760-412-5033
CA, US
drek
drek
2011-06-06 20:56:31
Unknown
its totally a scam... they r calling from pakistan. totally fake. steve clarke abusing on call. dont pay as i am from call centre industry in usa. i can understand the voice of different people coming from background. they are calling from call centre which is situated in pakistan. they are not officers , they are just cheap people from pakistan. steve clarke thinks we are fools but his accents is different and like a slumdog.
Brenda
Brenda
2011-06-06 20:56:31
Unknown
I'm not stupid!! I knew it when he kept avoiding answering my questions. As simple of a question as to when I allegedly applied and register this cash loan and he wouldn't answer. And when I refuse to communicate with him until he answered MY questions he became upset. And told me if I thought it was a scam to hang up then, and then he hung up! Lol

Yea right did he think I just came off some boat! Like I'm really suppose to believe someone with a really thick indian accent has a name like "CHRIS" Come again!!!! Lol I love. I don't think they will be calling me back.

it f***ers call, dont pay your money.dont give your credit card no. boss.  this indian people saying that they pay your loan amout dont trust them. it all up to u....



tell him that i dont want to talk indian officer his name STEVE he is not officer so plz take care of your money.
Brenda Smith
Brenda Smith
2011-06-06 20:56:31
Unknown
SCAM SCAM SCAM
Kevin
Kevin
2011-06-06 20:56:31
Unknown
Keep reciving harrasing phone calls from this company!  please revoke their right to a number or put them out of business!

Thanks,
Kevin
pamela belcher
pamela belcher
2011-06-06 20:56:31
Unknown
this is a new number but its the same same guy calling he used 4242446058 before says his name is Steve Wilson from law and investigation he has called twice today and three times using the other number telling me that that police were on their to my work and home to arrest me if i or my attorney did not call him right away I contacted my local police first time they called found out this was a scam now i just let them call and then save the message today  I called them and now his name is Daniel working for American legal service  I told them to stop calling me remove my name  that I knew who and what they were and what they are trying to do he got all defensive told me the police were on their way and hung up
stone
stone
2011-06-06 20:56:31
Unknown
this indian accent guy called me and said i got a paid day loan 5or 6 months ago for $300 dollars and want to settle out of court for $700 dollars i told him i didnt do it and that i would have to talk to my attorney and he got mad and told me that they will call my local police department and get a search warrant and that i can serve up to 6 mo in jail and pay a $5,000 dollar fine call number back from a block number and all i got was answere machine to just leave a message dont trust them it is just a scam
James
James
2011-06-06 20:56:31
Unknown
Got a call from this number. Some foreign guy saying I or my retained attorney need to call back asap. As it is time sensitive. They keep calling me blocked, but I am blocking the number on my end to see if that will stop them, or just change my number
Raquel Adams
Raquel Adams
2011-03-17 22:05:28
Unknown
Rex White is an imposter and he is a scam artist. He scammed me out of $400. He is located in Lagos, Nigeria.

Be on alert ladies, He is a scam..he admitted it to me in an email...
Clarence
Clarence
2011-01-26 00:31:58
Unknown
Live in Texas; got the call too.  "My name is Amari and I have a time sensitive issue where we have received a court case with your SSN.  It is critical that you speak to us regarding this time sensitive issue..." -CLICK- thinking to myself, how did this guy get my SSN?  I have a cross-cut shredder!  He phones again instantly "Clarence! Why did you hang up on me?"  "How did you get my SSN?"  He responds, "We have everything!  Your home address, telephone number, date of birth, drivers license number...  I will transfer you now so that you can ask some questionsBLEEP BOOP BLEEP BLEEP -ring-ring-ring...-CLICK-  My fault, I accidently hung up on dude.  Glad I Googled this number to find out wth was his problem.
Gwynn Griffin
Gwynn Griffin
2011-01-24 14:36:26
Debt Collector
Ok, so I have been dealing with this since November. Several different people (including the Indian guy) keep calling my call and my job. I got very tired of being threatened but wasn't sure what to do. I mean, these people tell you you are being sued and immediately you get paranoid, a bit freaked out, and worried. This guy leaves me messages (same on every time):

This message is intended for Gwendolyn Griffin.
Gwendolyn, the very second you receive this message, I need you or your (rated?)attorney of record to return the call.
The issue at hand is extremely time sensitive.
My name is Leonne Kennedy. The hotline to my division is 315-496-1508. I repeat 315-496-1508.
Don't disregard this message; return the call.
Now, Gwendolyn, if you do not return my call,or I don't hear from your attorney either,
the only thing I can do is wish you good luck and (not able to understand the 2 words after that) and falls on you.

He gets through at work and tells me he is with Clyde & Co LLP and I am being sued for money laundering, bank fraud, blah blah. Telling me I have already incurred fines of over $7,000.00. I can settle OOCR for $280.00. If I don't pay this by 7 pm (same day) EST then I will be facing 10 yrs and $500,000.00 in court costs, etc. He asked me if I wanted to settle this now and I told him no. I'd call him back after I did some research. I emailed the firm he said he was part of:

Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 18:17
To: Info
Subject: Web Form: CONTACT FORM

The Form CONTACT FORM has been submitted:


Title :    Mrs
First name * :    Gwendolyn
Last name * :    
Email * :    
Telephone * :    
Message * :    I was called by a Leone Kenedy who said he was a member of your firm. He said their was a major class action against me concerning re verification reimbursed from Advanced Payday Loans whom, he said, were suing for money laundering, bank fraud, etc. and said he was in the Brooklyn New York office.  

Supplied phone numbers were:
315-496-1508
317-699-3301
760-412-5033
052312293  

None of which are registered or traceable (checked with reverse lookup).

I want a case number
I want proof of a class action
I want a copy of the class action which, by law, is my right.
I actually want all information to do with this as that is ALSO my right as the person being "sued" if this person is indeed a member of your firm. Immediately.  

Thank you,
Gwynn

****************************************************************
Dear Ms Griffin,

Thank you for your enquiry.

I can confirm that there is no Leon Kennedy at this firm and that we do not have a Brooklyn office. We do not advise on this type of claim.

I did a googlesearch of the first phone number and it appears that many individuals have been contacted by a "Leon Kennedy" : http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-760-412-5033.

Therefore, please treat this enquiry as fraudulent.

Regards,
Louise
Louise Nelson
Communications Manager

Clyde & Co LLP
51 Eastcheap, London
EC3M 1JP
Main:    +44 (0) 20 7623 1244
Fax:      +44 (0) 20 7623 5427
Direct:   +44 (0) 20 7648 1981
Mobile  +44 (0) 78 9483 8274
www.clydeco.com
Miranda
Miranda
2011-01-21 19:32:46
Debt Collector
Oh yeah! Came home to a vm on my home phone. They wanted me to get hold of my friend, who they say defaulted on a loan and have her call them back. If I didn't I was going to be served a supena for court next week and could face further legal action! When I got nasty with them and asked Daniel Duran (the supposed "attorney" with this gang of creeps) why he was threatening me regarding a loan my friend took out he hung up. Once I looked up American Legal Service on the internet I called them back. This time I got someone different. I asked for Daniel and was told he was busy ....who was I? Well, I gave him my friends name!! Ha! I was put right through! I'm sure he thought he'd caught his big fish! When I told him it was me and I'd found him out on the internet as being a scam he hung up on me. Creepy, nasty scamers! Dispicable!!
Cyd
Cyd
2011-01-13 21:38:26
Unknown
I have had two calls from two different phone numbers.  315-496-1508 (Leon Kennedy) and 760-412-5033 (Rex White). Leon refused to give me any real information, threatened me and wanted $275 to settle "out of court".  I reported leon to the NY attorney general and our local police (I'm in Montana).  I just got the call from ther 760 number and it was the exact same message with the Indian accent I could barely understand and I played dumb and left him a very nice voice mail to call me back.  When he does I will do exactly what you did!  Great idea.  Thanks
Scam-123
Scam-123
2011-01-13 06:56:31
Debt Collector
I recieved a phone call from my cell phone from the 760-412-5033. They claimed I borrowed money and never paid it back. They claimed I commited fraud. And came up with this long list of chargers. Saying I have 24 hrs. to pay them or they will arrest me. They threatened me by saying they call my employer and notify them of my chargers and activity. They even called my co-worker threatening him. I was prompted to get an attorney. The guy was pleasant at first then he became indignant and rude. He sounded like a foreigner, middle eastern accent. Couldn't really understand him. He mentioned something about Cash Loans or Approvals in my name. He knew my info, where I work, and some of my co- workers info. He said I had money deposited in my account for $300.00. He claimed I never paid it back. I simply told him nothing of sort is true. All my account activity is well documented. I will have an attorney look this matter over. Anyone else should do the same. A well documented paper trail is your best defense. Agree to nothing. I was almost suckered in due to fear and pressure. Don't be afraid to do research. Pay them not a dime.
John
John
2011-01-11 23:22:14
Debt Collector
I think I have been part of a scam.  I have been getting calls at my job from someone saying I am part of a legal investingation.  I finally talk with this foreign man and he told me that I was part of a legal investigation and they were going to send someone to my place of residence or employment to arrest me because I had not payed back a payday loan.  They knew my social security number and everthing.  They asked me if I wanted to settle it out of court and I told them yes.  So they told me that I would have to pay $500 down and I told them I didn't have $500, but I could pay $250.oo.  He said okay and told me to call him back when I got a money gram.  We kept talking back and forward, but I finally got the money gram and set them the $250.  He called me again but with another name on 2/21.  He told me I would have to have $300 in by the 29th of February or they would send my the $250 back and proceed with the court fees and I would be arrested.  I asked him to send me something saying I had payed the $250 and he told me that he could only send that after the balance of $1100.00 had been paid.  I told him that I felt like this was a scam and he told me that I was on recorded lines and it was not a scam.  We argued back and forth for a while and he told me to call him on the 29th and let him know if I had the money.  I told him that I was willing to pay $100 a month until I got it paid.  He first told me that the bank only would accept $500 then he said the bank would only accept $300.  I then knew something was wrong.  Whe I looked them up on the internet "United Federal Bank", the first thing to come up was stories about how they scammed people.  Please let me know what I need to do in this matter


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We advised the victim to immediately contact the police and her state attorney general's office. If this happens to you,

Contact your state attorney general - see this page for the contact information.
Report them to the FBI here.
File a complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission
See these websites for more information about how to protect yourself from debt collection scammers:
National Association of Consumer Advocates
My Fair Debt
Consumer Credit Advocate Bud Hibbs
Clark Howard.com - Clark has additional resources; he says: "Collection agencies should never threaten or torment you; it's against the law. I provide a "Drop Dead" letter below that you should send if a collector is harrassing you. Learn more about your rights here.
Drop Dead Letter to collectors
Clark's Sample letters
Legal self-help sites
Get resources & contacts
Consumer Counsel Group
Lawyers: Warren & Vullings, LLP
toni
toni
2011-01-11 23:21:46
Debt Collector
they are calling me on my work again and again and saying that they have filed a lawsuit against me and they have all my informations.i have informed FBI and bbb about this and nw they are tracing their number.                i think so they are calling from pakistan n i suggest all the people not to pay single penny to this scammers
DANNY
DANNY
2011-01-11 23:07:04
Debt Collector
I received a very threatening call on my cell phone from a man with an Indian accent - today at about 2:30 pm. He left this number as a callback and said that it was a very important matter and that if I didn't call him back all he could do is wish me good luck! I looked up the number online, as I was certain it was an attempt to defraud me. After finding this website (http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx) and seeing the other complaints I called the number back ready to let him have it. But of course there was no answer
SAINT
SAINT
2011-01-11 23:06:21
Debt Collector
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
WAYNE
WAYNE
2011-01-11 23:04:36
Debt Collector
This is totally a SCAM!  
These people are crazy! They call ed me toooo many times to count, and will not give me any reason for the calls. The voice is a foreign guy ( Alex Wright) with a vey heavy accent very creepy. I going to contact the Attorney Generals office in my state on these people. I also blocked their # from calln me as well.
Lets all be alert for Scamers this time of the year!
U MOTHER FCUKERS
U MOTHER FCUKERS
2011-01-11 23:03:34
Prank Call
I blocked the number on my cell then he called my job.

Screw this guy...and his threats. What's funny is if I owe something which is totally possible, if they could just map it out and tell me what is what and lose the dramatics I would address it.

But this freakshow is going to get nothing because I can't follow up harassment
SCAM
SCAM
2011-01-11 23:02:28
Debt Collector
idt from PayDayOne.  He stated he had a case pending against me.  Gave me 646-434-2472 to call back regarding this legal action.  I called it back and spoke to Erika.  She stated I had money deposited into my account and that I had not paid it back.  I told her there was no money ever deposited into my account, therefore, no payment due.  She also said she was going to contact my bank  I said no, she was not going to contact my bank, I told her I would have my bank contact her.  She said I could have my attorney or my bank contact her.  I told her I would have my attorney contact her regarding my suing them for harassment.  This is a huge hoax, I will have my bank and my attorney call them.
YEOKUM
YEOKUM
2011-01-11 23:01:46
Debt Collector
I have been receiving phone calls from this same group of people for the past 4 months, Every person that has called had a very distinct Indian accent.  I actually thought this was a real collections call and I gave them my debit card information, now I am out $646.00 and I have done everything possible to get my money back with no help.
rYAN
rYAN
2011-01-11 23:00:59
Prank Call
Just received a call from them..  Told them that the Cooke County Sheriffs office wants to talk to them and he hung up..  Go figure..
Muuaah
Muuaah
2011-01-11 23:00:11
Debt Collector
rec another call more messages  still heavy accent  said name was ryan cruz and f me or my retained lawyer didnt call then right back then they wished me good luck in what was going to come to me >>>>now they are getting threating
ap
ap
2011-01-11 22:59:24
Debt Collector
I recieved calls exactly like these and I found out that they are scams. It actullay took me the hard way to learn this. I even gave them information and I had to get my personal things changed. Due to them starting to take money from my bank account.
Tanya Leach
Tanya Leach
2011-01-10 22:14:50
Debt Collector
this number keeps call my job saying that i'm going to jail. i want them to please stop calling
The Saint
The Saint
2010-12-29 14:59:24
Unknown
Kudos to "Sam" for giving the most intelligent and informative posts of 2010 on this scam. READ, Bookmark and use as needed:

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-631-456-4041/2

I have been receiving phone calls from this group since late April / early May of 2010.  There is a good chance that they also attempted to contact me roughly two years ago before I entered into Chapter 7 Bankruptcy protection, as I faintly remember hearing the same script more or less.

As others have stated, the callers are difficult to understand.  Generally speaking their command of the English language is quite poor and their accents are hard to follow. At times they will get certain words or phrases mixed up.  It would be funny if it wasn't for the fact that they had:

a) Your SSN
b) Your home address
c) Your work address
d) Your banking info
e) Names, numbers and potentially the addresses of "references"
f) A complete and total lack of ethics and a basic understanding of the FDCPA.  

I have personally filed reports with the following agencies, often with limited (if any) success:

Local Police
my state's Attorney General's office
FTC
FBI
Secret Service

Generally the local police won't be able to help much.  The callers are using a combination of prepaid cell phones and VoIP, making them difficult to trace.  Also at their disposal are various spoofing tactics being implemented to catch people off guard - meaning the number that appears on your Caller ID isn't the number that is calling you for starters.  Without gaining a subpoena for the billing information for the numbers in question, the local police won't be able to get very far.  

My state's Attorney General's office couldn't offer much assistance either.  I received a form letter in the mail that my complaint was received and I would be contacted if they needed additional info.  It was more or less the same information I obtained from the FTC.  They each advised me not to give the individuals over the phone any account information or to authorize payment.  That's just common sense, though.

I never got anything from the FBI, either.  There is a good chance that since I haven't suffered a monetary loss that my concerns are low on the totem pole.  I hate to say this, but that is truly the case. Unless you were in the hole for a $1,000 (or more) you aren't going to get much more than "sorry to hear about your situation, change your phone number and move on".  I seemed to get some activity from the Secret Service.  I spoke with agent Doug Zloto. (Google him, referencing threads like these plus his name and you'll find his number also)  He seemed to care a bit more than the average person, but after giving him access to my Google Voice account, there has been no further activity from him that I'm aware of.

In the meantime I changed the wireless number the fraudsters had access to, they have no direct way to get a hold of me.  (Calls at work have ceased for some reason)  That in turn resulted in my "references" getting phone calls from the crooks.  Here is a word of caution for women that have been getting these calls - don't say anything and just hang up.  The callers are quite abusive towards women callers.  Why?  Possibly the culture.  If they are Indian / Pakistani, women are second class citizens there.  You will be treated like garbage.  This happened to a family member when she was trying her best to be extremely nice over the phone.  

The callers currently attempt to reach me through the female family member and an unused Google Voice number that they managed to find of mine.  I keep the Google Voice number open because, well, I can't delete it yet.  So, about every day, 4-5 times a day for the last week, I get voice messages from them.  It's usually just two full messages though - the other calls are broken up with static or they are attempts to read the script until the callers then screw up.  Really, they are that adamant on getting the script 100% that they will hang up mid-sentence and call back 30 seconds later.  

At this point it's a stalemate with these people.  

1) While they have the lion's share of information on us, they can't really do anything with this information.  

Why?  Think about it.

If they were to ever take funds out of your account without authorization, it's fraud and worse (for them) it is traceable.  That's why they won't do anything with your information, contrary to threats they make.  The money from your account has to go somewhere, and either your bank or a law enforcement agency can determine where the money was routed.  As a bank customer you are protected - you'd get the stolen money back in your account after 7-10 business days and the bank would be temporarily out the funds deducted from your account while they conducted their investigation.  The bank, along with law enforcement, would track down the fraudsters and apprehend them.  The fraudsters do not want to incur the wrath of a bank, just extort money out of you.  Remember that.    

Your authorization would absolve the bank from any and all liability, leaving you holding the bag.  Never give them authorization for anything - for all you know the call is recorded.  

2) We have no information on them.

Seriously, this has been going on at least since 2008, possibly longer than that based on some accounts. (6 years??? Holy crap!)  You would think someone would have slipped up by now.  Sadly, they haven't.  We can continue to grow our own intel on them and compile lists of aliases and phone numbers used, along with paraphrases of scripts used in order to educate other victims.  I'm actually putting together a site now in the meantime where I'll host audio files and lists of previous numbers used.  800notes.com is great, but no two calls are exactly the same.  It would be nice to have a site dedicated to the scam and how it works.

So that's where I am with these calls.  I have suffered no monetary loss, though I have been harassed both at home and at work.  They threaten me with arrest and other "fun" things in order to get me convinced I have to pay them.  My friends and family have been targeted and local and federal law enforcement agencies haven't been able to put a stop to things.  So, it is what it is.  I am out a wireless phone number I had for roughly six years, which is terrible since I was using that line when looking for a new job.  

Whenever I'm bored I spoof my number using Google Voice and return the calls.  I've called them the poster children for birth control, etc.  Basically a lot of nasty things that I'm sure the moderators here wouldn't appreciate me repeating - bottom line nothing nice.  I always like to close saying their parents must be real proud knowing their sons weren't man enough to get real jobs.  That usually gets a decent response.  

Way I see it - they can't do anything to me. (Despite a threat yesterday that my life would be f'ed up)  They can threaten all they want but my credit is frozen and my bank information has changed.  I've changed the only number they could really access me directly on and I've instructed my employer and family to not answer the calls.  I just call and harass them now when I find a few extra seconds.  What's the worst they can do to me?  Charge me with harassment?  

Nope, then they would have to identify themselves.

Oh, and don't bother contacting Cashnet USA about the calls.  Their "fraud" department could honestly care less.  Their "investigation" is merely a means of buerocratic CYA.  I would even be surprised at this point if actual law enforcement is involved in any shape, way or form at this time.  

There is a good chance that the information these crooks have on us was obtained from Cashnet USA - either from a database leak or from a collector that was once authorized by Cashnet to call on delinquent customers.  The other chance is they have access to Teletrack, and pulled all of our information off of there.

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

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.

PS--The FBI sent out a Press Release on this scam just last week:

Extortion Scam Related to Delinquent Payday Loans

Washington, D.C.
December 07, 2010  FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691

? filed under: Press Release

The Internet Crime Complaint Center has received many complaints from victims of payday loan telephone collection scams. Callers claim the victim is delinquent in a payday loan and must repay the loan to avoid legal consequences. The callers purport to be representatives of the FBI, Federal Legislative Department, various law firms, or other legitimate-sounding agencies. They claim to be collecting debts for companies such as United Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Net, and other Internet check-cashing services.

According to complaints received from the public, the callers have accurate data about victims, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, employer information, bank account numbers, and the names and telephone numbers of relatives and friends. How the fraudsters obtained the personal information varies, but in some cases victims have reported they completed online applications for other loans or credit cards before the calls started.

The fraudsters relentlessly call the victim?s home, cell phone, and place of employment. They refuse to provide any details about the alleged payday loans and become abusive when questioned. The callers have threatened victims with legal actions, arrests, and, in some cases, physical violence if they do not pay. In many cases, the callers harass victims? relatives, friends, and employers.

Some fraudsters have instructed victims to fax a statement agreeing to pay a certain amount, on a specific date, via a pre-paid Visa card. The statement further declares the victim will never dispute the debt.

If you receive these calls, do not follow the caller?s instructions. Rather, you should:

Notify your banking institutions.
Contact the three major credit bureaus and request an alert be put on your file.
Contact your local law enforcement agencies if you feel you are in immediate danger.
File a complaint at www.IC3.gov.
Tips to avoid becoming a victim of this scam:

Never give your Social Security number?or personal information of any kind?over the telephone or online unless you initiate the contact.
Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information. The e-mail may include upsetting or exciting but false statements to get you to react immediately.
Avoid filling out forms in e-mail messages that request personal information.
Ensure that your browser is up-to-date and security patches have been applied.
Check your bank, credit, and debit card statements regularly to make sure that there are no unauthorized transactions. If anything looks suspicious, contact your bank and all card issuers.
When you contact companies, use numbers provided on the back of cards or statements

http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/paydayloanscam_120710
Give them a bit of their own medicine
Give them a bit of their own medicine
2010-12-29 14:40:18
Unknown
I have been getting these calls and I finally talked to one of these men.  After they finished their spiel, I thanked them for staying on the phone long enough for the call to be traced back to him as I have reported his company to the US Dept of Homeland Security as a possible finanical front for terrorism...

He hung up and I have not heard from them since....
jjm
jjm
2010-12-22 22:56:16
Debt Collector
ive had this guy calling me for awhile. it stopped then started again so this time i had them playing along. its fraud. i have also reported him to the internet fraud complaint site as well as calling my local PD. www.ic3.gov. I had a loan out but it has been paid. What happens is this guy goes around and calls you up using the same line. He cant get info from you unless you give it to him. he can obtain a lot of info but not enough to get your money or your bank account so do not give him authorization or sign any documents. The loan company I used was kind enough to fill me in on the scheme when I asked them if they knew about it. They knew right away male guy with indian accent claiming to be lawyer and wanting money or threats insued with large fines and arrests. I just alerted my bank, the local PD and the internet fraud site.
Hmoob__xyooj
Hmoob__xyooj
2010-12-22 21:38:01
Unknown
so i just got a call from a guy that said that they had a suit against me for my outstanding cash loan that i had gotten... oO? wtf, never got one. but they had my information. but he refused to give me a copy of the suit and what not. and his accent was indian. so i said "thank you call again" in apu's voice and hung up. and google the number 760-412-5033. turns out they scam people so dont answer that number!
D Smith
D Smith
2010-12-22 01:22:17
Debt Collector
I got several calls from this 7604125033 phone number today.  When I asked what it is ab out the guy just started yelling at mi.  I made a police report and will be contacting the state becuase I don'[t need to be harrassed at my job.  i am blocking their number but I wish I could find out where these people are calling from.  Gave me the name of Dave Matthews like I am stupid.
1-888-294-4740 1-999-002-8477 1-888-617-8900
Call Type:
Comment:
Your name:
Validation:
© WHOSCALL.IN 2011-2024 - Privacy