951-582-4831
CA, US
 | Alfalfa 2013-01-08 14:17:22 Unknown |
Print off this thread and give it to your employer. This is a criminal extortion scam operating out of India.
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
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
| peeved! 2013-01-08 14:10:52 Unknown |
I got over 30 phone calls yesterday on my cell phone and 6 phone calls at work!
Same thing...but different number now...951-878-0689. I called back this morning, and told him I knew it was a scam. He said there were charges against me in Ca. but wouldnt tell me these "charges".
He then told me he would call my work and "promised" I would lose my job!
Same thing...but different number now...951-878-0689. I called back this morning, and told him I knew it was a scam. He said there were charges against me in Ca. but wouldnt tell me these "charges".
He then told me he would call my work and "promised" I would lose my job!
| A.M.E. 2012-08-31 03:33:26 Debt Collector |
I also got a call from "Travis Walker" from some "State Attorney's Office" in California both on my cell and WORK today to return his phone call to number 951-281-0249 on 8/30/12 - and I work for a large corporation, so this d****ad left this message with my HR DIRECTOR. Nice, right? Class act. After reading that this man (who definitely sounds more Pakistani than SoCal), I don't intend to call back and am more likely to believe the few stories I've found in which the exact same thing happened with every detail matching, and all the guy does is try to state you have taken out a loan (which you didn't) with a company (that doesn't exist) with no physical location a lawyer with no address?) so you can send you a pre-paid Visa (not a check or give him a cc number) and wire him a settlement so the "sherriff doesn't come arrest you at work and drag you up to your payroll department so they can pay your debt". What?!?! Craziest s*** I've ever heard someone try.
| Kim 2012-07-26 22:12:05 Unknown |
I got a call today from 951-878-5086 I reversed dialed the number is says its in NUEVO ca >? Atty Travis Walker stating I am being sued for fraud? I told the "paralegal" calling me that said he was calling from an attys office that it sounded like he was in a room full of operators he said believe what you want maam I am just doing my job! I swear what is wrong with these people?
| Lori in Ohio 2012-03-09 21:18:23 Unknown |
I received a call from 707-508-4203 about 10 times today. When I finally answered, the caller said he was with FES Law firm and he was a paralegal working for Attorney "Travis Walker". He stated that there was a law suit against me and if I did not make arrangements to pay that he "felt sorry for the trouble I would be in" Wow.
| Not going to take it! 2012-02-28 15:27:29 Unknown |
I just had the same phone call. The phone number was from 707-780-3012. I received a voice mail stating I was going to be arrested on friday and to call them back with my attorney information. They ended the voice mail with.. "may god be with you". I called the number back.. They answered with ACS Legal services. I asked why they called me, they trasnfered me to an attorney Travis Walker. Travis was very rude and said he needed to verify my information ( address, phone number, ss#) before he would tell me why he called. I refused to do so and asked for his information. He hung up on me. I called back again, and began to harass him in the same manner he was harassing me. He again hung up on me. I called again repeadidly and received a voice mail that stated their mail box was full. I will keep calling all day until he answers. I am so sick of these b*****ds thinking they have a right to harass and threaten who ever they want!!! Its also Bull s*** that our government cant do anything about it. We can arrest a kid for stealing but we cant do anything about a foreign a***ole trying to embezzle money from Americans!!!
| Zestee 2011-12-06 02:33:07 Debt Collector |
I just got the same call but the # is.diff 1 805 334 6196 and it was a chinese guy saying the same thing I talkin bout he a paralegal for this travis walker guy I called the # he gave me it was a huge scam talking bout he go garnish my wages
| Angrae 2011-09-21 21:04:48 Debt Collector |
I got this same call today (6 times on my cell phone and 3 times to my job) claims to be representing the state attorney office. Incomming phone call # was: 347-468-9569 (NY area code) and caller ID said WPI Group, Inc. Very broken english, when I demanded to know what about just kept saying representing attorney and he was just a paralegal and they are going to sue me. I asked sue me for what?! Are you representing some sort of creditor? I advised hm i was aware of FDCPA and he had violoated almost every FDCPA reg. I advised I was going to report to the FTC and AG he began to say I was going to be arrested and then said the last 4 digits of my social. Once I advised him I was recording the call he hung up. I called the number back and demended an explination - they could not give one, just that i was being sued. I demanded a fax # so I could fax a cease letter and the fax # they gave was 206-299-3728 (state of WA area code.)
| g.p. 2011-08-31 22:12:47 Unknown |
I got the very same thing from them
| sabrina 2011-08-29 19:07:31 Unknown |
I got this call and they lefta name and number at my work. I got worried at first then done a littlle
Research and here I am lmfao.asked for the date of the loan and they couldn't give it to me. I said
Oh you know why cause your full of sh@t!!! Don't fall for this. Its ridiculous.
Research and here I am lmfao.asked for the date of the loan and they couldn't give it to me. I said
Oh you know why cause your full of sh@t!!! Don't fall for this. Its ridiculous.
| Patek 2011-08-25 21:09:02 Unknown |
It is the India call center trying to take your money by saying they are a law firm-...sorry?
They escaped from a Karachi prison for drug users and sexual deviants.
Do not give them your money.
They escaped from a Karachi prison for drug users and sexual deviants.
Do not give them your money.
| JOANNA JUAREZ 2011-08-25 20:53:11 Debt Collector |
THEY BARELY SPEAK ENGLISH - - THEY SAID I OWED THEM MONEY....STUPID MONKEYS
| Bunny 2011-08-25 20:52:56 Debt Collector |
Thanks for the info. I rec'vd the same call about two weeks ago saying that it was a time sentative issue that needed to be addressed asap. Now I get another call saying pretty much the same thing and I deleted the message. Its a scam. How they got all my information is sad on my part but I will not allow them to drain me of any cash.
| LOWELL 2011-08-25 13:36:52 Unknown |
IT'S THE CORONA DEBT SCAM. DON'T PAY THEM.
| Corey McCrimmon 2011-08-24 16:18:35 Debt Collector |
Hey I got the same call yesterday at my home about the same scam. I am very disturbed by this harassment please help. They called from (951) 582-4831 said their name was Mike Davis, when I called back I got Allan Smith who sounded just like Mike Davis which seemed really suspicious to me.
| l 2011-08-23 23:11:23 Unknown |
This is the CORONA DEBT SCAM report them now!!!!!!
| S Robinson 2011-08-23 17:28:23 Debt Collector |
Hey I got the same call yesterday at my job about the same scam. I knew I hadn't took out any loans and I am very disturbed by this harassment please help. They called from (951) 582-4831 said their name was Mike Davis, when I called back I got Allan Smith who sounded just like Mike Davis which seemed really suspicious to me.
| d butler 2011-08-22 18:36:00 Unknown |
I was told to call the FBI 1-337-233-2164 and they will ask your name and the phone numbers that are calling you, so far i had to put a block on 3rd party callers and some how they still get through, but the FBI told me to give them there phone number and they will handle it for you..I was told by family members that they are now showing up at there home, family i don"t even talk to!!!! but they are to call the police...
| M.C 2011-08-22 17:52:34 Debt Collector |
They call about every 3.5 months, only my work. The same guy, different name, says I need to call him immediately or have my attorney call him, not to disregard, but doesn't say why. I already looked them up before, as they use a different number every other time, same accent, same man, different name. It's always the same thing that they say. You're on a call list, if they can get ahold of someone they will threaten you, but the word has gotten out so it's not working. They don't ever actually say who you owe. The calls stop after a couple of days and then start up again about 3.5 months later after they have gone through their list and your name comes back up. Just don't give them your information.They won't call every day or anything and they're harmless unless you let them freak you out.
| lushus 2011-08-19 13:19:24 Unknown |
Don't know what is going on I think its a scam
| Tamika 2011-08-18 17:30:52 Debt Collector |
I just got a call from this number saying if they dont hear from me or my attorney i will be arrested and god bless you so when i called i talked to a man by the name of steven johnson and he said i did a payday loan in june from cash advance usa and if i didnt go to court in l.a then i will go to jail so when i called back he said you is in big trouble but i called better business beaur and ftc is there any other options to stop these scammers
| annoyed 2011-08-18 16:41:15 Unknown |
Got a call from this number and claims to be an attorney but connection is horrible and the caller can barely speak clear english. not sure how they got my work number.
| pretty money 2011-08-18 04:55:19 Unknown |
f*** them indian half speaking english bi****s...telling me to pay them $529.00 and i started yelling at them saying i paid that dam loan and so im not about to pay you no $529 or 218 or nunthin i will see you in court and they hung up! this bs had me mad as hell for the simple fact they have all my info but they red dot on the forehead looking a** can kick rocks!! now...have a blessed day!! ;)
| WTF 2011-08-18 00:00:43 Debt Collector |
Just received a call from this number and demanded information. They said they I received a loan (which I did but promptly paid back) and now I am being arrested for "fraud and stolen monies". Demanded to speak with a higher up and was transferred. As I clearly stated that I had no idea what they were speaking of and have proof of debts paid they laughed and hung up. I called back demanding to speak with whom I spoke with before and was transferred. The man started yelling loudly at me that I would be arrested and hung up on me. I called back about 4 times being hung up on with no greeting until they answered the phone again. Calmly I stated I want all of their information which they have withheld from me. The man giggled again and I asked him what he thought was funny. Told him all these foreigners need to quit calling me before I blow up their sh*t. They hung up. I hope these calls cease and it's nice to know I'm not the only one this is happening to.
| consumer 2011-08-17 14:41:50 Unknown |
i called that number an pulled the old scam on them: i told them it was the FBI and we had numerous complaints about them scamming people. doing a reverse trace the number checks to a one room building in Corona, CA it is run by some India ragheads. I called the Corona Cali police and reported the phone scams and the Federal Trade Commission they are investigating the location it would be nice if they busted into their office and arrested all of them :-)
course they hung up when I said FBI (Female Body Inspector).
course they hung up when I said FBI (Female Body Inspector).
| consumer 2011-08-17 14:36:41 Unknown |
got a call from this number it was some person that had an accent from India or Pakistan when I called it back they denied calling. most likely a scam. they called both my phone numbers which shows it coming out of Corona, California.
Anyone have issues with this phone number? and what is it...said a law firm.
Anyone have issues with this phone number? and what is it...said a law firm.
| baya 2011-08-16 00:32:04 Unknown |
Ok so yesterday at 12:42 AM someone messaged me saying alot of ugly dirty things and it came from a number that was 951-299-5287 i really do not know who this is and who it might be and it's getting really creepy but i intend to ignore it somehow i dont like it when random people text me specially with a number that i do not know of...
| Jason Murray 2011-08-12 23:41:40 Unknown |
Hello,
I just wanted to say I to was a victim of this place of business being "First Attourney" which according to my phone records is based in California. The gentlemen called and stated he was with First Attourney and requested that I come forward with information for my lawyer, because as it was mentioned their was a lawsuit pending on me and my social security number, which didn't make a lot of sense at that point, so I told him I wouldnt provide any information and disconnected the call. He then called back about 30 sec later, which I let the call go to voicemail, he left a message and at the end of the call said "May god be with you" highly suggest if you get a call from this business 951-582-4831 to document everything that took place and call your local Law Enforcement to file a police report which I have done as well as filing a report/complaint via IC3 the government site http://www.ic3.gov
I just wanted to say I to was a victim of this place of business being "First Attourney" which according to my phone records is based in California. The gentlemen called and stated he was with First Attourney and requested that I come forward with information for my lawyer, because as it was mentioned their was a lawsuit pending on me and my social security number, which didn't make a lot of sense at that point, so I told him I wouldnt provide any information and disconnected the call. He then called back about 30 sec later, which I let the call go to voicemail, he left a message and at the end of the call said "May god be with you" highly suggest if you get a call from this business 951-582-4831 to document everything that took place and call your local Law Enforcement to file a police report which I have done as well as filing a report/complaint via IC3 the government site http://www.ic3.gov
| Melissa Kaloc 2011-08-12 17:35:28 Prank Call |
received a call again saying it was a legal matter and I needed to pay over phone....called my work # again... advised turning over to better business bureau...this happened before.
| Kris 2011-08-11 20:57:52 Unknown |
My mother just received a call from a Mark Williams at 1-951-582-4831 stating that she owed a payday loan place 2500 dollars. He harrased my mother then I called him and gave him a piece of my mind in which he told me over the phone that "HE IS A FRAUD". I almost laughed when he said that, just report this guy to the FBI so he doesn't scam anyone else.
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