THANK YOU SO MUCH

One thing I cannot understand is Magicjack's refusal to shut these calls down. Each & every Magicjack is serial numbered. They know very well what phone number goes with what MJ. They can disable the device from their system anytime they want, & render it useless.

Alfalfa, your advice is absolutely correct.  The only other information I have to add is that my information shows that, as of March, 2009, the block of numbers 607-542-3xxx is a rate center assigned to YMAX Communications Corp., NY, the company responsible for the infamous (at least on 800notes.com) trademarked MagicJack.  (See http://www.ymaxcorp.com/ )

MagicJacks are widely used for legitimate purposes, but are often used by scammers to hide their identities and real locations.  See, for example:

Overseas scammers make most of fake local area codes
June 8, 2012 By Lisa J. Huriash and Barbara Hijek, Sun Sentinel
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-06-08/n ... ck-phone-number
YMAX and MagicJack will, when confronted with a subpoena, help verify scams and disconnect numbers.  But there seems to be little that can be done to prevent someone from getting a new MagicJack and a new phone number and starting all over again.

The Sun-Sentinel article (BTW, the Sun-Sentinel is a well-respected Florida newspaper) includes the following advice, which happens to be from the Mississippi Attorney General's office:

"? If someone mentions there is a warrant out for your arrest, verify by contacting your local law enforcement agency or the specific alleged law enforcement agency to confirm.
? Do not depend on caller ID to confirm the caller's information.
? Know that law enforcement agencies do not accept wired money, only cash and bonds. Never wire money to anyone who is alleging arrest or warrants."

Or, the following advice is offered on the bills.com website at:
http://www.bills.com/fake-debt-collector/
"Just because a voice on the telephone claims you owe a debt does not mean you owe it. You may not be required to pay a debt even if the voice on the telephone claims to be an attorney or work for a law firm. An abusive, screaming voice that claims you will be subjected to incomprehensible legal proceedings does not mean the person is truthful or accurate.
In general, do not believe legal advice offered by creditors or collection agencies, even if they call themselves lawyers. The legal advice provided by collection agents is usually wrong or incomplete, and is always self-serving."

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

Omg...got a call..very rude...what's scary is had my and husbands tag number....that I was being prosicuted for a payday loan....are they real???? About headed for nervous breakdown

These people are a joke...  I am going to jail imagine that.

Called stating wife wrote bad checks to pay back a loan. Wife never banked with the Institution. LOL. Called the number back and the individual pretended to be someone else. Called back again the gentlemen stated he was with the warrant division. Really funny, told him not to call my hone wasting my TIME.

HARRASSING PHONE CALLS TO FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL AS MYSELF.

I received another call from this office, but this time the individual provided far more information about my case. I had some bad checks that I had written I explained to the lady it wasnt "fraudulent" or deliberate but she wouldn't listen. Calling a week before the Holidays..... give me a break! I told her Do what you gotta do!!.

this is a scam company  a David Kirkland.attempting to steal from us.....does not say who he reporesents but the case (no number) is going to courrt...3 times calling today and rude and arrogant.) Put on the do not call registry   aread code 607? a debt I incurred over 10 years ago  funny no negatives on credit report   david Kirlkand any on our there know about this creep.

I have been receiving harassing phone calls from this number

These people are fake they call you.. Om fake loans saying your going to Jail dont belive s*** they say dopnt pay them anything. They are lowlifes that have nothing better to do but to harras innocent working people.