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

These people are full of S***.  Tell them to go pound sand.  Tell them you will contact your attorney.  This is absolutely ridiculous.  This here folks is a direct result of the government making our information public.  You can pretty much go to any state judicial webpage and look up someone and find out information on them.  Try it.  If you have a debt its a civil issue. Worse case scenario you will get served with a civil summons.  It's NOT a criminal act and they can not arrest  you.  The summons will make you appear in court and make payment arrangements.  

They got my girlfriend, telling her that they were going to charge with felony bank fraud. She panicked and paid it. They took out 1,500 bucks from her account. Tried to get ahold of them and they put us on hold for 40 min, but we started talking about scams and fraud and the hold music stopped and the line went dead. SCAM SCAM SCAM

I just found out important info DO NOT CALL THE NUMBER BACK THEY ARE TRYING TO HACK YOUR PHONE & BANK ACCOUNTs iT IS A SCAM AND it WAS JUST ON CNN !! That's why when you call back it beeps and no one answers BE CAREFUL !!!

Called my place of employment and threaten to take me to jail

Yes they called my mother in another state. My mom called freaking out. I told her it was a scam. That they can goa had and come to my house.. Because I know they wouldn't.

They called my dad and previous employer and stated that if i did not pay the monies I would go to jail.

http://800notes.com/arts/Jb8EW-eDhQA/harassin ... ou-need-to-know
See Residents post here also:
http://800notes.com/forum/ta-34af6a034ba34b6/unending-collection-calls
Templates of Letters:
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-319-242-7350

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
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection

And see:
http://800notes.com/forum/ta-944ec1426a8bcbb/ ... service-attacks
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http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/ ... r-phones/ndF4c/
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http://www.net-security.org/article.php?id=1828
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http://800notes.com/forum/ta-86217073a9c8dad/ ... 077595690349410
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http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors
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http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressreleases/extortion_scam.htm
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http://www.fdcpa.me/fake-process-server-injunction/
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http://800notes.com/forum/ta-9413b3202bc8b6c/ ... net%27s-tactics
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To report Extortion Scam Operations,  file reports with the FBI, your state attorney general and Department Of Justice,CFB,FTC & FCC..

http://www.nw3c.org/
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/

These people are scammers, they threaten you and say you are going to jail over a debt.  Furthermore, they do not call you if they are sending a summons t0 you, they just send it to your house.  Be careful of these phone calls, they try to call your family members as well.

"CALLER ID AS MELANIE LEGAL DOCUMENT WITH COURT CASE NUMBER