This is called Caller ID laundering or spoofing...it's not really a payphone...they are disguising their true number by using a local number to give the impression they are local or that the call is from WalMart or a local business. This is illegal. And reason enough to ignore the calls or block them.

I recently got this call.  I wish I had picked it up to tell her I am looking forward to her visit to my home or office. BAH HA HAHAHAHA!

If this is legitimate, why aren't they sending an invoice in the mail?  Nobody should respond to these phone calls.  You are under no obligation to give these people information over the phone.  There is no such thing as a process server calling you ahead of time to notify you they are coming.

Legitimate companies send bills in the mail, period.

While this does really sound like a scam I have had 3 different places call me on with this tactic.  What has happened is that they have farmed out the debt to different sources and who ever collects the debt first wins.  I may be wrong but you can look up International Asset Group and they are a collection agency affiliated with this deRosa guy.  Do what you like but call the lender you owe money to and see who they sold the debt to and trace it from there.

I too have received a few calls regarding a similar number. It started with a call earlier this week from a "private" number and I let it go to voicemail. I got the same schtick has previously listed...that if I didn't call the 855 number I was going to be served some 'papers' at my home or place of employment. The caller left no information as to who he was (or even his name), to whom I owed the debt, or the name of the "3rd party" company I was to contact to put a 'stop order' on the serving of "papers". If I did not call the number, he would contact me again later in the week and give me one last chance and they would "dispatch" someone the next day to serve me the "papers" if I did not comply. Since I was not provided this info via voice mail, I did not respond. Sure enough, a few days go by and I receive the 2nd phone call notifying me that they would be serving me the "papers" the following day and to please make this as easy and discreet as possbile. The only difference this time was that the person who called forgot to block his call and the number showed up on ID. Google is a wonderful thing, so I entered it and did a search and came to find out that the phone call came from a pay phone at a gas station. Really? A pay phone at a gas station? I was planning to see what happened as the day went on and whether or not I would be served these "papers" that I have no idea where theyre coming from. You could definitely tell that the guy who left the message was reading from a script

Lets keep in mind here that legit debt collectors will ALWAYS give you the schtick about how "this is an attempt to collect a debt..." and at no time did I receive that message. Im guessing that no name would be given in the voice mail because the operation is illegal, but the person calling and leaving a message wasnt smart enough to block his call let alone realize that calling from a gas station where there are cameras inside located at a major intersection where there are more cameras that activate every time the light turns red is pure genius! Im sure the police will have no problem locating his whereabouts. If he was on foot, he must live or work really close to the place where the call came from. Way to be discreet.

Just remember...

~If anyone is going to serve you with anything, there is no notice of any kind...they find you and they serve you, and it will be by someone who will identify themselves with proper documentation
~If indeed they are a debt collector, they are required by law to tell you that they are a debt collector. If they fail to give you information of any kind as to who they are or what the call is in regards to, then hang up. Also refuse to give them any information. Theyre the ones who called you, and they have all the info they need on hand to do what they need to do if they are legit.

If you need more info on this scam, do a Google search for 855-844-3542 or look for anything close to these numbers. Im sure it is all the same people because every single story is the same

Did anyone get a name of the company they claim to be calling from?

Love the internet.   We just received a call from a Jackie White for my step daughter.  She left a message on our recorder that she was in the area and needed a valid ID so that she could do a stop order, otherwise would be serving her papers for a court order and left a case #.  Stated she had a 2 hour window to stop and see her either at her home or at her employer.  

Now we live in Indiana and she lives in Ohio.  The caller ID on our phone is Indianapolis, so if in our area, she will have problems finding her at our home or at her work which is in OH.   Even if she were to show up (doubtful), we would never give them any personal info on her, since if they took a bad debt from her, it is their problem, not ours.   She has changed phones 4 times, 3 residences in 3 states and changed names twice over the last 5 years.

Oh one last thing, my husband, her father is a lawyer, so it they try anything, he knows the law.  

I got to give them credit, they are getting quite creative.

My daughter and I both received a phone call from Barbara Judd on our cell phones asking to speak with my son.  Stated they need his signature to sign some legal documents on behalf of the filing parties attorney.  When asked how she obtained my cell # stated it was given to her from the filing parties attorney as my son's home #.  She first called on March 29th and then again this evening.  She stated she is not scheduled to come out until tomorrow to serve the papers either at the residence or place of employment.  They prefer not going to place of employment and causing a scene.  Whatever!

Thanks to everyone for your post.  I am relieved to know it's a scam!!!!!! My call actually came up as a "Private Number".

I got the same call tonight!

I just received a call stating that they needed a signature from me and set a time for me to come. They are calling with an unknown number, but giving me 855-844-3542 with a case number to call them back. Glad I looked up the number..Gotta love their creative new ways to try and scam..Good luck everybody.

I received a call as well on 032311 with a message stating that I needed to be home on 032511 to sign a summons and that I was being served. I ignored it, than got a 2nd call at 032511 from a Betty Long, calling from a cell number 614-492-0988 that is a non-working number, stating that this is my 2 hour window and that she is in my area to serve me. This is ridiculous. I have no idea what this is about.

Have been receiving calls for the past few days. Same thing...will be seeing you at 12 to serve you with papers you need to sign for. If its from a payday loan company this is truly false because I have never received a payday loan from any company. I didnt sleep last night thinking about these messages and so I looked up the number given on messages and this is what I found!! Good thing someone started posting this because I would have an uneasy day.

I jsut got a call from a local number that they will be here within 4 hours.  But no one has been served?

They just called ma talking about serving papers at 2 pm today. They are so stupid. They try to scare you but all the payday loan companies can do is send u to collections. Lol thanks join the line!

There is a post on the website from someone called Seeker.  It seems that he is working with one of these scammer companies that are violating the fair debt collection act.  If this is a legitimate debt they will send paperwork in the mail to validate it.  A process server will never call you to inform you that they are coming to serve you, they will just do it.  I would not give them a cent until they validate the so called debt.

My wife got one of the calls. They have started calling from local numbers 15 different cell numbers all of them are out of service when u try to call back

Did was anyone served?

I got this same call too. Thanks for posting the info, now I know it's a scam!! The lady called from a private number and said she was leaving her office to serve me papers at my home or work....stupid!

Same name I got too.

I got a call too and they need my signature and my supervisor at work. Come on down. My supervisor will arrest you.

I just received a call from 1-855-844-3542, a man stating that he has been trying to serve me papers and he will be in my area with in 24-48 hours and needs a signature for the paperwork.  I called the number back and a loud beeping noise was the response. WTF...are these people serious....These people are tripping....

These are scammers trying to collect on payday loan information they have hacked into.  They will call you from a spoofed or unknown number stating that they are going to serve you with a summons and tell you to call back 855-844-3542 with a case number.   I will await for them to arrive.