888-339-6667
 | Narathon 2011-09-26 19:38:13 Unknown |
Safety ? Common Fraud Schemes ? Internet Fraud
Internet Fraud
Listed below are tips to protect yourself and your family from various forms of Internet fraud.
For information on the most common complaints and scams, see the annual reports of the Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, a partnership of the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. Also see its information on Internet Crime Schemes and its Internet Crime Prevention Tips.
Use our online tips form or the IC3 website to report potential cases of cyber fraud.
Tips for Avoiding Internet Auction Fraud:
Understand as much as possible about how the auction works, what your obligations are as a buyer, and what the seller's obligations are before you bid.
Find out what actions the website/company takes if a problem occurs and consider insuring the transaction and shipment.
Learn as much as possible about the seller, especially if the only information you have is an e-mail address. If it is a business, check the Better Business Bureau where the seller/business is located.
Examine the feedback on the seller.
Determine what method of payment the seller is asking from the buyer and where he/she is asking to send payment.
If possible, purchase items online using your credit card, because you can often dispute the charges if something goes wrong.
Be cautious when dealing with sellers outside the United States. If a problem occurs with the auction transaction, it could be much more difficult to rectify.
Ask the seller about when delivery can be expected and whether the merchandise is covered by a warranty or can be exchanged if there is a problem.
Make sure there are no unexpected costs, including whether shipping and handling is included in the auction price.
There should be no reason to give out your social security number or driver?s license number to the seller.
Tips for Avoiding Non-Delivery of Merchandise:
Make sure you are purchasing merchandise from a reputable source.
Do your homework on the individual or company to ensure that they are legitimate.
Obtain a physical address rather than simply a post office box and a telephone number, and call the seller to see if the telephone number is correct and working.
Send an e-mail to the seller to make sure the e-mail address is active, and be wary of those that utilize free e-mail services where a credit card wasn't required to open the account.
Consider not purchasing from sellers who won't provide you with this type of information.
Check with the Better Business Bureau from the seller?s area.
Check out other websites regarding this person/company.
Don?t judge a person or company by their website. Flashy websites can be set up quickly.
Be cautious when responding to special investment offers, especially through unsolicited e-mail.
Be cautious when dealing with individuals/companies from outside your own country.
Inquire about returns and warranties.
If possible, purchase items online using your credit card, because you can often dispute the charges if something goes wrong.
Make sure the transaction is secure when you electronically send your credit card numbers.
Consider using an escrow or alternate payment service.
Tips for Avoiding Credit Card Fraud:
Don't give out your credit card number online unless the site is a secure and reputable. Sometimes a tiny icon of a padlock appears to symbolize a higher level of security to transmit data. This icon is not a guarantee of a secure site, but provides some assurance.
Don't trust a site just because it claims to be secure.
Before using the site, check out the security/encryption software it uses.
Make sure you are purchasing merchandise from a reputable source.
Do your homework on the individual or company to ensure that they are legitimate.
Obtain a physical address rather than simply a post office box and a telephone number, and call the seller to see if the telephone number is correct and working.
Send an e-mail to the seller to make sure the e-mail address is active, and be wary of those that utilize free e-mail services where a credit card wasn't required to open the account.
Consider not purchasing from sellers who won't provide you with this type of information.
Check with the Better Business Bureau from the seller?s area.
Check out other websites regarding this person/company.
Don?t judge a person or company by their website. Flashy websites can be set up quickly.
Be cautious when responding to special investment offers, especially through unsolicited e-mail.
Be cautious when dealing with individuals/companies from outside your own country.
If possible, purchase items online using your credit card, because you can often dispute the charges if something goes wrong.
Make sure the transaction is secure when you electronically send your credit card number.
Keep a list of all your credit cards and account information along with the card issuer?s contact information. If anything looks suspicious or you lose your credit card(s), contact the card issuer immediately.
Tips for Avoiding Investment Fraud:
Don?t judge a person or company by their website. Flashy websites can be set up quickly.
Don?t invest in anything you are not absolutely sure about. Do your homework on the investment and the company to ensure that they are legitimate.
Check out other websites regarding this person/company.
Be cautious when responding to special investment offers, especially through unsolicited e-mail.
Be cautious when dealing with individuals/companies from outside your own country.
Inquire about all the terms and conditions.
Tips for Avoiding Business Fraud:
Purchase merchandise from reputable dealers or establishments.
Obtain a physical address rather than simply a post office box and a telephone number, and call the seller to see if the telephone number is correct and working.
Send an e-mail to the seller to make sure the e-mail address is active, and be wary of those that utilize free e-mail services where a credit card wasn't required to open the account.
Consider not purchasing from sellers who won't provide you with this type of information.
Purchase merchandise directly from the individual/company that holds the trademark, copyright, or patent.
Tips for Avoiding the Nigerian Letter or ?419? Fraud:
Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as Nigerian or foreign government officials asking for your help in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts.
Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation.
Guard your account information carefully.
For more details, see the Nigerian Letter Scam description on our Common Fraud Schemes webpage.
Internet Fraud
Listed below are tips to protect yourself and your family from various forms of Internet fraud.
For information on the most common complaints and scams, see the annual reports of the Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, a partnership of the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. Also see its information on Internet Crime Schemes and its Internet Crime Prevention Tips.
Use our online tips form or the IC3 website to report potential cases of cyber fraud.
Tips for Avoiding Internet Auction Fraud:
Understand as much as possible about how the auction works, what your obligations are as a buyer, and what the seller's obligations are before you bid.
Find out what actions the website/company takes if a problem occurs and consider insuring the transaction and shipment.
Learn as much as possible about the seller, especially if the only information you have is an e-mail address. If it is a business, check the Better Business Bureau where the seller/business is located.
Examine the feedback on the seller.
Determine what method of payment the seller is asking from the buyer and where he/she is asking to send payment.
If possible, purchase items online using your credit card, because you can often dispute the charges if something goes wrong.
Be cautious when dealing with sellers outside the United States. If a problem occurs with the auction transaction, it could be much more difficult to rectify.
Ask the seller about when delivery can be expected and whether the merchandise is covered by a warranty or can be exchanged if there is a problem.
Make sure there are no unexpected costs, including whether shipping and handling is included in the auction price.
There should be no reason to give out your social security number or driver?s license number to the seller.
Tips for Avoiding Non-Delivery of Merchandise:
Make sure you are purchasing merchandise from a reputable source.
Do your homework on the individual or company to ensure that they are legitimate.
Obtain a physical address rather than simply a post office box and a telephone number, and call the seller to see if the telephone number is correct and working.
Send an e-mail to the seller to make sure the e-mail address is active, and be wary of those that utilize free e-mail services where a credit card wasn't required to open the account.
Consider not purchasing from sellers who won't provide you with this type of information.
Check with the Better Business Bureau from the seller?s area.
Check out other websites regarding this person/company.
Don?t judge a person or company by their website. Flashy websites can be set up quickly.
Be cautious when responding to special investment offers, especially through unsolicited e-mail.
Be cautious when dealing with individuals/companies from outside your own country.
Inquire about returns and warranties.
If possible, purchase items online using your credit card, because you can often dispute the charges if something goes wrong.
Make sure the transaction is secure when you electronically send your credit card numbers.
Consider using an escrow or alternate payment service.
Tips for Avoiding Credit Card Fraud:
Don't give out your credit card number online unless the site is a secure and reputable. Sometimes a tiny icon of a padlock appears to symbolize a higher level of security to transmit data. This icon is not a guarantee of a secure site, but provides some assurance.
Don't trust a site just because it claims to be secure.
Before using the site, check out the security/encryption software it uses.
Make sure you are purchasing merchandise from a reputable source.
Do your homework on the individual or company to ensure that they are legitimate.
Obtain a physical address rather than simply a post office box and a telephone number, and call the seller to see if the telephone number is correct and working.
Send an e-mail to the seller to make sure the e-mail address is active, and be wary of those that utilize free e-mail services where a credit card wasn't required to open the account.
Consider not purchasing from sellers who won't provide you with this type of information.
Check with the Better Business Bureau from the seller?s area.
Check out other websites regarding this person/company.
Don?t judge a person or company by their website. Flashy websites can be set up quickly.
Be cautious when responding to special investment offers, especially through unsolicited e-mail.
Be cautious when dealing with individuals/companies from outside your own country.
If possible, purchase items online using your credit card, because you can often dispute the charges if something goes wrong.
Make sure the transaction is secure when you electronically send your credit card number.
Keep a list of all your credit cards and account information along with the card issuer?s contact information. If anything looks suspicious or you lose your credit card(s), contact the card issuer immediately.
Tips for Avoiding Investment Fraud:
Don?t judge a person or company by their website. Flashy websites can be set up quickly.
Don?t invest in anything you are not absolutely sure about. Do your homework on the investment and the company to ensure that they are legitimate.
Check out other websites regarding this person/company.
Be cautious when responding to special investment offers, especially through unsolicited e-mail.
Be cautious when dealing with individuals/companies from outside your own country.
Inquire about all the terms and conditions.
Tips for Avoiding Business Fraud:
Purchase merchandise from reputable dealers or establishments.
Obtain a physical address rather than simply a post office box and a telephone number, and call the seller to see if the telephone number is correct and working.
Send an e-mail to the seller to make sure the e-mail address is active, and be wary of those that utilize free e-mail services where a credit card wasn't required to open the account.
Consider not purchasing from sellers who won't provide you with this type of information.
Purchase merchandise directly from the individual/company that holds the trademark, copyright, or patent.
Tips for Avoiding the Nigerian Letter or ?419? Fraud:
Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as Nigerian or foreign government officials asking for your help in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts.
Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation.
Guard your account information carefully.
For more details, see the Nigerian Letter Scam description on our Common Fraud Schemes webpage.
| Henry thomas 2011-09-26 19:36:48 Unknown |
keith bradshasw
22 Sep 2011
Call the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and your State Police. When they call back,
tell them that you are aware they are running an extortion ring, have notified the authorities
and hang up.
Kudos to "Sam" for giving the most intelligent and informative posts on this scam. READ,
Bookmark and use as needed:
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-631-456-4041/2
I have been receiving phone calls from this group since late April / early May of 2010. There is
a good chance that they also attempted to contact me roughly two years ago before I entered
into Chapter 7 Bankruptcy protection, as I faintly remember hearing the same script more or
less.
As others have stated, the callers are difficult to understand. Generally speaking their
command of the English language is quite poor and their accents are hard to follow. At times
they will get certain words or phrases mixed up. It would be funny if it wasn't for the fact that
they had:
a) Your SSN
b) Your home address
c) Your work address
d) Your banking info
e) Names, numbers and potentially the addresses of "references"
f) A complete and total lack of ethics and a basic understanding of the FDCPA.
I have personally filed reports with the following agencies, often with limited (if any) success:
Local Police
my state's Attorney General's office
FTC
FBI
Secret Service
Generally the local police won't be able to help much. The callers are using a combination of
prepaid cell phones and VoIP, making them difficult to trace. Also at their disposal are various
spoofing tactics being implemented to catch people off guard - meaning the number that
appears on your Caller ID isn't the number that is calling you for starters. Without gaining a
subpoena for the billing information for the numbers in question, the local police won't be able
to get very far.
My state's Attorney General's office couldn't offer much assistance either. I received a form
letter in the mail that my complaint was received and I would be contacted if they needed
additional info. It was more or less the same information I obtained from the FTC. They each
advised me not to give the individuals over the phone any account information or to authorize
payment. That's just common sense, though.
I never got anything from the FBI, either. There is a good chance that since I haven't suffered a
monetary loss that my concerns are low on the totem pole. I hate to say this, but that is truly
the case. Unless you were in the hole for a $1,000 (or more) you aren't going to get much more
than "sorry to hear about your situation, change your phone number and move on". I seemed
to get some activity from the Secret Service. I spoke with agent Doug Zloto. (Google him,
referencing threads like these plus his name and you'll find his number also) He seemed to care
a bit more than the average person, but after giving him access to my Google Voice account,
there has been no further activity from him that I'm aware of.
In the meantime I changed the wireless number the fraudsters had access to, they have no
direct way to get a hold of me. (Calls at work have ceased for some reason) That in turn
resulted in my "references" getting phone calls from the crooks. Here is a word of caution for
women that have been getting these calls - don't say anything and just hang up. The callers are
quite abusive towards women callers. Why? Possibly the culture. If they are Indian /
Pakistani, women are second class citizens there. You will be treated like garbage. This
happened to a family member when she was trying her best to be extremely nice over the
phone.
The callers currently attempt to reach me through the female family member and an unused
Google Voice number that they managed to find of mine. I keep the Google Voice number open
because, well, I can't delete it yet. So, about every day, 4-5 times a day for the last week, I get
voice messages from them. It's usually just two full messages though - the other calls are
broken up with static or they are attempts to read the script until the callers then screw up.
Really, they are that adamant on getting the script 100% that they will hang up mid-sentence
and call back 30 seconds later.
At this point it's a stalemate with these people.
1) While they have the lion's share of information on us, they can't really do anything with this
information.
Why? Think about it.
If they were to ever take funds out of your account without authorization, it's fraud and worse
(for them) it is traceable. That's why they won't do anything with your information, contrary to
threats they make. The money from your account has to go somewhere, and either your bank
or a law enforcement agency can determine where the money was routed. As a bank customer
you are protected - you'd get the stolen money back in your account after 7-10 business days
and the bank would be temporarily out the funds deducted from your account while they
conducted their investigation. The bank, along with law enforcement, would track down the
fraudsters and apprehend them. The fraudsters do not want to incur the wrath of a bank, just
extort money out of you. Remember that.
Your authorization would absolve the bank from any and all liability, leaving you holding the
bag. Never give them authorization for anything - for all you know the call is recorded.
2) We have no information on them.
Seriously, this has been going on at least since 2008, possibly longer than that based on some
accounts. (6 years??? Holy crap!) You would think someone would have slipped up by now.
Sadly, they haven't. We can continue to grow our own intel on them and compile lists of aliases
and phone numbers used, along with paraphrases of scripts used in order to educate other
victims. I'm actually putting together a site now in the meantime where I'll host audio files and
lists of previous numbers used. 800notes.com is great, but no two calls are exactly the same.
It would be nice to have a site dedicated to the scam and how it works.
So that's where I am with these calls. I have suffered no monetary loss, though I have been
harassed both at home and at work. They threaten me with arrest and other "fun" things in
order to get me convinced I have to pay them. My friends and family have been targeted and
local and federal law enforcement agencies haven't been able to put a stop to things. So, it is
what it is. I am out a wireless phone number I had for roughly six years, which is terrible since I
was using that line when looking for a new job.
Whenever I'm bored I spoof my number using Google Voice and return the calls. I've called
them the poster children for birth control, etc. Basically a lot of nasty things that I'm sure the
moderators here wouldn't appreciate me repeating - bottom line nothing nice. I always like to
close saying their parents must be real proud knowing their sons weren't man enough to get
real jobs. That usually gets a decent response.
Way I see it - they can't do anything to me. (Despite a threat yesterday that my life would be
f'ed up) They can threaten all they want but my credit is frozen and my bank information has
changed. I've changed the only number they could really access me directly on and I've
instructed my employer and family to not answer the calls. I just call and harass them now
when I find a few extra seconds. What's the worst they can do to me? Charge me with
harassment?
Nope, then they would have to identify themselves.
Oh, and don't bother contacting Cashnet USA about the calls. Their "fraud" department could
honestly care less. Their "investigation" is merely a means of buerocratic CYA. I would even be
surprised at this point if actual law enforcement is involved in any shape, way or form at this
time.
There is a good chance that the information these crooks have on us was obtained from
Cashnet USA - either from a database leak or from a collector that was once authorized by
Cashnet to call on delinquent customers. The other chance is they have access to Teletrack,
and pulled all of our information off of there.
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-646-274-1143/3
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
1-831-607-9214
1-972-674-3753
1-646-918-5211
1-206-202-4942
1-206-337-7992
1-206-339-8218
1-561-318-0446
1-585-250-8090
1-347-827-0921
1-607-398-0725
1-888-610-5486
1-585-861-9940
1-909-233-7338
1-646-416-9016
1-805-262-6170
1-661-270-6724
1-561-705-0140
1-310-807-0220
1-347-637-6473
1-951-582-4832
1-909-503-0682
1-818-579-7691
1-347-321-6497
1-206-666-3611
1-206-203-0712
1-347-875-8418
1-347-875-9600
1-206-629-9392
1-818-532-9007
1-310-853-3491
1-347-377-7368
1-321-300-4091
1-866-840-2030
1-760-588-2207
1-845-360-0920
1-415-259-5025
1-347-637-6452
1-818-275-4539
1-707-673-9475
1-714-485-9593
1-909-565-4286
1-714-733-5614
1-512-501-3639
1-347-688-9900
1-914-269-4450
1-650-425-1020
1-888-500-2534
1-347-827-3814
1-410-849-9353
1-803-400-8483
1-951-281-4802
1-858-224-8121
1-347-637-6485
1-631-209-6009
1-480-463-1613
1-646-719-9237
1-727-487-5327
1-516-453-9112
1-951-582-4833
1-410-834-2832
1-877-906-8903
1-215-207-9364
1-617-531-2607
1-206-892-3600
1-800-622-0484
1-512-524-3409
1-718-713-8750
1-951-582-4840
1-832-460-8297
1-646-396-7759
1-866-805-8001
1-630-332-0774
1-209-560-6572
1-718-819-7997
1-347-349-7287
1-800-373-1577
1-206-388-4845
1-800-614-2800
1-860-657-9599
1-866-792-9306
1-866-659-4140
1-800-985-9285
1-866-415-5400
1-954-979-5946
1-209-790-3795
1-973-500-3118
1-800-435-4794
1-214-446-9831
1-800-654-7444
1-866-443-6227
1-252-458-7493
1-888-407-7872
1-866-853-4965
1-888-387-1419
1-347-418-0224
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.
PS--The FBI sent out a Press Release on this scam just last week:
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.
Some fraudsters have instructed victims to fax a statement agreeing to pay a certain amount,
on a specific date, via a pre-paid Visa card. The statement further declares the victim will never
dispute the debt.
If you receive these calls, do not follow the caller?s instructions. Rather, you should:
Notify your banking institutions.
Contact the three major credit bureaus and request an alert be put on your file.
Contact your local law enforcement agencies if you feel you are in immediate danger.
File a complaint at www.IC3.gov.
Tips to avoid becoming a victim of this scam:
Never give your Social Security number?or personal information of any kind?over the
telephone or online unless you initiate the contact.
Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information. The e-mail
may include upsetting or exciting but false statements to get you to react immediately.
Avoid filling out forms in e-mail messages that request personal information.
Ensure that your browser is up-to-date and security patches have been applied.
Check your bank, credit, and debit card statements regularly to make sure that there are no
unauthorized transactions. If anything looks suspicious, contact your bank and all card issuers.
When you contact companies, use numbers provided on the back of cards or statements
http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/paydayloanscam_120710
22 Sep 2011
Call the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and your State Police. When they call back,
tell them that you are aware they are running an extortion ring, have notified the authorities
and hang up.
Kudos to "Sam" for giving the most intelligent and informative posts on this scam. READ,
Bookmark and use as needed:
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-631-456-4041/2
I have been receiving phone calls from this group since late April / early May of 2010. There is
a good chance that they also attempted to contact me roughly two years ago before I entered
into Chapter 7 Bankruptcy protection, as I faintly remember hearing the same script more or
less.
As others have stated, the callers are difficult to understand. Generally speaking their
command of the English language is quite poor and their accents are hard to follow. At times
they will get certain words or phrases mixed up. It would be funny if it wasn't for the fact that
they had:
a) Your SSN
b) Your home address
c) Your work address
d) Your banking info
e) Names, numbers and potentially the addresses of "references"
f) A complete and total lack of ethics and a basic understanding of the FDCPA.
I have personally filed reports with the following agencies, often with limited (if any) success:
Local Police
my state's Attorney General's office
FTC
FBI
Secret Service
Generally the local police won't be able to help much. The callers are using a combination of
prepaid cell phones and VoIP, making them difficult to trace. Also at their disposal are various
spoofing tactics being implemented to catch people off guard - meaning the number that
appears on your Caller ID isn't the number that is calling you for starters. Without gaining a
subpoena for the billing information for the numbers in question, the local police won't be able
to get very far.
My state's Attorney General's office couldn't offer much assistance either. I received a form
letter in the mail that my complaint was received and I would be contacted if they needed
additional info. It was more or less the same information I obtained from the FTC. They each
advised me not to give the individuals over the phone any account information or to authorize
payment. That's just common sense, though.
I never got anything from the FBI, either. There is a good chance that since I haven't suffered a
monetary loss that my concerns are low on the totem pole. I hate to say this, but that is truly
the case. Unless you were in the hole for a $1,000 (or more) you aren't going to get much more
than "sorry to hear about your situation, change your phone number and move on". I seemed
to get some activity from the Secret Service. I spoke with agent Doug Zloto. (Google him,
referencing threads like these plus his name and you'll find his number also) He seemed to care
a bit more than the average person, but after giving him access to my Google Voice account,
there has been no further activity from him that I'm aware of.
In the meantime I changed the wireless number the fraudsters had access to, they have no
direct way to get a hold of me. (Calls at work have ceased for some reason) That in turn
resulted in my "references" getting phone calls from the crooks. Here is a word of caution for
women that have been getting these calls - don't say anything and just hang up. The callers are
quite abusive towards women callers. Why? Possibly the culture. If they are Indian /
Pakistani, women are second class citizens there. You will be treated like garbage. This
happened to a family member when she was trying her best to be extremely nice over the
phone.
The callers currently attempt to reach me through the female family member and an unused
Google Voice number that they managed to find of mine. I keep the Google Voice number open
because, well, I can't delete it yet. So, about every day, 4-5 times a day for the last week, I get
voice messages from them. It's usually just two full messages though - the other calls are
broken up with static or they are attempts to read the script until the callers then screw up.
Really, they are that adamant on getting the script 100% that they will hang up mid-sentence
and call back 30 seconds later.
At this point it's a stalemate with these people.
1) While they have the lion's share of information on us, they can't really do anything with this
information.
Why? Think about it.
If they were to ever take funds out of your account without authorization, it's fraud and worse
(for them) it is traceable. That's why they won't do anything with your information, contrary to
threats they make. The money from your account has to go somewhere, and either your bank
or a law enforcement agency can determine where the money was routed. As a bank customer
you are protected - you'd get the stolen money back in your account after 7-10 business days
and the bank would be temporarily out the funds deducted from your account while they
conducted their investigation. The bank, along with law enforcement, would track down the
fraudsters and apprehend them. The fraudsters do not want to incur the wrath of a bank, just
extort money out of you. Remember that.
Your authorization would absolve the bank from any and all liability, leaving you holding the
bag. Never give them authorization for anything - for all you know the call is recorded.
2) We have no information on them.
Seriously, this has been going on at least since 2008, possibly longer than that based on some
accounts. (6 years??? Holy crap!) You would think someone would have slipped up by now.
Sadly, they haven't. We can continue to grow our own intel on them and compile lists of aliases
and phone numbers used, along with paraphrases of scripts used in order to educate other
victims. I'm actually putting together a site now in the meantime where I'll host audio files and
lists of previous numbers used. 800notes.com is great, but no two calls are exactly the same.
It would be nice to have a site dedicated to the scam and how it works.
So that's where I am with these calls. I have suffered no monetary loss, though I have been
harassed both at home and at work. They threaten me with arrest and other "fun" things in
order to get me convinced I have to pay them. My friends and family have been targeted and
local and federal law enforcement agencies haven't been able to put a stop to things. So, it is
what it is. I am out a wireless phone number I had for roughly six years, which is terrible since I
was using that line when looking for a new job.
Whenever I'm bored I spoof my number using Google Voice and return the calls. I've called
them the poster children for birth control, etc. Basically a lot of nasty things that I'm sure the
moderators here wouldn't appreciate me repeating - bottom line nothing nice. I always like to
close saying their parents must be real proud knowing their sons weren't man enough to get
real jobs. That usually gets a decent response.
Way I see it - they can't do anything to me. (Despite a threat yesterday that my life would be
f'ed up) They can threaten all they want but my credit is frozen and my bank information has
changed. I've changed the only number they could really access me directly on and I've
instructed my employer and family to not answer the calls. I just call and harass them now
when I find a few extra seconds. What's the worst they can do to me? Charge me with
harassment?
Nope, then they would have to identify themselves.
Oh, and don't bother contacting Cashnet USA about the calls. Their "fraud" department could
honestly care less. Their "investigation" is merely a means of buerocratic CYA. I would even be
surprised at this point if actual law enforcement is involved in any shape, way or form at this
time.
There is a good chance that the information these crooks have on us was obtained from
Cashnet USA - either from a database leak or from a collector that was once authorized by
Cashnet to call on delinquent customers. The other chance is they have access to Teletrack,
and pulled all of our information off of there.
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-646-274-1143/3
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
1-831-607-9214
1-972-674-3753
1-646-918-5211
1-206-202-4942
1-206-337-7992
1-206-339-8218
1-561-318-0446
1-585-250-8090
1-347-827-0921
1-607-398-0725
1-888-610-5486
1-585-861-9940
1-909-233-7338
1-646-416-9016
1-805-262-6170
1-661-270-6724
1-561-705-0140
1-310-807-0220
1-347-637-6473
1-951-582-4832
1-909-503-0682
1-818-579-7691
1-347-321-6497
1-206-666-3611
1-206-203-0712
1-347-875-8418
1-347-875-9600
1-206-629-9392
1-818-532-9007
1-310-853-3491
1-347-377-7368
1-321-300-4091
1-866-840-2030
1-760-588-2207
1-845-360-0920
1-415-259-5025
1-347-637-6452
1-818-275-4539
1-707-673-9475
1-714-485-9593
1-909-565-4286
1-714-733-5614
1-512-501-3639
1-347-688-9900
1-914-269-4450
1-650-425-1020
1-888-500-2534
1-347-827-3814
1-410-849-9353
1-803-400-8483
1-951-281-4802
1-858-224-8121
1-347-637-6485
1-631-209-6009
1-480-463-1613
1-646-719-9237
1-727-487-5327
1-516-453-9112
1-951-582-4833
1-410-834-2832
1-877-906-8903
1-215-207-9364
1-617-531-2607
1-206-892-3600
1-800-622-0484
1-512-524-3409
1-718-713-8750
1-951-582-4840
1-832-460-8297
1-646-396-7759
1-866-805-8001
1-630-332-0774
1-209-560-6572
1-718-819-7997
1-347-349-7287
1-800-373-1577
1-206-388-4845
1-800-614-2800
1-860-657-9599
1-866-792-9306
1-866-659-4140
1-800-985-9285
1-866-415-5400
1-954-979-5946
1-209-790-3795
1-973-500-3118
1-800-435-4794
1-214-446-9831
1-800-654-7444
1-866-443-6227
1-252-458-7493
1-888-407-7872
1-866-853-4965
1-888-387-1419
1-347-418-0224
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.
PS--The FBI sent out a Press Release on this scam just last week:
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.
Some fraudsters have instructed victims to fax a statement agreeing to pay a certain amount,
on a specific date, via a pre-paid Visa card. The statement further declares the victim will never
dispute the debt.
If you receive these calls, do not follow the caller?s instructions. Rather, you should:
Notify your banking institutions.
Contact the three major credit bureaus and request an alert be put on your file.
Contact your local law enforcement agencies if you feel you are in immediate danger.
File a complaint at www.IC3.gov.
Tips to avoid becoming a victim of this scam:
Never give your Social Security number?or personal information of any kind?over the
telephone or online unless you initiate the contact.
Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information. The e-mail
may include upsetting or exciting but false statements to get you to react immediately.
Avoid filling out forms in e-mail messages that request personal information.
Ensure that your browser is up-to-date and security patches have been applied.
Check your bank, credit, and debit card statements regularly to make sure that there are no
unauthorized transactions. If anything looks suspicious, contact your bank and all card issuers.
When you contact companies, use numbers provided on the back of cards or statements
http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/paydayloanscam_120710
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