMEONE TO PLAY LIKE SHE WAS THE CLERK AT WESTERN UNION.  HE TOLD HER TO GIVE ME THE FORM FOR PERSON TO PERSON.  SHE ASKED HIM IF I OWE WHY IS THAT.  HE THEN ASK TO SPEEK TO ME AND ASK WHAT FORM DO I HAVE.  I SAID THE YELLOW ONE, HE SAID GIVE THE MONEY TO THE CLERK.  I ACT LIKE I DID HE SAID TO PUT MULIK PATEL ON THE FORM AND FREMONT CALIFORNIA. HE THEN ASK FOR THE REF.# ON IT THEN I HANG THE PHONE UP AND CALL THE POLICE DEPT. AND WAS TOLD THIS IS A SCAM GAVE THE OFFICER THE PH# AND HE CALLED IT BACK.  THE CALLS TOPPED FOR A MONTH AND STARTED BACK WITH 3 OR 4 DIFFERENT CALL BACK #'S WITH DIFFERENT AMERICAN NAMES THESE PEOPLE HAVE A HEAVY INDIAN ACCENT.  DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING THEY SAY HERE ARE SOME OTHER PH#'S 201-830-1908 AND 631-456-4041 MAY HAVE STARTED FRM A PAY DAY LOAN OR VONAGE SERVICES.  WATCH OUT!!!!