The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, is warning consumers to be on the alert for scam artists posing as debt collectors. It may be hard to tell the difference between a legitimate debt collector and a fake one. Sometimes a fake collector may even have some of your personal information, like a bank account number. A caller may be a fake debt collector if he:

?is seeking payment on a debt for a loan you do not recognize;
?refuses to give you a mailing address or phone number;
?asks you for personal financial or sensitive information; or
?exerts high pressure to try to scare you into paying, such as threatening to have you arrested or to report you to a law enforcement agency.

If you think that a caller may be a fake debt collector:

?Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller that you refuse to discuss any debt until you get a written "validation notice." The notice must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
If a caller refuses to give you all of this information, do not pay! Paying a fake debt collector will not always make them go away. They may make up another debt to try to get more money from you.?Stop speaking with the caller. If you have the caller's address, send a letter demanding that the caller stop contacting you, and keep a copy for your files. By law, real debt collectors must stop calling you if you ask them to in writing.
?Do not give the caller personal financial or other sensitive information. Never give out or confirm personal financial or other sensitive information like your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number unless you know whom you're dealing with. Scam artists, like fake debt collectors, can use your information to commit identity theft ? charging your existing credit cards, opening new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, writing fraudulent checks, or taking out loans in your name.
?Contact your creditor. If the debt is legitimate ? but you think the collector may not be ? contact your creditor about the calls. Share the information you have about the suspicious calls and find out who, if anyone, the creditor has authorized to collect the debt.
?Report the call. Contact the FTC and your state Attorney General's office with information about suspicious callers. Many states have their own debt collection laws in addition to the federal FDCPA. Your Attorney General's office can help you determine your rights under your state's law.

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors

Just received a call from this number.  They were looking for my husband's ex - wife saying she defaulted on a loan. Ladies name was Kimberly Fields. .. boy was she good.  She stated that there was a warrant going into effect after midnight for both her and my husband.  We've been married for many years. She even gave us a trail #.  and everything sounded very legal.  Don't give out any info or  money

Got a call from this number 1 call said legal aid and a docket # 2nd call said they were district attorneys office with the same docket #. Names of those calling were, Daniel Brown from legal aid, Allison Smith from district attorneys office, a Steve Weinburg of who knows. Also a Kimberly couldn't understand last name. When told that I was notifying my states attorney general they hung up. When trying to call back no answer.

Got a call, lady said she worked for DA's office.   Said she had a sealed document,  I asked her what is was about, she didn't know.  I asked what city was the office she worked for in she hung up

Don't pay these people a dime! There is no way these people are attorneys or legal aid or whatever they claim to be....It sounds like these people are straight from the ghetto! Both the people I have talked to didn't even use proper English....These people are a scam and you can hear it in their voice!

got a call from 854-444-3949 sounds like a scam- first off who is going to call you on the phone to tell you about some legal case about to be downloaded.... Fraud... GMAB! Get a life and bother someone else... You people are a joke!

Got a call from these people claiming to be some legal aid. First of all
This girl sounded so uneducated I don't think mcdonalds would hire her. And second they were not professional at all. Use proper English. Sounds like a scam to me!

Someone called from this number for my husband and said they were "Legal Aid Ft Lauderdale" gave this number as a call back with a Docket number.  My husband called back and the guy said he was an attorney, but refused go say who he was representing, just kept saying he was an attorney.  Husband said he thought it was collection agency or something.