Just received a call form Nationwide 844-205-6998. Informing me of a debt that needs to be settled today or I would go picked of for failure to pay a date back in 2010. I explain, I do not owe anyone and please stop calling me. Called back on several occasions wouldn't give me a name. I hung up!

For at least the last year, an illegal group of debt collectors have been terrorizing consumers, their family, friends, and employeers threating to arrest the individual of an unpaid loan or other debt (their generally don't even owe).  Be aware debt is a civil matter, not a criminal matter, and you can't be arrested.  The threaten a warrant if the victim does not pay a sum of money by the credit card over the phone.

Although when pressed the callers give the victim an address in Columbia South Carolina (usually a vacant lot).  They are actually out of the Charlotte North Carolina area.  The scammers are using the following business names

Kaufmann and Associates
Sanderson Blaine & Associates
McKenzie Reid Associates
Kennedy, Kline, & Associates

Here is a set of links to a variety of threads on this forum that document this group and its behavior.  They include the experiences of victims as well as a former employee or two that quit within a week of finding out exactly what was going on.  They also include responses from consumer advocates and people who are really criminal justice professionals advising victims of what to do

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-748-8367
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-719-1725
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-676-3492
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-805-5549
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-751-1084
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-803-2349
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-775-2417
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-775-2418
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-755-3417
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-746-3946
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-855-676-3485

Hell ya!!!  I'm in!!!!

Ya f these guys! Same thing here too! We all need to gang up and give'em a dose of their own medicine! Give them fake numbers and names. Tell them how sorry you are and offer to pay extra!!LOL! Obviously they would not be able to take it if they were real at all! And since we're smarter...they really will never get a cent from us! But how fun to mess with them for what they've done to us all in the above!!!!!!!! Come on all!!!!

Calling threatening me with this crap

They called my mom's house and she told them I dont live there stop calling. And then I called and I just get a VM...

These people called my daughters mom in law looking for me. Unbelievable how they got her number. I've called FTC and have contacted state atty office. I don't know who they are but for sure they are scammers

Yes, the keep calling my number looking for Joel Richards. I'll be mad if this Joel used my number for any payday loans. This thing here is more likely a scam in which they get a list of people who got these kinds of loans then tries scare tactics to get you to pay them. One time I got one from one posing as police and said they were going to arrest me the next day. So I went down to the police station and talked to a detective. They said these people are most likely in another country. Unfortunately this number won't stop calling. I left a message to tell them to stop and this person does not have this number. Yet again another call. All the same thing. Ignore. Don't pay anything even if the bill is true that's how they get people.

Ya, these fools keep calling for Joel Richards. Joel pay your bills.

My father received a voice message on his phone looking for me. Same story different life. Htf are these people getting away with this.  How can I secure my privet information? I've had it with these a$$holes. Called and was asked for my case # phone # and my name.  I'm concerned for my identity and I wish the authorities would be more helpful.  

This just happened to me . The said , I owe them $500 for a check that I wrote at payday loan office in 2008 . I've never been to a payday loan office so I Google the number and that's when I saw it was a SCAM!!!

My husband got a call from this number today. A recording stated a case number and asked for me. When I called this number it is simply a recording stating "you have reached the investigations division. Leave your name, case number, and phone number and someone will get back to you." After reading everyones comments I truly believe this is a scam.

If you get a call from these jerks  they are lying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Brooke for posting this. The exact same thing happen  to me  I am sure every word is the same.  Big old Scammers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This phone number is linked to other numbers and yes all a scam. The other numbers that all link back to this number  855-803-2349 and 855-775-2417.   These people say they are an investigators and bringing charges for a default on a payday loan with a "case number" even.  They  have an answer for everything.  Don't believe them they are scam artists.  My story is almost exactly as Brooke on top of the page.  Way toooooo coincidental.

I just got a phone call from 855-805-5549 and they threatened to file bank fraud against me in my county. I told them that I already paid the debt and I needed their fax number and they put me on hold for 5 minutes. until somebody else was trying to tell me the same thing. All I wanted was their fax number to prove that I paid the debt and they would not give it to me. Any reputable debt collector would have given me their fax number but they didn't. These people our obviously a scam. Report them to your towns Attorney Generals office when you have a chance.

I have contacted the FTC twice regarding this. I have also screamed at the person I talked to at that number threatening a lawsuit and telling them I called the FTC on them and he had no idea what the FTC was. Obviously, the FTC has done nothing about this. I am pretty sure I am not the only one calling about this SCAM!

They called asking my family my whereabouts but I've found out this is a scam!

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

I keep getting phone calls talking about a warrant being out for me. Strange that it is always phone calls never a letter or anything in the mail. Is there away to get these calls to stop. They call my mother and sister. They never leave a name just a case number and phone number. Totally frustrating... Any advice.

They keep calling me looking for someone I don't know. Blocking the number with my cell phone provider.

I've just got through and spoke to a "Morgan Taylor", they claim to be a Law Firm and will ask for a case number, if you don't give them your info they will NOT answer any questions and will hang up on you. I called back and demanded for them to tell me what they do but she told me that without a case number she can't help me and hung up on me again!
Def. a scam!

855-805-5549 these people keep calling and leaving messages about I have a case and threatening me. Am sure its a scam

They called my brother looking for me asking for my where abouts! They gave a case number and I've called back 6 times but all I get is a voicemail saying " you have reached the investigations dept, please leave a msg with your case number". I'll keep trying to get a hold of someone and let you all know.

Called looking for my grandson. Posed as Law firm. Criminal case. Caller said she was Tracey Roberts

KEEPS CALLING MY HOME LOOKING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL THAT I DON'T KNOW. I HAVE REQUESTED THEY STOP BUT STILL CALLING

Message stated a case number looking for where abouts of me lol. I called back the number and got a voicemail, "Hi this is Justin with investigations please leave a message".

Yeah I just got a message on my voicemail yesterday claiming that I was a defendant in a case and my case number was so and so...  I think I might give them a call back on a fake number and mess with them a bit :P

Yes, the are definitely a SCAM.  Report them to the FTC, the FBI and your state's attorney general's office.  Don't admit to any debts and make sure you do not send them any money.

Yes these people call me too.  Since I use to wor for the courts I know for sure that they are definitely a scam.