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

i also got a call from a linda taylor at this number 713-261-1345 a few days ago saying a warrant will be issed for me if i don't pay this amount, from something back in 2006/2007.. i have never written a check for fraud.  i am not sure how she got my cell number, i have only had this one for barely over a year. is this a real thing? she said she was from the national check recovery something about Elite.....????

yes a lady just called talking about a warrant for someone's arrest who does not live here.. i told her do what you gotta do because that person does not live here.. she claims she is a investigator for check fraud.. i let her know i looked her number up and i told her  if she calls again i am calling the police..

I received a call from this number saying they were the Dept. of Investigation Ck fraud unit.  If I did not pay a certain amt to them for something back in 2006 which i do not owe a warrant would be used for my arrest tomorrow.  How they got my cell I don't know.  I had my back go on chex systems and I owe nothing to any bank.  They said the bank from 2006 said I owed money and since I hadn't replied that sent it to Elite who in turn sent it to the Dept. of Investigation Fraud Unit.  I take it that the number 713-261-1345 is not the Dept of Investigation Fraud Unit---Only a scam.  Do I really really need to worry about anything or is this another person or group trying to rip off innocent people.  They ruined my whole day.  Stressed out and worried.  Is someone going to arrest me tomorrow or can I sleep without fear tonight.....

I got a call saying Im gonna go to jail for Child Porn!!! WTF!!

these people told my mother i was going to jail if she did not pay 890,00 so she paid it. i want them to go down!

I got a call about a debt. I explaine that I had already paid the debt off and had statements saying so.
The women by the name of Linda something threating me by saying that there is a warnt out for my arrested,
And the company she works for is ez crop.

Those calls are from boneified law firms or collection companies. They will say anything to in order to collect, information for the debt they are asking about. Ask them what is the debt for? They should tell you what company.They are not suppose to lie in ordering to collect information for that debt. They can not say you will get summons and go to court and prison for comitting fraud. They could summons you to court for the debt, But they can't accuse of fraud.

Hughgo

Call is from a collection company using a computer dial system that will constantly change the number.  They have been reported to the FTC for illegal activities.   If you get a call contact the FTC and file a complaint.  If they threaten you record it and provide it to the authorities.

BBB believes this business to be operating a phony debt collection scheme. According to information received by BBB, calls from National Fraud and Investigation Agency accuse consumers of defaulting on payday loans and threaten that if consumers don?t pay immediately via wire or by providing bank account or credit card numbers, he or she will be arrested or sued.  National Fraud and Investigation Agency may have the consumer?s Social Security, old bank account numbers or driver?s license numbers as well as home addresses, employer information or even the names of personal friends and professional references.

BBB is unable to locate the persons responsible for the phony debt collection calls. BBB offers the following advice to consumers if they receive a suspicious telephone call about an outstanding debt:

? Ask the debt collector to provide official documentation which substantiates the debt.
? Do not provide or confirm any bank account, credit card or other personal information over the phone until you have confirmed the legitimacy of the call.
? File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online if the caller is abusive, uses threats or otherwise violates federal telemarketing laws.

This company now calls themselves the national fraud agency . They are a debt collector. They use threats that you will be put in jail if you dont pay. Check your states statue of limitations laws before you agree to pay them anything.

please be advised that I think that this company has some flaws to it why is it that its so difficult to contact you and why is it that there is only one post.

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I got a call from this number also and they told me that they were elite also.. They told me the samething that you were saying but when I went over the record they were saying everything was true. I own $2,455. Instead of me paying the whole thing they let me pay have and be set up on a payment partial arrangements. They were very kind and respectful. Now I dont have anymore phone calls about a worthless check case...

They said they were Elite Investigations, which is a Private Detective Agency in Las Vegas.  Said that I wrote a bad check in 2007.  Get Real.  I have never done any such thing.  I told her to not call me back and send me a letter.  She called right back and when I told her if she called again I would turn her over to the Attorney General's Office she said "I will turn you over to the Attorney General's Office".  I told her again to not call me back and then she asked me can you not speak English.  I was born and raised in Mississippi she had a bad accent, but none that I have heard as I have traveled all over the USA in the Military.  She was the one who needed to brush up on her English.  She was very rude.  You could hear people talking in the background.  It is a collection agency, not a Private Detective Agency, she is trying to collect old debts and must have gotten my number by mistake.  I will not answer the number again.  Get the right person and the right information prior to making these calls and BE NICE when you do call that way you might get the monies you are seeking.

YOU SOUND VERY SMART I WONDER HOW LONG IT TOOK TO WRITE THAT :) LMFAO

I got a call from this number saying they was a collection agency, I explained to them that they were calling the wrong person and that I had been getting phone calls that had to do with this for the last year. They were very nasty and was cursing me out and making all kinds of derogatory statements.