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 got a call from rick collins phone number 1-855-420-8340, stating that i have stolen property and that he n the police need to come to my place that i have not lived at for two years now, rick states on the phone that this must  be taken care of, i called the sheriff dept and they no nothing about this guy

I got a call from this number. I could not figure out who this person was and the message sounded threatening. Can someone help?

they keep calling I never gave them this number just because we have the same name they call I just moved here 1 year ago and this loan was back in 08 so how can they call and say thimgs like they going to serve papers on me please stop calling

I received the same call from them saying that his name was Ray but called I guess from his home or cell phone. Then leave a message stated the same thing they need to get info from me to where they need to serve the papers. But gave this number and was a recording that left me the message . This is my brothers house and don't know why they would call me on this phone I said to him but didn't know it was me but he said to me well you or it's your family member. They should not call someone else phone leave a message and don't know if I'm friends or a family member to the house. When i called him he just start saying lil things to me and said I''m not going away so I told him If you don't I will call the police on him the I called him a f** i know it was wrong but you playing games with me they also call here for my sister which have never lived here and never had this number and they said she gave it to them for a backup call I told that lady she is a lie and for her to stop calling here for someone else damn bills. THIS HAS TO STOP!!!!!!!!!!

please report this "company" to the NYS attorney general's office by calling 716-853-8404

same phone calls as above. Rick Collins internal security said I am facing a contempt charge this afternoon in a county I have not even lived in, in almost 2 years. I have been receiving these calls for the past several weeks. It is a scam I have had this happen about 2 years ago as well...people just think they can get money out of you...

Same as above called about my son,5 or 6 years ago very threatening  said my daughter co signed and would also be arrested guys name was Rick Collins from SSA mumbo jumbo about the govt. shutdown causing intense collection I told them to call my lawyer

My wife got a call from this number, guy named Dave.  Said she had some outstanding checks from 5-6 years ago from one of our banks (he knew which bank we used, or perhaps guessed), and that unless she paid $2000 today, he was sending the sheriff out to arrest her.  We verified with our banker that we didn't have anything outstanding.  The guy was very insistent that he get the money.  He told her they had her location pinpointed.  Then at another point he wanted to know where she was at the moment and when she would be home so he could have the sheriff pick her up.

I just got the same phone call as above.  Totally had me freaked out, so I called my brother who is a police officer and my niece.  They both said it was fishy.  My niece looked the number up to get to this page and read me all the messages from everyone else who said the same exact thing by the same man, Rick Collins, private investigator. Man he's good...low life.  Same female asking to speak to whoever was in charge of handling papers being served.  Immediately gave me person's name without even asking who I was.  I think they already knew it was me who answered the phone.  Too many hang up calls previously.  Why would a real investigator tell personal names and information to just anyone who answered the phone.  He did have all my personal info., but offering to settle for even a small portion of the debt today (300 out of 1385) he'd be wiling to work with.  They prey on women and really scared people of someone showing up at their employement and I'm glad my family looked them up for me, as I wouldn't have thought to do this.

Rick Collins claims he is an "Investigator" from the Legal Department of Swanson and Swanson SSA, transferred from Kim Williams (female) at 877-771-9735 ext. 114, saying that I owe money from a different state I used to live in and that I would be taken back to the prior state I lived in to answer these accusations. Unless I pay today the police will come take me away, because of the new government shutdown anyone that owes cash payday money is being chased down.

got a call.... just scammers trying to rip people off. Dont believe anything they say.... lol you really think international securities is going to call over a payday loan???? How stupid are these people

this is a scam... tries to scare you into paying way more money then you owe.... must be an illegal collection agency out of buffalo. DONT PAY THESE PEOPLE! You cannot go to jail.... wont even effect your credit.....

Called our daughter claiming she
defaulted on a $2000 loan from Check N Go.
Rick claimed he was with a company called
"international Security". He told my daughter
he was sending the police out with a warrant
For her arrest. I called our local Check
N Go and she confirmed that they don't loan
that much. $600 is all they loan out. If you get
a call from this low life just hang up on him.