I also got a call from them 5 mins ago. The guy said he was john smith calling from a goverment agency and he needed me to give him my credit card or if not i would be arrested monday morning. I just hung up on him!

Received a phone call from this number. The caller left no message.

Sorry March 23, 2011 I am sorry not 2003

Same thing happend to me today! March 23, 2003. They said I did bank fraud! We let the police no and they are going to let someone no! Someone needs to shut there people down!

I Just got a call from the same number by the name of Shawn(he was indian as well!)!! HE Said it was extremely urgent, threatened me with legal action then proceeded to tell me my social security # oVER MY VOICEMAIL! I am freaked out that whoever this is has all my info! He was very rude and at the end of voicemail he said he feels sorry for what's about to unfold if I Do NOT contact him and wishes me luck!

Help!!? What do you all suggest? I am not happy whoever this is has my social!

Folks, you need to know that A. No one is coming to arrest you. This is a scam. B. They are breaking numerous federal and state laws. C. Contact your attorney and law enforcement. The calls will stop even if not forever. Or you can do one better, as my police department did. Use peoplefinder.com, trace the call to the telecommunications company that owns it, and immeadiatley call their fraud department. Let them know you have reported the calls to law enforcement. I did so with this # and several others, and I had one company's Direct of Operations call me directly and tell me he would personally see to it that my # is removed from the client's call list, and if the abuse continues, they will shut the # down entirely. The other company logged call, then called the local police in that area of CA, as well as sending the client a cease and desist. Perhaps it won't stop them forever, but make a stink and involve law enforcement and a repreive from these calls will come your way.

i received a call from this number today. i had defaulted on a payday loan before so i assumed i needed to pay it.  i sent them the needed information only to find i couldn't get a hold of them. once i did, i asked for verification and such. they threatened me non-stop. i'm shaking and scared, but on top of that they have all of my information. but they had it before!?!?! how did they get all my info before hand?!?! this is so maddening. i'm not even sure where to begin with this. any advice??

Recieved a call stating it was a state lawyer for fraud. I have been hassled by numerous different people who are claiming I did not pay a loan I did not take out. I have limited minutes and am getting tired of them calling me.

First State Attorneys Office of California..... is what Shawn ???? and Michaal Carter said they were calling from and stated I was observed online with my email address taking out a loan i never got.  They had Indian accents- evry one of them.  again threatening me with a California court and asking for my lawyers fax #.  I got suspicious and did research onling for their "company name", nothing.... until i googled the phone number they were calling from, thats when i got a bunch of hits and posts claiming them to be con artists of some sort.  Best advise, just ignore them and/or amuse them by playing along for a few minutes then spill the beans...

I am being called from this number concerning payday loans not paid.  I am going through a consumer counseling agency to repay these 4 small loans..  This caller, sounded like it was coming from India, said they were from a California state attorneys office.  They threatened to file a law suit against me.  Who are these people.  Can they file charges against me?  I have proof that I am trying to pay these payday loans back.  AgaIN THE NUMBER THEY ARE CALLING FROM IS 760-933-5402.

Thank you,

LeRoy Reno

I got a call from this number and I was told that I had a payday loan that was deposited into my bank account.I told them that Inever had a loan AND THAT I NEVER TOOK OUT ONE AND THAT NO MONWAS EVER PUT INTO MY ACCOUNT AND HE THEN TELL ME THAT CHARGES WAS FILE AGAINST ME AND THAT I NEED A LAYWER AND I TOLD HIM I WAS NOT PAYING ANYTHING AND HE HUNG UP THE PHONE ON ME.

These people have made my life miserable.  They have contacted my place of employment.  Very embarrassing.  They are extremely upset about it since it is a state and federal institution.  Last week they were calling from Florida (I think).  This week, it's California.  I'm supposed to be in jail by Thursday, they say.  Something needs to be done about this.  With all our technology, I can't believe they can't be tracked down.  I think it's a form of terrorism when they say things like "God help you" or "All I can say is Good Luck".  Maybe this is one way terroist make some of their money.  Anyway, I'm trying to not worry about it, but it is SO annoying.  I am contacting everyone I can think of to contact.  More phone numbers:  Kevin Thompson - 1-909-588-9977, 909-580-9997, Eddie Barker-408-837-0495, James ???-805-500-4567, Kevin Rocker-760-933-5402

THANK YOU FOR THE INFO... THOSE A** HOLES JUST CALLED BACK! MR. COX TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO FAX OVER A LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION TO HIM WITH A FAX# OF 888-883-6309... HE TOLD ME THAT I HAVE 10 MINUTES TO SEND THE AUTHORIZATION FOR PAYMENT OR "MY FAMILY WILL F**KING DIE!" HE SAID HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD HOW IMPORTANT THIS WAS THAT THIS WAS TAKEN CARE OF NOW, THAT HE WANTED TO BE VERY CLEAR OF HIS INTENTIONS, HE THEN REPEATED, "YOU, YOUR KIDS AND YOUR HUSBAND WILL F**KING DIE IF THIS IS NOT PAID WITH IN THE NEXT 10 MIN" I TOLD HIM I WAS GOING TO CALL THE POLICE. HE TOLD ME HE WOULD HAVE SOMEONE AT MY RESIDENCE BEFORE THE POLICE WOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO RESPOND. I HUNG UP AND CALLED MY LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT. I AM WAITING FOR THEM TO COME BY AND TAKE A REPORT AS WE SPEAK. WHILE I AM WAITING, I WILL CONTACT THE OTHER AGENCIES AND FILE REPORTS WITH THEM AS WELL. I AM ALSO GOING TO CONTACT THE NEWS SO OTHERS WILL BE AWARE THAT THIS SCAM IS STILL ONGOING.

They want YOU to panic




PROTECT YOURSELF!  IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU MUST READ ? HOW THE SCAM WORKS AND WHAT AGENCIES TO REPORT THEM TO

LONG RUNNING AND KNOWN SCAM ? ALL OVER INTERNET AND NEWS FOR  2 YEARS NOW


Fake Debt Collectors ? Terrorizing Consumers

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5621205&page=1


MORE ON FAKE DEBT COLLECTORS
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-904-425-9141
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/call4action/17285785/detail.html
http://www.800helpfla.com/newsletter/2008/092008.html
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/01/ks_debt_collection.html  

http://consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/07/video_bill_collector_scam.html  NEWEST CONSUMER ALERT ABOUT THIS SCAM WITH VIDEO!  

http://www.wvago.gov/internetloanscam.cfm
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 and Covenant
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 as Prince Christian, Arpit
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-718-705-8669  Scammer false postings as Alicia
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-707-633-2789  Scammer false postings as Rojer, Minni, Rhone, Smith, Lisa Jack, Julie, Sean, and Carol. ? preparing a new number to use to steal money
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-205-294-6271  Scammer false posting as Thomas Jhonson
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-661-263-4011  Scammer false posting ?ILLEGALLY claiming to be an attorney Charles F Robinson
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-321-684-4117  Scammer false posing as Harry Patt
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-518-565-0306  Scammer false posting as Wellvishers
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-678-791-4673  Scammer false posting as Sherrie Ann and Elvine Buris
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-305-390-0607  Scammer false posting as James and Mark
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-209-349-3112  Scammer false posting as Roger Brown. David Macrow and Andrew
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-646-360-1702  Scammer false posting as STATE LEGAL DEPARTMENT
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-850-254-8883  Scammer false posting as Stella

Scam alert: Bogus debt collectors
By Leslie McFadden ? Bankrate.com
Monday, Aug. 3
Posted 2 p.m.
Bankrate reporter Leslie McFadden contributed this entry.
This scam isn't technically about credit cards, but it is scary enough to post a warning. The Better Business Bureau issued an alert today saying consumers across the country are getting phone calls from bogus debt collectors claiming default on a payday loan. Of course, the consumer needs to pay a large fee to avoid arrest -- as much as $1,000.
The caller poses as a lawyer, and may threaten extradition to face trial if the consumer doesn't pay up immediately.
What makes these calls alarming -- and perhaps convincing -- is that the perpetrators reference the consumer's personal information, such as the person's Social Security number, driver's license number, previous bank account numbers, home address -- even personal references.
"The amount of information they have is really troubling," says BBB spokeswoman Alison Southwick. She adds that the amount of data points to a possible security breach.
Spread the word to your friends and family: Don't give out personal or financial information to an unknown caller. Scammers can spoof Caller ID to display different numbers, so trust your instincts over technology.
The BBB offers these tips:
?    Ask the debt collector to provide official documentation which substantiates the debt.
?    Do not provide or confirm any bank account, credit card or other personal information over the phone until you have confirmed the legitimacy of the call.
?    File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online if the caller is abusive, uses threats or otherwise violates federal telemarketing laws or the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
?    File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau online if you believe a debt collector is trying to scam you.

I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A MR. COX... HE SAID THAT HE WAS FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND FINANCIAL LOSS, STATED THAT I OWED $ FOR A PAYDAY LOAN THAT I NEVER TOOK OUT. AFTER TALKING WITH MY BANK TO MAKE SURE NOTHING WAS EVER DEPOSITED, I CALLED 760-933-5402 BACK... MR COX STATED THAT HE KNEW MY SSN, ADDRESS, BANKING INFO AND KNEW THAT I HAVE KIDS... HE TOLD ME I DID NOT KNOW THE POWER THAT HE HAS...HE SAID NOT TO BE SUPRISED IF I TAKE MY KIDS TO SCHOOL AND SOMETHING HAPPENS TO MY CAR WITH MY KIDS IN IT, HE SAID THAT HE WILL NOT FEEL BAD SHOULD MY KIDS DIE IN AN "UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT" BECAUSE I REFUSE TO PAY AND THEN HE HUNG UP. I HAVE CALLED THE POLICE SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE THE PHONE CALLS AND THREATS WILL NOT STOP! I HAVE CHANGED MY PHONE NUMBER AND THIS BOGUS COMPANY HAS CALLED MY RELATIVES AND THREATENED THEM, WHAT THE HELL CAN BE DONE????? ANY INFO WILL HELP BECAUSE THE LOCAL POLICE ARE NOT DOING ANY GOOD!!!

SAME THING happening to me right now!!  i'm going to file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office in my state!

I HAD SOME GUY CALL ME TODAY,CLAIMING TO BE OFFICER MICHAEL BECKER.SAID I OWED ON A PAYDAY LOAN FROM AUG 2009.I DIDN'T TAKE OUT NO LOAN AT THAT TIME.HE SAID I COMMITTED FRAUD AND THAT PAPERS WERE FILED AND AN ARREST WARRENT WAS ISSUED FOR ME.I LIVE IN LOUISIANA,HE WAS CALLING FROM CALIFORNIA.SAID WITHIN 24-48 HOURS THAT AN OFFICER WOULD BE KNOCKING ON MY DOOR TO ARREST ME FOR A LOAN FOR $500 BUT THAT I NOW OWE $971.I ASKED HIM THE NAME OF THE PAYDAY LOAN AND HE GAVE ME A COMPANY AND I ASKED FOR ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER.HE SAID THAT THE COMPANY DIDN'T WANT TO TALK TO ME SO THEY PRESSED CHARGES AGAINST ME INSTEAD.HE THEN HUNG UP.SO NOW WHAT???

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

On Aguust 19, 2010 I received several messages from Mr. Rehan Walker (760-933-5402; x 7602) stating he was calling from the State Investigation Banking and Financial Law saying I committed check fraud and there was a warrant out for my arrest. The number he left continues to ring. Not to mention the panic his messages caused when my mom retrieved them because we both knew that it was all lies. Can someone let me know who I can call to report this person? Thanks