They are calling you to discuss a civil matter---yet threaten you with arrest if you don't call them back?

Rubbish.

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

Received a call today from 1-888-896-6726 stating that I needed to call them right back about a civil matter, and if I didn't return the call they would have the sheriff come out to my house and arrest me.The callers name was Derrick Boyd and said he was going to issue a warrant for my arrest within 2 hours if I refuse to call him back.

jt associates seen on someone elses page that sounds familiar from ohio but cant pin poimt on it moms at work now so sorry but close enough

they called my moms number and threatedned said if I didn't call them immediately within 2 hours cops would arrest me. my mom calls me and i called them they said this this may be mixed up sorry memory so just gonna type everything I remember . I told them about the arrest she says she cant do that and her name was sarah. I am callingabout a old sprint account from 02 okay and you owe 953 dollars. if youdont pay a summons will be issued then she says after I told her I couldn't do that im on fixed income and only got a little amount of money for past few months she then says let me talk to them ill be right back about hardship and she says we will knock off 2 hundred something dollars on your account. but we need 25 dollars today to secure this and then  you will pay 50 something amonth then asking for credit card info. I say im sorry my caseworker would be mad and I cant release this info after saying multiple times im sorry I don't understand  she says if you cant secure account you will be served and have to show upin a local court with 30 days I said can my worker call you tomorrow and tlak to you she said she can do that my names sarahand hung up.

thanks a bunch appreciate it a lot same thing happemed to me except they call my folks and same exact replica as that and threatened them and then me and then wanted my credit card information I am disabled

This might be the company in question here:

J.T. Keller & Associates LLC

Phone: (855) 229-8030

5677 S Transit Rd Ste 304,
Lockport, NY 14094

5677 S. Transit Rd is a UPS store.

Total scam.  UPS store located in a more or less run down area of Lock Port New York

BBB F Rating.  

This may or may not be the same company calling.

SCAM SCAM SCAM!! DO NOT GIVE ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION TO THEM.!!! they claim you have an outstanding legal mater and you have 1 hour to contact them back or you will be arrested..  DON'T DO IT!!  if you have some sort of doubt, you can always contact the court and look up your name & see if there is anything pending.

I live in Hawaii and I received a frantic call from my brother in law who lives in Az. He was extremely worried because he received a phone call from JT and Associated that if Kathy S.(me) did not contact them within 1 hr of the phone call, a warrant would be issued for my arrest immediately! I own my own business and was right in the middle of an event with at least 30 people in front of me when my sister and brother in law kept calling me thinking I was I serious trouble. I had to step aside for a minute to talk to them and calm them down. I knew I had done nothing wrong and that it sounded like a scam! I was furious and could hardly wait to finish my business to get to a phone and track down these heartless scumbags! I called the number 888 896-6726 and got a voice mail for JT and Associates so I left them a message with my number and asked them to call ME back. I just want to inform them that I am filing a complaint and will follow up with my Attorney. The part that makes me sick is that my poor mom is suffering from Alzheimer's and heard all of the commotion between my sister and brother in law! She started crying and collapsed because she thought her daughter was in jail! Those sob's should not be allowed to get away with this!!

eff

I was just contacted by this company J T and Associates and was told I had 1 hour to call them back or be arrested. They did contact me through my parents. I returned there call at 888 896 6726 and was told a Sara Robertson would call me back. Well I'm waiting for them and the sheriff's detective to call me as well.

I got a call from Lisa Brown from Pacific Processing today on MY cell number.  She told me that they had "legal documents" that had to be served on my wife and that she needed to call 888-896-6726 and mention case #***********.  She told me that the case had been "red-flagged" and that she needed to call within 1 hour or the Sheriff would come with a warrant.  I asked her who the complainant was and she told me JT & Associates.  

I called the 888 number, gave them the case # and was told that I needed to speak to someone in claims and litigation.  I spoke to Jameson Fields who told me he could not give me any specific information.  I asked him how they had my number but did not have any information on my wife.  He said he did not know that was not part of his job.  I told him I found it strange that my wife has lived in the same town for 35 years, been at the same job for 25+ years and in the same house for 14 years yet they could only come up with my cell #.  I told Mr. Fields that I was a law enforcement officer and that their tactics violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and that I was reporting them to our State Attorney General and the Secretary of State.  I then told him that if there truly was an outstanding debt that they would have some legitimate contact information on my wife and that they had better not call my cell # again.

This is nothing more than a scam and these people need to be stopped.

Similar story as above. 888-896-6726 was the number that my sister was supposed to call in order to settle a "civil claim" against her. The caller said that she was going to be served by the sheriff within the hour and that she should call the number. They clearly were trying to scare her in to doing something outrageously stupid. Don't fall for it.

Same as everyone else that posted. Caller ID showed UPS. Guy identified himself as Brandon Wagner and that he was a process officer for the Sheriff's Department and was trying to contact my wife. Stated she needed to call 888-896-6726 over a complaint and he did not know if it was a criminal or civil complaint. Stated he would give us 2 hours to respond and a afterwards the Sheriff Department would be coming to my house. I informed him that I am retired law enforcement, and I started my career at my local Sheriff's Department and I don't believe him. I told him I knew all of the Deputies at the Sheriffs Department, but I don't know him. He told me she needed to call and hung up. I reported this scam.

Same as above. Call received with the caller ID as Unknown. Said I had to get my stepdaughter (he knew her name) to call this number: 1-888-896-6726 to find out about some civil complaint. When I asked what it was about, the guy hesitated a moment, then said that he was Derrick Boyd, from Pacific Processing. He said that the sheriff would swear out a warrant if she didn't call the number. I told him that I was a retired San Francisco Deputy Sheriff and that it seemed odd that he was working for the Sheriff's department to serve papers instead of the Sheriff's Department doing it. He then told me that she had to call the legal department. I asked who the legal department department belonged to. I asked a few times and then he hung up on me.

I fell for this and it stressed me ouyt to the max!! They knew everything, my SS #, name and address!! Sounded sooo legit! Scaring me into a frantic stage to pay off a debt from 2001??? Was in question before I researched and found  information to my relief!! Find out your rights people, research @ Bills.com before falling for this crap! We are living in scary times today and you have to educate yourself before you get one pulled over on you. Desperate times calls for desperate measures. Don't become a victim! Get wise!!

Same story as alex I called the 1 888 number and was transferred to a guy named erik he told me he could work a payment plan but wanted my credit card info I think it's a scam....

I received the call from 323 521 6568, the same story , sheriff extension and to call 1888 896 6726 with and account , IT'S A SCAM DON'T FALL FOR IT!!!

This is a collection agency. They are in serious violation of the FDCPA (Fair debt collections act) and can be sued for what they are doing.

"If a debt collector violates the FDCPA, you have several available remedies:
Sue the Debt Collector in State Court
The consumer may bring a lawsuit against the debt collector in state court. In the lawsuit, you must prove that the debt collector violated the FDCPA. If successful, you may be able to collect $1,000 in statutory damages, and possibly more if you suffered harm from the violations. (To learn more about the amount and type of damages you can collect in a FDCPA lawsuit, see Damages for FDCPA Violations.)"

I advise to set a complaint against them with the Attorney General.

J T And A**.
10390 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Century City
Phone number (310) 286-9375

Called My Home From 1-888-893-6726 Claiming I had Two Hrs To get in touch with them or that the sheriff wold be sent out within time frame. they would hold off on the summons... when the call was returned they could not tell me who the office was and the call center was J T And Associates.. well all in all it was about a medical bill from 8 yrs ago.. what a scam..
Scaring Folk's and making them panic.. Preying on individuals that just plain don't know any better.. ..

This is an scam to get you to call them about an debt it came up on caller ID as ups like the package delivery company

Received a call originating from 734-757-6133; Jessica states she represented a Legal Office but refused to give any info on the "legal office." She was looking for my husband's ex-wife stating the ex-wife gave them my name and phone #.  They were trying to serve her with a warrent and she had a limited time to call them back.  I was given a case # for her to use when calling them back.  I do feel this is a scam.  Could be one of those that when the "888" # is called back, it costs $$$$$.

....typo in my previous note; the phone # to be called was 888-896-6726 (not 888-896-6729)

My phone call came from 734-757-6133 in regard to "legal office" trying to contact my husband's ex-wife and stated she gave the number to them.  The young woman identified herself as Jessica and stated the person needed to call 888-896-6729 within a short time frame or a warrent would be issued against her due to a complaint that had been filed against her.  I was given a Case # to give to her.  My thought is that it is a scam; maybe one of those that charges $$$$ when the call is returned.  She told me she was a "Call Center" representing the legal office but would not identify anything else about the legal office she represented.

My son got a call from this number looking for me. They said it was about a case, I haven't returned their call. I think this might be a scam.

call saying sheriff office was looking to serve on my daughter My name's listed as contact. Gave case # & 888# to call back. Gave her 2hr extension or she'd be listed as "unservable". Have gotten multiple calls, from this number in the past month, but first time ? answered.  Per the previous post, this appears to be a scam. Don't fall for it.
Caller: Caller ID shows Dallas

call saying sheriff office was looking to serve on my sister. My name's listed as contact. Gave case # & 888# to call back. Gave her 2hr extension or she'd be listed as "unservable". Sister doesn't live in our state! Sheriff & police said its not them, could only serve her anyway. They're either looking for $ or personal info. A scam. Don't fall for it.

I got a call today originating from 516-740-6362 asking if I could receive legal documents for my stepmother. They gave me a case number and asked me to get the message to her to call 888-896-6726 within 2 hours.

It's a scam...