http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors

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.

I've gotten numerous phone calls from this company but they never answer, and I don't know what to do, are they a real collector? or is a scam.. any information would help thank you so much

I don't think 800notes have anything to do with that a**le's post.  Don't ya love the yall from f****ng Maryland??  On second thought there r a ton of frigging red necks in that state!

You are either a scammer or work for this phony company Arbitration or whatever-the-hell-it-is.  Looks like 800notes is now cutting into the income stream of these miserable phony debt collectors.

Hey laugh out loud you f****ng loser!!! Just how interesting that you come on here and say what you have... perhaps you're from arbitration solution I'm laughing my f****ng a** off out loud right now you f****ng a***ole,

I did get served some legal papers it's a civil matter (payday loan) tho...And it's for real so I don't know what some of yall on here are saying to be real because I did but as I said it's a civil matter.and I do have to got to court on it.....and I live in Maryland.

The company that is affiliated with this number is called Arbitration Solutiions and they are located in Charlotte NC at 3623 Latrobe Drive 28211. The owner of the comapny is Chadd Hadden and the office manager name is Angela Rodgers. Angela is the one that uses the alias of Stephanie Leaks and Lacie King and etc. Her direct phone number is 7044926935

Your boss needs to make a complaint - she's being harassed by scammers.  More here:

http://800notes.com/forum/ta-86217073a9c8dad/ ... 077595690349410
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http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors
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http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressreleases/extortion_scam.htm
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Also read up on the laws and your rights:

Harassing calls from a debt collector? Here is what you need to know
http://800notes.com/arts/Jb8EW-eDhQA/harassin ... ou-need-to-know

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm

CFPB Q&A on debt collection practices
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/search ... debt-collection

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection
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Follow the steps in what you need to know. A legitimate debt collector agency should not have a problem with giving you a real business name and address you can google and verify via google street view, BBB etc.
For extortion Scam Operations, file reports with the FBI, your state attorney general and Department Of Justice,FTC & FCC..

http://www.nw3c.org/
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
http://www.fbi.gov/
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#&panel1-1
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

And folks should consider looking at maybe getting call blocking device or phone..
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=se ... s=call+blockers

It IS illegal to call and threaten people with "charges" and "arrest" - however, as you said, you wouldn't get a phone call giving you a heads up - the cops would just show up.  I hope you reported the caller to the FTC, FBI and your state's Attorney General.

I'm posting this for everyone. Just got a voicemail message that they are forwarding my case to my local Sheriff's Department. I have no clue what this is about. I did some research online and I just came across this and I'm sharing this for everyone.

Facing Debt Collection? Know Your RightsAugust 6, 2013
by Lisa Lake
Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
Dealing with financial trouble is stressful enough. But when a debt collector is hounding you using unscrupulous methods, it can make matters even worse.The fact is, you have some rights when it comes to dealing with debt collection agencies. They?re spelled out in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which  protects consumers from abusive, harassing or unfair debt collection practices, and is enforced by the FTC. Here?s the abbreviated version of the key provisions:Under the FDCPA, debt collectors are not permitted to:?call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
?contact you at work if you?ve told them verbally or in writing that your employer doesn?t allow you to get such calls in the workplace
?contact a third party about you for any reason other than getting your contact information; simply put, they may not tell anyone that you owe money
?harass or abuse you or anyone else they contact about you
?lie about the amount you owe
?use deceptive methods to collect a debt from you. For example, they may not:
?falsely claim to be law enforcement officers
?claim that you?ll be arrested if you don?t pay your debt
?threaten to seize, garnish, attach, or sell your property or your wages ? unless they are permitted by law to do it and intend to do so
?give false credit information about you to anyone, including a credit reporting company
?use a fake company name
Learn more about your rights when it comes to debt collectors ? and how you can regain control of your finances.  Tagged with: bad credit, complaint, debt collection, debtor education, harass, poor credit
Blog Topics: Money & Credit.

Thank you very much I'm aout to post something on here for everyone. These people are ridculous and violating my rights.

File reports with the FBI, your state attorney general and Department Of Justice,CFB,FTC & FCC..

http://www.nw3c.org/
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
http://www.fbi.gov/
http://www.stopfraud.gov/report.html
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#&panel1-1
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088.action
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

Also read up on the laws and your rights:

http://800notes.com/arts/Jb8EW-eDhQA/harassin ... ou-need-to-know
See Residents post here also:
http://800notes.com/forum/ta-34af6a034ba34b6/unending-collection-calls
Templates of Letters:
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-319-242-7350

http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/search ...
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection

And see:

http://800notes.com/forum/ta-944ec1426a8bcbb/ ... service-attacks
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http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/ ... r-phones/ndF4c/
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http://www.net-security.org/article.php?id=1828
***************
http://800notes.com/forum/ta-86217073a9c8dad/ ... 077595690349410
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http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-fake-debt-collectors
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http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressreleases/extortion_scam.htm
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http://www.fdcpa.me/fake-process-server-injunction/
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http://800notes.com/forum/ta-9413b3202bc8b6c/ ... net%27s-tactics

This number keeps calling me and now at least 3 of my family members too. I'm fed up and when I called them back they don't even tell you what this is about. Even more annoying thank God for my smart phone the number is on my blocked last but they keep calling my family which is truly annoying since I have no clue what this is about.  I asked if this was a collection manner they said no it could either be a criminal manner, child support issue, etc. At which I know it's none of the above maybe collection.  But nevertheless they won't tell me they just wanted my information. So I'm not giving them nothing and if the sheriff is coming for me then let them issue me a warrant and come to my house.  This seems like a scam. Ugh so freaking annoyed.  

She told me the same thing. Its a collection agency because that would be inappropriate for legal services to do.

My boss just emailed me saying she keeps getting calls from here doing the same thing only asking for me. She said it is now to the point of harassment.

I get alot of calls from this number and I am feeling harass I want it to stop

I received same message as Nevada Res, the call was for my daughter ... if you know this individual it is important that you have her contact (cannot make out what she says here, I am guessing it is a company name) directly.  This will (something else I cannot decipher) contacting the County Sheriff's office to complete a service of process either at their residence or at their place of employment. The number (something else I can't make out) 888-534-4190 ext. 104. They will need a reference case #_______. "

This is a follow-up to my initial post: I have since received 4 more calls from the same number - all with the same automated message except for one from an individual identifying herself as "Alea Houston in pre-litigation" apologizing for missing my call and asking for callback to same number, ext 104.
On 02/06/2014 I called the 888-number again from my (generic) work phone and dialed ext 104. A male identifying himself as Sean answered and when I asked him for the company's name, he hung up.  I called back and Sean answered again.  I again asked for the company's name and he placed me on hold.  The call was routed to the automated message I got yesterday and eventually "Investigator Stephanie Leeks" answered again.  She would only give me the name of the company as ?Arbitration Solutions? and that they have lawyers who handle cases ranging from civil to domestic to criminal.  I asked her where they were located after which she hung up the phone.
Aside from being annoyed by these phone calls, I am concerned about possible scam efforts.  To this end, I filed a complaint w/ my State Attorney General's office today.

I received a call from this number, I was at work and didn't recognize the number so I let it roll over to my vm. Listened to the message:  "Your number has come up in an investigation of a subject by the name of (my name), if you know this individual it is important that you have her contact (cannot make out what she says here, I am guessing it is a company name) directly.  This will (something else I cannot decipher) contacting the County Sheriff's office to complete a service of process either at their residence or at their place of employment. The number (something else I can't make out) 888-534-4190 ext. 104. They will need a reference case #_______. " Pretty scary sounding to tell the truth, since I try really hard to be a law-abiding person, but I have had a call like this once before several years ago... I'm not falling for it. If there Sheriff's come and complete a service of process, then I'll worry about it. I think it's a very effective scare tactic and it should be illegal.

I received an automated vm from 888-534-4190 stating they were doing an investigation on (my name) and instructing to press 1 to be connected to an investigator if I had any information on defendant (my name). I blocked my ph# and called back.  The answering vm identified company a "Arbitration Solutions" and stated "This call is being recorded. If you do not wish to be recorded, then hang up at this time."  The call was then routed to a woman identifying herself as, "Investigator Stephanie Leeks."  I asked her for the company's name and explain what type of company it is.  She stated they are "Arbitration Solutions" then immediately tried to get my information.  I told her that I won't give any information unless I she tells me more about the company.  She became very abrupt, stating she won't give any information unless I answered her questions. She then referred to me by name, which totally threw me for a loop because I blocked my number (I doubled checked my method for blocking my number by calling a friend's phone & the call appeared as restricted). When I refused to give her any information and insisted that she tell me about her business, she threatened to hang up... then she hung up.  

Apparently a collection agency in North Carolina.  I called back and after waiting on hold was transferred to an answering machine.

Here's an ad for them from Cragislist :)

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/csr/4299269395.html

COLLECTORS WANTED (CHARLOTTE)
At least 1 year experience collecting on pay day loans only apply
9-6 M-F
Get paid Weekly !!!!!
New business: opportunity to grow within business
Call if interested 888-534-4190 or fax resume to 888-673-4870
4 spots open
30% Commission and Bonuses for the first 2 weeks then you have option to get on hourly pay and 10% of whatever you collect. THE CHOICE IS YOURS!!

They just called me to! Calling all my family thats harrasment!

This lady claimed that she had claim filed against me and that if I didn't respond to this call she would be going through my employer.  My son also got a call from her wondering about me and a few minutes later another call from the same # wanting to know the whereabouts of his sister.

This woman claiming to be an investergoter from Legal Services.Saying that there were two charges against me.But when I called back it said Arbitration Solutions.I don't know if this real or not but I feel I'm being scammed.And I think people should be warned.The woman's name is Lacey King.I don't know if that's her real name or what.She said something calling her back about the charges.Before calling the sheriff's office.I always thought they send a certified letter or something else in the mail to notify you of anything like this.

never answered back