An alleged Paul Walker (gentlemen with an Indian accent) called me threatening me of a lawsuit. I've never heard of him. He keeps leaving vague messages but never states what company he is with or what it's in regards too. I believe this is a SCAM! I have not and won't be returning his calls. I blocked him on my cell but now he's harassing me on my job.  

This Brendon Gabriel guy called and said he was with the Federal Crime Investigation claiming to be an officer and threatening that I will be arrested. He did not say what state he was from but the caller ID says Nevada. My husband called the number back asking who he was and the guy replied with "who is this? you called me!"
The phone number he called us from the number (702)-752-5958 but his message said to call him at this number (570)-438-0002. He is a scam artist and needs to be reported.

I have been receiving the same calls from the same guy, Paul Walker with a foreign accent, stating that I got money from Cash Advance, which I never have. He stated that he is a Federal Investigator and was going to have me arrested at my job. He got very angry with me when I told him that he had false information. He has my old e-mail address, my old home address and my SSN.

dude, you probably had a pay day loan in the past that's how they got your name, last four ssn, and address.  they are a scam, don't even worry about it just block 'em.

Ya ive gotten same calls,this time hes Indian named paul walker,sothing bout a loan and got a call before,told him i wanted all the info on the loan,he said he call cops right now i said do it,so if im commiting fraud that was six months ago,just cant figure where they go my social,we all need a lawyer cause by law any collections cant threaten you

Let them know you know this is an extortion scam, are recording their conversation, have reported them to the police, your attorney and the FTC and hang up. If push comes to shove, have your number changed to an unpublished one.

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

Oh my gosh a officer danielle gabriel called and sayed id have a warrant out for my arrest if I didn't pay $540.00 wanted me to write letter giving him permission to debiy from my card. He just keeps calling and threating me that I'm going to jail and than court. That really f****n tripped me out. I even started crying. Oh my gosh that was scary. How do u stop this?

they called me and said they were from the fedreal crime division and said that someone reported that they got a legal complaint against me from social secrurity and i would like to know why

Heavy Indian accent-said he was Paul and investigating federal crime. I would be ruined, lose my SS, my job etc. if I did not call back

I have been receiving the same phone calls.  Keep calling him 708 273 6985.  Harassment of women and the elderly.  Have all your personal information and very threatening.  File a police report too.

Person by the name of Brandon Gabriele is calling me with threats of fraudulent activity. Won't stop calling even after I asked for his badge number and the state he's in. He is calling both my husband and my phones with these threats. Says he's working from the Federal Crime Investigation unit out of Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Paul Walker....heavy Indian accent...claimed to be from state farm investigation, said i had a pay day loan...which i don't...asked for my financial officer....RUDE!!!!!  SCAM!!!!!!!!  Thanks to all who posted above for the heads up

I received a threatening call from a man named Brendan Gabriel, he claims he is with the Federal Crime Investigation Unit and if I ignored his calls he will make sure my days will be the worst nightmare of my life and he will send a policeman to arrest me at home. I returned his call after reading the above information, thanks guys, I listened politely to his little speach and then asked him when the date of this supposed cash loan was in my account, he did not have that information. I asked him how much, he did not have that information either (scam). He said we can settle it without me going to jail if I paid him $540 today, I told him I would not because I never applied for or received a cash loan online. He started to yell at me and told me that he was going to send the cops to my work now and have me arrested. I told him, "please do" and hung up.
As soon as I hung up on him he called my CFO and told him that his employee was doing illegal activities at work and my CFO said to never call again. I have not heard from him since, I hope this stops. I just want to give some info to whoever he harrasses next. Do not pay him, it is a scam.

"Paul Walker" called for an employee at my place of work.  He said he is from the Federal  Crime Division.  I asked him three times if he is with the Federal Government and he said yes  Isn't that impersonating a government official?  Isn't that a crime?

I have recieved several calls from a Paul Walker, saying I have a payday loan with Cash Advance online. Which is bogus, because I don't. He has been calling me at my office almost 20 times this morning, yelling at me and the Chief Administrator, screaming at both of us. Is there any way to stop these harassing phone calls?

I received a call from Paul Walker this morning at work. I too won't return the call because I know it is a scam. Indian accent with a distorted voice.

I too litteraly just received a call from this same number from a man with a heavy Indian accent saying his name is Paul Walker. He said he was from the Federal Crimes Investigations legal department. I will not be returning his voice mail since if someone or a business is wanting to sue you, you will be served papers not receive harassing phone calls!!

This number called my cell phone twice now.  The Middle Eastern man said his name was Officer Brandon Gabriel from the Federal Crime Investigation Unit.  He threatened to make my life a nightmare if I did not pay him for some overdue something? (never told me how much or what).  He had the last 4 digits of my SSN and my address.  He said he would be sending an officer to my house ASAP.  These guys are scammers and the best thing to do is to block the number through your cell phone provider.  Ive read on other blogs that they have been calling people at work too.  Ive called my local police department, but they are about as much help as this website is.  So just FYI!

I got a call from a Paul Walker.  After I got transferred around a few times, he came back on the line as Shawn Mars.  He has called two numbers at my work.  I am going to send the number to the State Attorney General and the US Attorney General's office.

Got the same call from the Brandon Gabriele today as very.. He has called 5 times today.  Just like everyone else he claims to be from a special investigation unit and threating to have me fired. He is very rude and starts to scream when you don't do what he wants.  I have given him my lawyers  number, filed police reports and told him I would have him arrested but he still calls back.  I have changed all my numbers except work.. So I guess that will have to be the next step.  Someone has got to stop this stuff!!

iv gotten several calls from a brandon gabriele from this number, he has also called several time at work and made several threats to coworkers. how do i get it to stop.

im getting calls from the same number different person,who has also called my work to many time and made threats. how do i get it to stop before i lose my job

This num 708 273 6985 called me and said something bout u going to jail his name was paul walker saying
that I took out a pay day loan and I told them I dont even have a bank account and he said can u prove it I said yes I can he said o k u going to need for when u go to court and so I called the police station and ask the police they said I have nothing on you and I said o k thank u like y would u play games on the phone

It is a scam. I called the Department of Justice Federal Crimes Legal Department, in Washington DC, and he let me know that is a common call they get, and this Darin Butler will just annoy you until he gets your money.

A person with an India accent stating his name is Darren Butler from Cyber Crimes Investigations, supposedly in Haywood Illinois, is calling our workplace demanding to speak to an employee and leaving threatening messages, stating there is a legal complaint against the employee.  Today, he demanded that the employer provide a fax number so he could send the employee a fax.  He was told he can send a supboena because that is the only way he is going to get any information.  He has threatened to send police to the employer and to the employee's doorstep and humiliate them and any number of strongarm tactics to get a response.  When told the employer was going to call the headquarters and demand the calls cease, he said he would not call back.  That is doubtful but remains to be seen.  The call back number he left is 708-273-6985.  Do not know the number that placed the call because the phone lines went down and the history was not saved.Caller: Cyber Crimes Investigation

gotta phone call from the same darin butler well said thy were gonna press charges on me for some online loan i received which never did i have no earthly idea what hes talkin bout but it needs to stop!!!

Person by the name of shawn mars said their from the financial investigative department. Something about my social number and legal issues against me. Said I will lose my job and all my benefits. This is a different person who called me regarding the same issue. The first person called from California. The second one from India. He has a mechanical distorted voice. Actually both callers has messed up voice tones

Person harrassing work phone calls says they are from a crime investigating unit and my number appears calls me at work..they better stop middle eastern Guy stating his name is Darin Butler yeah right sours fraudulent to me