I too received an email from this Taylor person. I haven't received any phone calls as of date, but wow...guess I should prepare.  I'm glad I took the time to research this ridiculous email I recieved. It's amazing how your information gets out there. Funny they didn't even reference any of my pertanat information. Just stated I owed 786 dollars. Yeah, if I ever had a pay day loan...I would have known about it. Nice try scammers!!

Scam scam scam

I received the same email from this Taylor Smith guy .. Saying he has my SSN and stuff

Yeah , smith? Nice Try same person who emailed me about my loan that I have? Which I don't.. Saying they will come cuff me if I don't pay them

Its a scam! And advance fee loans are illegal also! Report them both..
Also you should consult a legal aide or pro bono attorney. You landlord calling you on the job is a big no no, and getting fired because of it - also a big no no!

http://dfi.wa.gov/consumers/alerts/cashnet-payday.htm
*****
Extortion Scam Related to Delinquent Payday Loans

Washington, D.C.
December 07, 2010  FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691

? filed under: Press Release

The Internet Crime Complaint Center has received many complaints from victims of payday loan telephone collection scams. Callers claim the victim is delinquent in a payday loan and must repay the loan to avoid legal consequences. The callers purport to be representatives of the FBI, Federal Legislative Department, various law firms, or other legitimate-sounding agencies. They claim to be collecting debts for companies such as United Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Net, and other Internet check-cashing services.

According to complaints received from the public, the callers have accurate data about victims, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, employer information, bank account numbers, and the names and telephone numbers of relatives and friends. How the fraudsters obtained the personal information varies, but in some cases victims have reported they completed online applications for other loans or credit cards before the calls started.

The fraudsters relentlessly call the victim?s home, cell phone, and place of employment. They refuse to provide any details about the alleged payday loans and become abusive when questioned. The callers have threatened victims with legal actions, arrests, and, in some cases, physical violence if they do not pay. In many cases, the callers harass victims? relatives, friends, and employers.
***********************
Please do file reports with the FBI, your state attorney general and Department Of Justice,FTC & FCC..

http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
http://www.fbi.gov/
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#&panel1-1
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

Also read up on the laws and your rights:

http://800notes.com/arts/Jb8EW-eDhQA/harassin ... ou-need-to-know
http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/search ...
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf

And see:

http://800notes.com/forum/ta-86217073a9c8dad/ ... 077595690349410
************
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors
************
http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressreleases/extortion_scam.htm
******************
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0078-advance-fee-loans
http://www.fraud.org/scams/direct-marketing/advance-fee-loans
Payday loans
http://www.paydayloaninfo.org/state-information

Sorry for the typos. *Sued *told etc.
I am just very flustered and upset, at the moment. I am in the middle of major financial strains, fighting a slumlord, Philip Stuart of Hudson, FL, 34667 (who caused me to lose my past two jobs and is now threatening me and my family which consists of my Husband and One year old Son) with Eviction for failure to pay rent. When HE is the one who cost me my last two jobs!
Also, I have a Family Emergency I am trying desparately to resolve and take care of. So, again, my apologies.
These are the reasons I even started to look around for loans, to begin with. But, only research/search. Never took one out. Just looked around and tried to educate myself with the basics, such as : what they are (different types), how they work, interest rates, etc. As I have never taken out a loan before.
I wanted to also add that they never stated my name in the Email, however repeatedly said that I have 3 severe charges against my name and SSN.
I will pull up the email and list them for you in my next post.
Also, they said I have two choices; either pay the amount "owed" ($786) OR be faced with legal actions taken against me.
In my next post I will also list the numbers they have been calling me from (offering me loans).
Thank you. And, I wish all of you the best of luck. I am sorry to hear that so many of us are being harassed by these frauds. Hardworking people, like ourselves, do not deserve to have our hard-earned money be stolen from our families and children.

I never received a call from a Law Firm, but I have been getting non-stop calls from supposed Loan Agencies, telling me I am pre-approved for a $1500 loan and all I need to do is purchase a GreenDot Cash Card and put $182 on it as a Security Deposit, and I will receive my funds in less than an hour, Directly Deposited into my account. Same MO, heavy accent (Indian/Middle Eastern).
I told them I needed time to discuss it with my husband and said I would get back to them. I looked them up and found many sites of complaints from people who received the same type of phone call and, as a result, have lost THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS to these frauds. They have said the same, as well, they are now being supposedly sewed and falsely accused of taking out a loan and not paying THEM back, when in all actuality, it was THESE FRAUDS who NEVER gave THESE POOR PEOPLE their "Loan Money". Yes. They sent "Security Deposits" and when it came time to receive THEIR loan money these FRAUDS would turn around and give some excuse about why they need them to send MORE MONEY before they receive their loan. To the point, as I previously mentioned, they end up saying they did send the Loan Money and it was these poor people who are trying to scam them by not paying them back.
I recently received an email from a TAYLOR SMITH of KIVILIGHAN LAW ASSOC. stating that I now have a Lawsuit filed against me for failure to pay back a Loan by a Company owned by CASHNET, USA. Now, when I received those calls, and then researched them and discovered all the complaints against them, I told them that I DID NOT want to go through with the loan as I researched them and found many complaints of fraud , extortion, and false accusations and lawsuits (as I said I would call them back, but never got the chance because they kept calling me NON-STOP).
Soon after I tod them that, declined their Loan Offer and started sending their calls to Voicemail OR flat out Declining their calls is when I received this threatening Email saying I was being sewed.

Same here, he gave me another number to call and it was the same number that called me and the same person but he denied that it has the same person and again he had a heavy indian accent with a american name Kevin peterson. I just hung up on him

This company has been calling me for the last week or so too. Now the Kivilighan Law Firm is using the number 650-993-2807 (San Francisco, CA). Glad I found this site. I cussed this Lawrence dude out anyway because I know I didn't take out a loan for $300.00 last month from Advance Cash USA. He's supposed to send documentation to my email but I doubt if I'll ever get it. I agree with everyone, don't send money, don't even entertain them.

Go to your local police dept and file a complaint.  It is illegal for anyone to fraudulantly claim they are with a government office.

Got a call from this # - he acted like he was surprised that I answered and was fumbling around for words - definitely not from U.S.  I told him to remove my number from his calling list

I HAVE ASKED FOR PROOF OF THIS DEBT BUT THEY HAVE NOT PROVIDED IT I HAVE NOT RECIEVED MONEY FROM THESE PEOPLE AND THEY ARE CALLING MY JOB I WANT IT STOPPED  I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO THE LAW BUT WE NEED A ADDRESS I AM TRIED OF THIS HARASSMENT

You sound like one of them...trying to scare more people huh...

these ppl r nuts!!! I have had the same experience wth ppl that sound vary simlar I'm just hoping this is a scam if any-1 has any more info pls keep posting

Same story as everyone else in this blog.  The names have varied every other day they have called the "troll" in the above message they have used that name with me too.  This is a SCAM! Put an alert out on your credit report and switch your account.  I have called to report these fools as well.

YES the TROLLS love to post their fake stories in an attempt to convince others to pay these crooks.
TOO STUPID TO FIGURE OUT THEIR SCAM IS BUSTED!

the list I have been keeping of the numbers were the SCAMMERS  have been posting keeps GROWING!

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
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-347-875-8165  Scammer false posting as Lisa L Johnson, Mark Taylor
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-310-872-2861  Scammer false posting as Jim, Keith
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-760-582-0311 Scammer false posting as Alex Morrison
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-817-393-0246 Scammer false posting as Mark Smith

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

Same situation here I got a call from the same (association by the same person) left me a voice message saying the same information that they had a legal case against me and that it was in reference to a loan that I dont remember since up to my knowledge I had already paid. I asked him to send me all the proper documentation to my fax number and they never did, they wanted my to write an apology letter and give them my credit card information along with a copy of my driver"s license. Be very careful this did sound like a scam to me, I suggest that if you are on this situation double check everything with your bank and afterwars take action upon the results.

GOT THE SAME THING CALLED BACK FROM A BLOCKED NUMBER SOME MIDDLE EASTERN MALE ANSWERED .I HUNG UP THEY CALLED ME 4 TIMES BACK TO BACK WHICH IS A FDCPA VIOLATION

Nice try TROLL !!
This is a pure scam.
Reports are all over 800notes and the web
Just hang up and DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT gve out any personal info!!

I was getting calls from this number number thrice in last week . I thaught that it was a fraud but i was sued on this thursday & for that single mistake i am facing a hard time. My wife left me & my childrens are not talking with me politely. My whole family is hating me & from last two days i am visiting court house on daily basis.

I have been getting calls daily from these people. Indian people with american name (Lawrence Richards...supposedly an attorney).  They call me an threaten me, saying that i am being sued over some loan i never got and that even a criminal attorney wont be able to help me.  they have all my personal info, even my ss number.  i am glad to see that i am not the only one in this situation.

I got the same exact message today, even ending with the "have a good time". Obviously a recording. If you call back it goes straight to a voice mail.

Bombay indian on a recorded message to my cell ie. Got 2 voice mails from this # id as officer Adam Brooks with the United States Legal Investigation Department.(anyone ever hear of it?)
-has my SS #
-my file has 3 serious allegations against me.
- will start legal proceedures against me
-if dont call back will be in serious legal trouble

close = have a good time ?

Got a call from 817-393-0246.  Caller identified themselves as Lawerence Richard a private investigator for KLA (Kivilighan Law Assoc in Houston).  Stated that I had taken a loan from Cash Advance and they were suing me for fraud and non payment.  I stated I had no idea what the hell he was talking about, I had never done business with any such payday loan service under any name.  He gave me my home address and stated that perhaps someone was fraudulently using my name and info and that in any case they were suing me Monday and asked what I wanted to do about it.  I told him that this call sounded like a fraud and hung up on him.