Left two messages in a row on my voicemail; thick accent, barely understandable. The man claims to represent the state bureau of investigation; says that I am about to be prosecuted (!) and that my bank account will be seized. I must call him back as soon as possible to avoid prosecution. Obviously a SCAM.

I just got one also. He called me twice in a row and both times I sent it to voicemail. 2nd time he left a message.
I saved it from youmail and uploaded it to my skydrive.
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=8B61594DA522CF58!425

Michael Johnson (with heavy Middle Eastern Accent) left message on my cell phone.  Identified himself as a State Investigative Officer.  Said that I was being investigated for fraud and that I needed to return his call or someone would show up at my place of employment and arrest me.  Really?  I have filed a complaint with the FTC and urge all to do.  Another lady in my office, was receiving these call on our business line, upwards of 50 calls per day.  These scammers are ruthless and there needs to be a stop to this.  People could loose money, jobs and peace of mind over this.

Phantom Debt Collectors From India Harass Americans, Demand Money

By BRIAN ROSS (@brianross) , CINDY GALLI and MATTHEW MOSK (@mattmosk)
June 7, 2012

Hundreds of thousands of cash-strapped Americans have been targeted by abusive debt collectors operating out of overseas call centers suspected of links to organized crime in India, law enforcement officials told ABC News.

The calls are part of a massive scam, one that appears to target struggling Americans -- especially those who have gone online to apply for payday loans. Armed with personal information from those pilfered applications, the threatening callers, who claim to be debt collectors poised to initiate legal action, have managed to pry loose millions of dollars from their victims -- even when the victims never owed money in the first place.

"This is what we call a phantom debt collection scam," said Jon Leibowitz, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. "It's a very pernicious and innovative new fraud."

Working through call centers in India, the commission estimates that the criminals have dialed at least 2.5 million calls, persuading already cash-strapped victims to send them more than $5 million. Some have reported receiving dozens of calls per hour. They are victims like Cindy Gervais, of New Orleans, who went online for a quick loan when her husband's car was hit by a driver who didn't have insurance.

Even though she paid the loan off, the so-called "phantom" debt collectors with Indian accents began calling to say she still owed money.

He more or less told me that if I didn't pay, they were going to have someone on my doorstep to arrest me," she told ABC News. "And that they were going to contact my place of business, and tell them what kind of person I am."

At first, she said she resisted. Then the calls became more frequent, and started to ring on her cell phone, and at the grocery distribution company where she had worked for 27 years.

"I was more or less was in panic mode because he told me there would be someone before noon at my place of business to arrest me and take me to jail," she said tearfully. "So I agreed to pay him."

After receiving scores of complaints, investigators with the FTC said they began tracking the calls, and following the payments. They alleged the payments led them to a California company run by an Indian-American named Kirit Patel, and that such scams would not be possible without American front men.

"I would say that all roads of this scam, or many of the roads of this scam, lead back to Mr. Patel," said the FTC's Leibowitz.

ABC News tracked Patel for weeks, from the suburbs of San Francisco to Austin, Texas.

Patel refused to talk. But his lawyer, Mark Ellis, said he believes it is far too early to pass judgment on his client. Ellis, a Sacramento-based attorney, told ABC News that Patel was hired for a nominal fee to set up an American shell company, and had no idea what the call centers in India were doing.

"I can tell you, he was as snookered by the people in India as anybody," Ellis said. "He's a 69-year-old man who is nearing his retirement who thought all he had to do was set up some corporations and everything was on the up and up. He's completely dismayed that he has become the lightning rod of this entire problem."

A close friend of Patel's also defended him in a brief interview at his home, saying Patel was not trying to defraud anyone -- he was just an unwitting, bit player in a larger scheme.

"If Mr. Patel was just a cog in the wheel he seems to have been a pretty big cog," Leibowitz said. "It is clear that Patel was integrally involved with this scam."

Leibowitz points to thousands of pages of financial and phone records gathered by the FTC and filed as part of a civil case brought against him in the U.S. District Court in Sacramento last month. When FTC lawyers sought to freeze his assets and prevent his business from continuing to operate, Patel responded by invoking his rights against self-incrimination. His lawyer told ABC News he has had to be careful in how he responds to the allegations in civil court "because there is a potential criminal action," but that Patel maintains the allegations against him are false.

Federal investigators said the phantom debt collection operation that allegedly benefitted from Patel's assistance was one of several that all trace back to the same small town in Western India called Ahmedabad. Callers use technology to make it appear that the calls originate inside the U.S. Victims provided ABC News with recordings of dozens of the calls, and many of the thickly accented callers appear to be reading off a script.

"Subpoenas have been readied, and Monday morning you're going to be picked up from your home," one caller says on a victim's voicemail. "And you have children. Don't worry about your children. We have a childcare department to take care of the children."

"You will be behind bars for six months," said another caller. "And once you go behind bars, you will lose your job. Once you are behind the bars, you won't get a single drop of water."

William Peerce Howard, a Tampa attorney who represents victims of harassment from debt collectors, said it takes an especially twisted criminal to use threats and coercion to pry money from someone who is already struggling financially

"These guys really are the most visible villains in America today," he said. "They make a living scaring people."

Mark Merola, of Florida, said he just panicked when the caller told him he might be arrested at the deli where he works in a Florida retirement community.

"I was nervous. I didn't want to embarrass myself, my family," he said. He used his debit card to pay the collector $576.

Afterwards, he says he realized "how stupid I was."

"It just happened so fast," he said. "I got scared."

Leibowitz said he hopes with more attention, future potential targets of the scam will recognize red flags before they turn over any money.

If callers say they are from the police, consumers should know that law enforcement officers do not collect debt for private parties. If the caller is speaking with a thick Indian accent, but calls themselves by a names such as Officer Mike Johnson, that should be a tip off. And if they're calling 40 times in two hours, that's another red flag. "Legitimate debt collectors, legitimate pay day lenders don't do those sorts of things," he said.

Merola said he would like to see anyone involved in the scam prosecuted aggressively.

"There's no place in society for these people," he said.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/phantom-debt-co ... 16512428&page=2

i received a call from the same guy who stated he was from the fbi doc and cbi and my name ssn and employer was being investigated and if i did not call back with in 60 minutes he would come and pick me up and i would go to prison for 6 months he stated he also has my references and all my families informatkon..he has called before with several area codes the local police here traced the call to iraq stated he was pinging off of the computer to someones land line

I received a call from a guy with a heavy Indian accent on my cell leaving a message for my daughter claiming he worked for the state b investigation office.  His message was threatening my daughter that her social security # had several complaints and she needed to return his call. I immediately knew no credible agency would leave such a detailed message on someone else's cell. I called the number and the same guy answered who had claimed his name was James Johnson.  I informed him who I was and asked him to identify himself, told him I was reporting him to the police and my lawyer. This guy hung up..I called again and he laughed ..then hung up. My daughter returned my call and when I told her..she googled this number and found this article. She blocked her cell number and they did not answer.  Should I be worried that I called him from my cell? I ho0e people are aware and do not fall for this scheme.

I've been getting phone calls from these people for over a year. Same old stuff on voice mail. I've tried everything I know to stop these guys. Hoping someone has an ides short of changing my number.

My mom called me saying that this number 901-300-7501 called her stating that he was a detective and that I need to called him that this is a legal matter I dont know anyone in the Memphis area and do not owe anyone do not have a clue why he would be calling her looking for me this is strange

Received a call from 901 300 7501 x 110.  Thick Indian accent.  He said he was fro the state bureau of investigation requesting last 4 digits of my SS#.  Threatened if I did not do this, the state bureau would be after me.

I'm a lawyer and a client of mine called me stating he got numerous calls from this number 901-300-7501 at work and on his cell; today we called it back together and 'robert hamilton' picked up, answering as "State Bureau of Investigation"; we gave him my client's cell number and Hamilton identified the 'case' against my client, even gave us a case number, stating that if we didn't pay by tomorrow the case information would be 'downloaded into the county court' (we don't even have county courts); then he read us this "legal affidavit" stating that "American Legal Service" is the company owed, and the statement even included my client's miranda rights, including that he should have an attorney and if he can't afford one one will be appointed for him.  He said my client could owe up to $6000 including principal, interest, penalties, late fees, court fees, attorney fees and bail fees.  But that the amount borrowed was $300 and he could pay $620 today by visa, mastercard or western union to settle it. My client never borrowed any money.  I asked that a bill be sent to my client's home so that he could review the bill and pay it (really so we could try to get an identification and address for this 'company' calling and file an FDCPA claim against them), but he said that they already sent several letters that my client didn't respond (not true- he never got anything) to and they only do this electronically.  We said thanks and hung up.   This is scary for my client because they have his SSN, home address, work phone and cell phone, but I told him it's just a scam and to ride it out, the calls will stop soon.  He had a similar experience last year with calls coming from 701-484-1762 in North dakota, but nothing came of that.

Yes I received a call at work phone saying that they were coming to pick me up....I know this is a scam because I have received calls before and so this my family members which make me look bad. The caller id say gcircle with phone number 901-300-7501....i do not have any payday loans out i did last year but i paid all of those out. How do we stop these calls.....they come about every 3 months or so I had to change my cell phone number and bank account number because of this......

I got this same call and the accent was SO bad it was almost incomprehensible.  He mentioned my friend's name and said that she was using  my name and number as reference and security and that I was involved legally because of this.  I couldn't even tell what he said his name was.  He said he worked for the Bureau of Criminal Investigation legal department.  Gave the extension number as 901.  I think they get the numbers and names because people fill out all that info for these shady online payday loan companies.

This man Mr Garret Gardner called my home twice asking for someone who has not been a resident of the home for a year.  I informed him of this both times and he continued to call. I asked that my phone number be removed from his files. He began to state that a criminal matter was being investigated against the party.  I informed him that I could care less, please remove my number.  He is very insistant so I informed that I would report his company and phone number to the Attorney General Office and hung up.  The man then turns around and phones my cell number and leaves a message.  He states the party he is looking for "One of your alledged boyfriends" used my name and phone number as a reference, that criminal charges has been filed against HIM and I am included in this matter because I was used as the reference.  I do not plan to return the calls and hope that the idenity of these folks are found out as I would like to file charges of harasement and being threatened against them. Of the past 27 months there was a period of 3 months that I saw this person. Mr. Gardner claims to be an officer with the Bureau of Crimal Affairs.

Received a call on my cell phone.  I rarely use my cell phone so I was surprised; however, a message had been left. A guy said his name was David Warner and that he worked for ___ ___ criminal investigative services.  He then said one of my sisters was opening up accounts in my name and they are investigating her.  He also said i should call back from my cell phone.  I called the "901" number from a different phone and told the person who answered about the message.  He wanted my cell number.  I said "no", that he needs to tell me what this about.  He then wanted my name.  I didn't give it to him.  I told him I'd just checked my credit report Monday and nothing is out of order and that I had not been alerted by my company that anything was amis.  He kept insisting I give my cell number or else he could not help me.  I hung up.

this guy called my house then called my daughter and threatened her, I called there twice and they dont call back

called and said he was a police officer coming to pick me up and when i ask him his address he wouldnt give it to me