I too just got off the phone with these schmucks the first one told me his name was  Steven Matthews as well nd that it was recommended that my husband contact them at 9162441389 or  9162441388 nd ask to speak to senior attorney general George Belowski...well I'm nit stupid to a con artist they all talk alike nd I said oh hell no ok this is bull sh** nd he was trying to cut me off by telling me ma'am you are speaking to an attorney nd I said yea I told him why do you all have the same accent nd he was like what do you mean I said what my friend you didn't get what I told you sounding just like them...I told him that I've  worked in call  centers nd there are a variety of ethnicities nd you all sound the same hints that you are one person dumb a** he well ma'am the only ting I can tell you is good luck nd hung up.

You are probably one of us who in the past or recently have taken out payday loans and thats what they are taking advantage of.  That is also how they have work numbers and some family numbers any number you listed on your form they use.  Hint with exception of a good number that payday loan lenders need to reach you and your bank phone # make all the reference and family numbers wrong, they never verify numbers as long as they have your account and a number to reach you.  That's all they focus on.

I know, I have never given them correct phone numbers and have gotten a loan everytime

Recieved a call at WORK from this number!  I do not know who this!  Do not call my work!

He may have given a name, but he sounded way.too.much like King Julian from the movie "Madagascar".
He started off.as the reason for the call was a time sensitive matter and I, or my legal representation needed to call an officer TODAY!
If he didn't receive a call back, all he could do is wish me good luck, because the law would fall down upon me.....oooooh! Ominous! I'm shaking in my boots *sarcasm*

FOLKS google acls and see what you come up with you be suprised at what you see this is crazy!!!!

I missed a call from this number.

I am so mad and sad to say that i was dooped by these people some time ago and paid them back on a payday loan that i had actually defaulted on but had intentions of paying them back once my financial situation got better. Well this company called me again about a week ago to say that i owed on a payday loan from a company that I didn't recall. Being that I had taken out quite a few loans in the past and had paid all of them back, I thought well maybe this is one that I overlooked, so with the same harrassement of legal action etc...I agreed to a payment plan and did all the faxing of my documents and gave my debit card info. The first payment WAS to come out on this Wednesday, but something to told me to google this company and I am so glad that I did. It is unbelievable the comments I have read that were so familiar and bascially the same type of calls I received. Well I am glad to say I cancelled my debit card a moment ago and the info I sent them was expired anyway because my liscense is expired since 04/01/2010. I haven't been driving since so that is null and void. I now know that they have personal info on me from previous apps I had done online with past payday loan companys. As the ole saying says "fool me once shame on you" "fool my twice shame on me" . Well not this time. This is really sad but I am thankful that I decided to google this So Called Company. Thanks for all the info regarding these Crooks, you saved me over $950. Wow!!! Now I ready for them when they call because the payment didn't go thru.

These people are not who they say they are. There collection tactics are against the law.
Desist from calling! And any written communication needs to be made in writing!

I have been contacted by ACLS twice this month.  The same story, a payday loan I never really had.  I know it is a scam, but they have my ss# and the last 4 numbers of my bank account.  Can they get to the money in my bank ?  Thats what scares me.  The phone number they gave me to call them back was (347) 457 3031 ..   Also, they gave me another number when I ask to talk to the payday loan company directly.  That number was (626) 657 2000 ..   However, when I called the number they gave me, I was talking to the same jerks who called me.  after I told them I knew it was the same people, they just started in on me again with the legal threats.  they didn't even try to pretend they were the payday loan co. they were pretending to be.   These people need to be stopped.  I was lucky, I looked up their info on google and found out it was a scam, while I was still on the phone with them.  But I see others are getting called at work, and some people are actually getting bullied into  paying money to these jerks.

Thank you. I have been dealing with these scammers for a little while now. They stopped calling then started again. I know I don't owe them anything. They keep calling my work and cell phone. I really appreciate your detailed feedback. Thanks to everyone, I know what to do now.

Hi there i was contacted, today from a company call ACLS Dept Collectors , telling me that i took a loan from Cash Advance America for the amount of $300.00 and the interest has been apply and it was $815.00 but they will settle for 300.00 and that i could make 2 payments of 150.00. the person's name was keith russel and i told him that i would give him a call back that i need it to verified with my bank first and them i will pursued with a payment.   I was driving at time, i couldn't get in touch with anyone at the time, so i call him back and said, can i make a payment plan.  He said, sure would you like to pay that right now over the phone with a credit or debit card, i'm like nope i could make the first payment on Friday the 10th and the next on 24th, he said ok i will e-mail you some documents for you to sign and return them back to me.   So i took some time to investigate and i went personally to my bank, i never had a money deposit from a pay loan company, them after i went to cash advance branch. I  spoke to someone to look up my name in there database and i  never took any loan with them. they give me this number to call and find out if i had any loan pending (888)-723-7701 and they told me that i didn't have any outstanding loans anywhere... I'm about the explode right now and i have there number and i feel like calling back and give them a piece of my mind but i have the state financial number and i will start an investigation on them instead, these people need to be shut down.

Unfortunately I got caught up in this scam. I received a call from "ACLS" reporting that I had an open case against me for fraudulent funds and was to cooperate a payback or I would be taken to court.  In my ignorance I paid money.  I know....I even work for law enforcement and can not believe how stupid and ignorant I was.  Now I'm receiving calls from a subject who says he is Attorney Cooper from the Criminal Financial Division in Brooklyn, New York.  He had a very thick accent and also called me at my place of work....which happens to be a 911 dispatch center.  The guy has balls.  What was the last straw was when I continued to demand something in writing, he told me my birthday and said he would send something special just for me.  Then he gave me my address and my boyfriends name.  I didn't budge and continued to rant about something in writing, although frankly, he had me creeped the hell out.  I did what I could with knowledge as a dispatcher and did a reverse directory on the phone number on whitepages.com and was able to determine that it was a landline in Garden City, New York.  I contacted my local P.D. and when the officer attempted to call them, they hung up right away.   For those that may have been a victim of it....yes, it is so very hard to admit that in this day in age, that even someone with law enforcement background can be ignorant enough to play into their hands.  It's embarrassing to say the least, and a pain in the butt now that I plan on changing account numbers, cell number, etc......price I pay for not being smarter. Plus I'm out the $800 I so stupidly paid.  The reason I did pay was because, at one time, I did apply for those silly online loans and didn't realize then the door I was opening.  Again, to those that have fallen victim to it...pick yourself up like I did, and do what everyone else is saying.  If they continue to call and you happen to answer...be firm...hell, get mean!!  If it gets to the point of calling your local police department, DO NOT HESITATE!!!!  That's what they are there for.  It's fraud, plain and simple.

Print off this thread, show it to your employer and report them to the authorities.

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

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.

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-646-274-1143/3

I have been receiving phone calls from this number as well as 831-920-4694 stating the exact same thing. They are threatening to put me in jail and will not staop calling my work phone number. What can I do?

I just got a call today from them saying that I own a company money for a payday loan. Though I have never taken one out. They said I had to go down to the court house and they were going to file charges against me and report it to my credit. I asked them for a date they could not provide it. I asked them for a number of the company they said they would not give it to me and i had to deal with only them. I said my law they had to give me information inregards to this. They said well go down to your local court house for a court date. they made no since at all I think it's a scame.

I agree with everyone on here these guys are VERY RUDE and will not give any infomation on what company I owned money to an every time I asked for the company name or for them to send me some type of paper work stating who I owned money too.  This guy Kevin got even more rude.  They did tell me that they would take me to court an it would cost me $8000.00 in court fines.  I tried to find out infomation on this company America Legal Service on line there is nothing an when you go on google an put the phone number in no company pull up.

My friend received the same call about me owing money from PAYDAY loans and since they cant find me they were going to get her. She called all hysterical.I tried calling several times, but the number was busy. I tried one last time and eventually spoke to Michael Anderson with a deep Indian accent stating all that was mentioned above including the fact that I am being charged with theft by deception, fraud etc and i will lose my job. i just hung up the phone. I informed my husband and he called requiring all documentation. He, Michael Anderson became rule and hung up the phone.

I too have just recently received calls from this number.  THIS IS A COMPLETE SCAM. I called back the number several times and demanded a supervisor and proof of debt.  Each time I called I got the same person. It seems as though you must harras them as much as they do you for it to stop.  I called them back 5 times yesterday and have not heard from them since.  You need to be very firm.

Sounds like the exact same person called me and pulled the same BS.....any ideas on how to stop this??

I have been receiving calls from this phone number & "Mike Anderson."  He claims I owe for a payday loan and has made numerous threats against me.  When I informed him he was wrong, he got very rude & said I could loss my job 7 end up in court over this.  He would not give me any info so I could try & clear this up myself.  He couldn't even give me an exact date when I was suppose to have received this loan.

No Mike - these people are scammers - I have been dealing with it for months. Read the post by "the saint" under the number 707-633-0002 and by "lamet under the number 408-692-1047 - both are on this site.  What you should do is report the call to your state attorney general and www.ic3.gov. Put a fraud watch on all your accounts. Beware - you will keep getting call - form different numbers and different names - but always the same crackpot story - they may even call you work.  They suck - big time- I hope they get caught soon and are sent back to whatever pit they crawled out of!!

Received a call similar to above, that I owed a payday advance company, that they had tried to EFT 6 times and it had been turned over to them and I would face the consequences.  Got very rude when I asked simple questions and he hung up.  Is this something I need to pursue??

Recieved a call from this number tonight.  I think they are getting more creative, as I haven't seen my type of call on any of the boards.

The man stated his name was Michael Fuller calling on behalf of the Law office of Michael Brown (spoke with heavy Indian accent).  Stated they were calling in regards to a case being filed against my sister.  He stated my information was listed under the security section of a loan and because she had defaulted, it was now a fraud cause and I was now going to be listed on the case unless I cooperated with them.

Glad I check out the boards, here's to hoping these people stop!

THIS IS A SCAM AGENCY.  THEY CALL AND GET VERY RUDE... DO NOT LISTEN TO ANYTHING THAT THEY SAY, IT IS NOT A REAL AGENCY NOT CAN THEY DO ANYTHING TO YOU LEGALLY!
IGNORE THE CALL!!

"I received a call from Steve Matthews from ACLS and said I owed money from a payday collection company. When I asked him to inform me of the name of the payday company, he just said he was collecting for American Cash Advance and could not give me the specific name of the agency collecting money. He said I would not be given the paperwork form the company indicating that I owe money until I pay the settlement, which is $1,099.35. He said if I do not pay the funds by 9/17/10, I would have to go to court and be charged with fraud. He said if I lost the case, I would have to pay over $8,000. He said to fax the settlement agreement to Mark Brown. I would need to pay the settlement fee by debit card or pre-paid credit card. Both of these individuals are extremely rude and have an accent."

I received a call at work from a Mike Anderson, with a really deep foreign accent, stating he was calling from America Legal Services, for there client American Cash Advance for a pay loan i had gotten in 2010, and i failed to pay if i did not pay then i would face criminal charges and and termination from my job. I told him this is the first thing i have ever heard of it, and he said that well u prob gotten a email but deleted it and that is ur problem. I insisted to want to talk to a supervisor, a Kevin Compton but said he was on a conference call, i kept on insisting on seeing legal documentation and he stated he can not unless he sends to court house where charges will be filed against me, then said to get a lawyer and contact them within 2 hours, then said if i did not have a lawyer that was not his problem and hung up.