Consumers across the country report that they're getting telephone calls from people trying to collect on loans the consumers never received or on loans they did receive but for amounts they do not owe. Others are receiving calls from people seeking to recover on loans consumers received but where the creditors never authorized the callers to collect for them. So what's the story?

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.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt076.shtm

I had a guy named Mr. Williams call me from several diffrent phone numbers including an unknown number, he said i owed a membership fee from back in January of last year. He said he pulled my record and that if I didn't pay them he would be sending me a summons and going after everthing that i was worth. He said everything that was on my credit report (how in the world are they allowed to obtain that information without my conesent) and when i told him i would be disputing it becuase I had proof that I cancelled the membership. he said he would be going after me when i returned from my little vacation (he called my work voicmail and heard my out of office voicmail that said i would be back to work in a week) These guys are seriously ruthless. He called my work today and left me a voicemail and threatened to call my manager (which he did) I am looking up laws to stop him from calling my co workers but i have no idea where to send the notice not to contact to. Man this is really frustrating

I read up  on the fedeal laws of debt collection and it says they can not take property nor threaten to take you to jail. They are to send you a notice of the debt til this day I have not received one. I too have asked for an address to find out who they are and they hang up. If we was all to band together to find these people and file harrassment charges against them and put them out of business if it is a business. Does anybody know what state or country they are caling from?

The jerk that calls me is Mr. Adams and is as nasty as they come. When you try to tell him something he tries to talk over you. I just keep talkig say what I need to say and then hang up on him. I need to figure out how to block the unknown caller for the automated nessage. Never known a bill collector act nor block their calls like this one. I had somebody call to get the address from them and they would not tell and infact they hung up on them

The modus operandi of these people seems to be harassment.  I have been able to get a name from them, but I doubt that it is legitimate.  They answer the callback number as Professional Services, and when prompted for a firm name and contact address, it was given as Blumen & Rosenthal and they refused to provide an address.  It would be a relief to know if anybody has actually faced legal action like they continue to threaten; any time that there is a demand for money over the phone, it seems really fishy.

this number has been calling and harassing my mom for a few months now. he calls himself Mr. Young oand sometimes Mr. King. he tells us that we owe a bill for an abulance ride from 5 years ago, even though we were on insurance at the time. he is rude, and unprofessional. today, he actually called my 15 year old brother at school and called him a do***ebag. my mom called back and talked to the guy saying that she had an attorney and he was like"who is this i have no idea who you are did you say your name was Simon Cowell?" these people are disgusting and from now on when i am having a bad day, i will call Mr. Hall/Young/King and let all my anger out on him... free therapy. ;)

My mother in Law got a voicemail message from Mr. Adams today asking for her to get a Shannon King to contact him at 888-360-2751 We were unclear of what company they work for we called back twice trying to get it sounded like National Services. When i tried to explain to him that my Mother in Law didnt know anyone by Shannon and t please stop calling her he asked are you Shannon I said no he then went off on me yelling and screaming that he will continue to call her until he gets paid so being as rude as him i let the redneck in me loose. Then my husband called him back. Now who will be harrasing who. We will be having a friend look up as much information on the number as he can get. And i will update that info here so that everyone being harrased by these Idiots can get justice.

This phone number called me twice today. The first call was a voicemail leaving this number as a call back #. The second actually showed up as a local number. I answered as I was driving home from work. The man, Mr. Adams, immediately started harrassing me about a debt from 2009. Demanding I pay the 420$ immediately. I have just returned from maternity leave and have not receieved a paycheck yet and as I explained this he started yelling at me stating he didn't care what my excuses were and I had til tomorrow at noon to pay in full. He was screaming at me the whole time and the told me to get a pen and was about to give me some information. When I told him I was driving and needed to pull over he started screaming about I obviously have money if I am out driving around and he will take my car and everything else I own. He then hung up on me. It was horrible and I was so caught offguard he made me cry. Now that I have calmed down, I realize several things were fishy. He said to return the call to his firm on the voicemail but didn't state the name of the firm. Then he claimed that he had sent letters to my home (which I have never seen). He also said that I haven't paid since 2009. I filed chapter 11 in May 2011. He also said he knows my car is paid so he will take it first so I can't joy ride. If he knew this, he should also know it is in my mother's name, not mine. I am planning on getting as much information on this place if they call back tomorrow. Has anyone actually had them file something in court like they threaten?

I am not sure how their law works but if they harass people, I think the cops would show up there and question them. I want their cops to drag them out of their boiler rooms and lock them up.

These people are disgusting,rude, and extreamly unprofessional! They called stating I owed a unpaid bill, so I made a agreement to pay a portion the day they called and then pay the rest within 30 days. On the 29th day they started calling and hounding me an demanding money, and they were also screaming at me! They some home looked up my family members phone numbers telling them "someone needs to get ahold of her or I'm sending the law after her, and we will take any owned property" first of all I know they can not legally just do that, like they were acting. Second there is several steps they have to take, an third the amount I owed was $700.00 dollars, there is no way they can take thousands of dollars worth for that amount. I called to speak to a supervisor about Mr. Hall and Mr. Roberts (the ones calling myself and family) well since they were so mean I figured I would record the call, well when I stated it was going to be recorded he hung up on me. These people are so rude, and so unprofessional. I'm not exactly sure why the laws are, but I'm sure it's illegal to harass someone!

These people have harassed my mother of 90 yrs til she had to change her phone number of over 45 years.  Trying to find her missing grandson.  Really mean and rude people!

My 78 year old mother got called by a very loud and obnoxious jerk demanding that he call and then demanding that she pay $1,900 she owed to Sylvan Learning Center. The only problem is she's never done business with them at all or went to Slvan Learning Center and neither has anyone in our family. When my mother called them back they answered as "Professional Services", supposedly some kind of collection agency. When my elderly mother explained that she doesn't owe anything, the man rudely said "We'll see what happens when you get a summons". I suspect its either a scam on the elderly or a collection agency that doesn't get its facts straight. When my mother asked whose address was on the account, they said they only had a phone number and no address...obviously because they are not legitimate...

My 78 year old mother got called by a very loud and obnoxious jerk demanding that he call and then demanding that she pay $1,900 she owed to Sylvan Learning Center. The only problem is she's never done business with them at all or went to Slvan Learning Center and neither has anyone in our family. When my mother called them back they answered as "Professional Services", supposedly some kind of collection agency. When my elderly mother explained that she doesn't owe anything, the man rudely said "We'll see what happens when you get a summons". I suspect its either a scam on the elderly or a collection agency that doesn't get its facts straight. When my mother asked whose address was on the account, they said they only had a phone number and no address...

I also received a call from this number.  They were SCREAMING at me about someone that we have not talked to in at least 5 years.  Mr. Hall told (screamed at) me that they would never stop calling until I put them in touch with this person.

This place was horrible called me a liar and made threats said we bailed someone out of jail complete b***s***!  Someone needs to stop them the guys name was Mr. Hall

I just had the same experience with this company! Company name is "supposed" to be Professional Services. They told me "who cares" and "so what' when I asked for a supervisor! If this is the company name they need to learn what "Professionlism" is!! I work in customer service and this was the "worst" scam ever!!! I knew it was a scam when I first talked to them because there are laws that protect us! Now, how do we find out who and where?????

what a jerk!

Sounds as though you have a cause of action to sue for relief. The one problem now is defining your defendant. No one has positively identified the collector here and the other major caller databases have nothing for this phone number. Your tormentors need to be domestic and able to receive a summons.

Meantime, here's some homework on US federal collection law:
http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/guidance/supervision/manual/fdcpa-narrative/

Send them a cease communication letter VIA certified mail and request a receipt.

These ppl have contacted my mother about my ex whom i have not been with for almost a year. I have nothing to do with my exs bills and want to be left alone how do i make it stop?!

these are horrible people!! i got turned over to collections for an unpaid bill in which the company never submitted the claim from over two years ago to my insurance, plus never sent me a bill.  now the collection agency is calling me, calling me names, threatening me, threatening my husband...its awful!  told me they didnt care about my story, i'm a liar and they want paid! also said to me, you wanna play--we'll play! who says that?!! very unprofessional! i dont deserve to be treated or talked to like this, since none of this was my fault! people are so crazy!!